Indiana County Public Official Bond

You must file your bond with the county recorder's office within 10 days of issuance or approval under IC 5-4-1-8. The bond must be filed before you are sworn into office. Bonds cover one policy year (either calendar or fiscal year) and must be renewed annually. Your county may also require blanket bonds or name/position schedule bonds as alternatives to individual bonds, depending on local fiscal body authorization.

The bond amount is calculated based on your office's receipts from the last complete fiscal year. The formula is $30,000 for each $1,000,000 in receipts. The minimum bond is $30,000 and the maximum is $300,000 (unless your county fiscal body approves a higher amount). For example, if your office handled $3.5 million in receipts last year, your bond would be $105,000. The State Board of Accounts may also increase bond amounts up to $300,000 if malfeasance is discovered.

This bond is required for county public officials who handle receipts over $5,000 per year. Common positions include county clerks (circuit court clerks), county treasurers, county sheriffs, county auditors, city judges, controllers, and clerk-treasurers. The bond must be obtained and filed before you can be sworn into office. Your county fiscal body determines the specific positions requiring bonds based on Indiana Code § 5-4-1-18.