Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Blanket Highway Permit - Right of Way - MAIL Bond - Indiana DOT in Indiana

Brief Summary

One INDOT blanket bond covers every right of way permit you pull on a state highway, in any of the six INDOT districts, for as long as it stays in force. Utilities, broadband builders and contractors who file permit after permit stop buying a new bond for each job. The bond is written for the penal sum you choose, sized to your open permit load, and the signed and notarized original goes by mail to the INDOT central permits office in Indianapolis.

The Indiana Department of Transportation requires a bond on most right of way permits. A blanket bond, filed on the INDOT Blanket Bond for Right-of-Way Permits form, covers multiple permits at once and names the State of Indiana as obligee. The form has no printed minimum. INDOT requires an amount sufficient to cover all active and open permits. The original, with all three pages signed and notarized, is mailed to INDOT Permits, 100 N. Senate Ave., N758-Permits, Indianapolis, IN 46204, and a PDF copy is uploaded in the Electronic Permit System.

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How to Apply for a Blanket Highway Permit - Right of Way - MAIL Bond:

Decide the penal sum. It must cover the work under every INDOT permit you expect to have active and open at the same time.
Have the permittee's legal name and address exactly as they appear in the INDOT Electronic Permit System account.
Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
Receive the executed INDOT Blanket Bond for Right-of-Way Permits form with the surety's power of attorney attached.
Have the principal sign all three pages in front of a notary.
Upload a PDF of the completed bond in EPS.
Mail the original to INDOT Permits, 100 N. Senate Ave., N758-Permits, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Detailed Information About the Indiana Blanket Highway Permit - Right of Way - MAIL Bond:

Blanket bond or single permit bond

INDOT accepts two kinds of permit bond. A performance bond covers one permit only and goes to the district office where the work happens. A blanket bond covers multiple permits and is filed once with the central permits office. The blanket form lists the permit types it can back: occupancy above ground, occupancy below ground, broadband access, driveway, and miscellaneous or other. If you expect to hold more than one INDOT permit at a time, the blanket bond is the one that saves repeat paperwork.

How much the bond has to be

The blanket form leaves the penal sum blank. The INDOT Public Permit Guide and the permit forms page both say the bond must be of a sufficient amount to cover all active and open permits, meaning all proposed work within the right of way. Pick a figure that matches the largest volume of open permits you expect to carry at once. The requirement is ongoing, so if your permit load grows past that figure, increase the bond to keep it sufficient. Under the bond, the surety's total liability for all claims is capped at the penal sum, plus court costs and attorney fees if INDOT has to collect.

Why the listing says MAIL

Performance bonds are delivered to the district office. Blanket bonds are not. INDOT wants the hard copy blanket bond, with original signatures and notary seals, mailed to INDOT Permits, 100 N. Senate Ave., N758-Permits, Indianapolis, IN 46204. A PDF of the same bond is also attached in the Electronic Permit System. Forms that are missing a signature, a printed signer name or a notary seal are rejected.

Who does not need a bond

The Public Permit Guide says schools, churches and local governments may be exempt from permit fees or bond requirements by submitting the appropriate waiver. Everyone else posting permits on the state highway right of way should expect to bond.

What the bond guarantees

The principal promises to perform every permit according to its terms to INDOT's satisfaction and to pay all lawful claims of contractors, vendors and laborers. Under 105 IAC 7-1-21 the permittee also pays INDOT's inspection costs when an employee has to be assigned to inspect the work, and the Permit Guide lists covering those costs and unfinished remediation as uses of the bond.

Getting the bond released

When permits close out, email the Bond Release Information Request Form to permits@indot.in.gov. After INDOT confirms compliance, it emails the release to the surety.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Indiana Blanket Highway Permit - Right of Way - MAIL Bond:

The State of Indiana named as obligee on the current INDOT blanket bond form, last updated 8/29/2023.
Permit types checked on the form: occupancy above ground, occupancy below ground, broadband access, driveway, or miscellaneous and other.
All three pages completed, signed, signers identified and notarized with seal, or the bond is not accepted.
A power of attorney for the surety's attorney in fact.
Premium set by the surety based on the penal sum you choose and the principal's credit and financial strength.

Indiana Blanket Highway Permit - Right of Way - MAIL Bond FAQs:

What amount should the blanket bond be?

INDOT does not print a minimum on the blanket form. It requires a sum sufficient to cover all active and open permits. Size it to the most permits you expect to have open at once. A bigger penal sum costs more premium, so there is no reason to overshoot by a wide margin.

Where do I send it?

Mail the original to INDOT Permits, 100 N. Senate Ave., N758-Permits, Indianapolis, IN 46204 and attach a PDF copy in the Electronic Permit System. Single permit performance bonds are the ones that go to district offices, not blanket bonds.

Can one blanket bond cover permits in more than one district?

Yes. It is filed with the central permits office and is designed to cover multiple permits. The form lets you check each permit type it backs.

Are schools, churches or towns exempt?

They may be. INDOT's Public Permit Guide says schools, churches and local governments may be exempt from permit fees or bond requirements by submitting the appropriate waiver.

How do I get the bond released?

Email the Bond Release Information Request Form to permits@indot.in.gov. INDOT checks that all permits complied and then emails the release to the surety.