IN timber buyer bonds.
From $100.

Every registered Indiana timber buyer must file a surety bond with the DNR under IC 25-36.5-1-3, sized to how much you paid timber growers last year. The minimum is $5,000, the maximum is $50,000 — the premium runs 2% of your bond amount, $100 minimum, and your exact price appears at the application. The application collects no credit information.

✓

Required for timber buyer registration with the DNR Division of Forestry under IC 25-36.5-1-3

✓

Amount scales with your purchases — $5,000 minimum, $50,000 maximum, based on last year’s payments to growers

✓

2% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — enter your bond amount to see your exact price

2% of bond amount$100 minimumNo SSNin the applicationFastoften same purchase

Trusted by industry leaders

How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

No underwriting queue for the standard timber buyer bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with the DNR. Here is the whole thing:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Your business details, your county, the bond amount your purchases require, and an effective date — that is the entire application.

INSTANTLY

Issued on the spot

Most applications issue instantly with no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.

SAME DAY

File with the DNR

Submit the executed bond with your timber buyer registration to the DNR Division of Forestry. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the timber buyer bond actually guarantees

Indiana licenses timber buyers through the DNR Division of Forestry under IC 25-36.5. Every person registered as a timber buyer must file an effective surety bond with the department under IC 25-36.5-1-3 — it protects timber growers who sell standing timber against a buyer who fails to pay or otherwise breaches the deal.

The amount scales with your volume. The statute sets $5,000 for a buyer who paid growers $10,000 or less in the immediately preceding year, plus an additional $100 for each additional $1,000 (or fraction) paid for timber that year — capped at $50,000.

It is a guarantee to growers and the state, not insurance for you — if the surety pays a grower's claim, you repay the surety. Instead of the bond, the DNR may accept cash or a certificate of deposit, but a surety bond is almost always the cheapest way to register. Confirm your bracket against the DNR's bond schedule.

IC 25-36.5-1-3Indiana Code 25-36.5-1-3 requires every registered timber buyer to file an effective surety bond with the DNR. The amount is $5,000 for a buyer who paid timber growers $10,000 or less for timber in the immediately preceding year, plus an additional $100 for each additional $1,000 (or fraction) paid, capped at $50,000. The DNR may instead accept cash or a certificate of deposit. Confirm your bracket on the DNR Division of Forestry bond schedule.

You need this bond if you are

✓

Registering as a timber buyer with the DNR Division of Forestry

✓

Renewing your timber buyer registration and your bond is expiring

✓

Growing your purchase volume into a higher bond bracket on the DNR schedule

✓

A sawmill or logging operation that buys standing timber from Indiana growers

One application, issued on the spot.

Submit the application with the bond amount your purchase schedule requires — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file with the DNR.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Indiana timber buyer bond?The premium is 2% of your bond amount, $100 minimum. The bond amount itself follows the DNR schedule: $5,000 for buyers who paid growers $10,000 or less last year, plus $100 for each additional $1,000 paid, capped at $50,000. Enter your amount at the application to see your exact price.

How do I figure out my bond amount?Start at $5,000 if you paid timber growers $10,000 or less in the prior year, then add $100 for each additional $1,000 (or fraction) you paid, up to a $50,000 maximum. The DNR Division of Forestry publishes a full bracket table — match your annual purchases to it.

Why does Indiana require it?Under IC 25-36.5-1-3, the bond protects timber growers. If a registered buyer fails to pay for timber or breaches the purchase, a grower can claim against the bond — so growers can sell standing timber with a financial backstop.

Is there a credit check?The application collects no credit information. Most applications approve instantly; if a check ever runs on a larger bond amount, it is a soft pull that never affects your score.

Can I post cash instead?The statute lets the DNR accept cash or a certificate of deposit in place of the bond. But a surety bond is almost always cheaper — you pay a small premium rather than tying up the full amount in cash.

Related bonds

Other Indiana bonds.

Timber buyer bond, issued today.

Premiums from $100. Enter your bracket amount and file with the DNR the same day.

Start application

Your premiumfrom $100

Apply now →

IN timber buyer bonds.From $100.