RLI Surety

What RLI Surety does

RLI Surety is the surety underwriting division of RLI Corp (NYSE: RLI), established in 1994 to underwrite commercial and contract surety bonds in the United States. The division issues bonds for small-to-medium contractors, commercial businesses, and individuals, with product lines spanning contract surety (performance and payment bonds for construction projects) and commercial surety (license, permit, court, and fidelity bonds). Underwriting is supported by an AM Best A++ (Superior) financial strength rating — the highest tier available — and three decades of continuous loss-ratio data that refine risk selection across surety's long-tail, low-frequency loss profile.

The division distributes entirely through independent agents and brokers, with no direct-to-consumer channel. To modernize the agent and end-customer experience, RLI Surety has built two digital platforms — MyBondApp® for commercial surety and the My Contract Bond App for contract surety — that digitize application, quoting, and issuance workflows. These platforms reduce processing friction at the producer level and position the division to compete with digitally native surety writers while preserving its traditional underwriting discipline.

Revenue mechanics are premium-driven: RLI Surety collects premiums on each bond written, invests the float, and bears loss exposure on principal default. The division operates as a segment within RLI Corp's broader specialty insurance portfolio; segment-level financial disclosures are not separately broken out in the available input, limiting standalone revenue visibility. Customer base is distributed across thousands of SMB contractors and commercial obligees served via the agent channel, with no concentration in any single named account.

Name

RLI Surety

Legal name

RLI Corp

Website

https://rlisurety.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RLI Surety is the surety division of RLI Corp (NYSE: RLI) that underwrites commercial and contract surety bonds for small-to-medium contractors and commercial businesses, distributing through independent agents and brokers with digital bond-application platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surety Bonds

SIC

Surety Insurance (6351)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Surety Bonds (FSAJAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contract Surety Bonds (FSAJAIAA), License & Permit Bonds (FSAJAIAF)

Keywords

• Surety bond services
• Commercial surety bonds
• Contract surety bonds
• Performance and payment bonds
• Contractor bonding solutions

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Surety Bond Premiums: RLI Surety generates revenue through surety bond premiums, including commercial bonds and contract bonds (performance and payment bonds) for contractors and businesses. Bond premiums are typically calculated as a percentage of the bond amount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

RLI Surety underwrites and issues commercial surety bonds (account-based and transactional bonds for individuals and businesses across diverse industries) and contract surety bonds (performance and payment bonds for small and medium-sized contractors). Bond applications are processed through appointed agents and brokers using the MyPortal platform, with digital self-serve capabilities delivered via the proprietary MyBondApp® and My Contract Bond App platforms.

Product overview

RLI Surety offers a comprehensive surety bond portfolio consisting of two core product lines: Commercial Surety Bonds and Contract Surety Bonds. Commercial Surety Bonds provides account-based and transactional bond solutions for individuals and businesses across diverse industries. Contract Surety Bonds offers performance and payment bonds specifically for small to medium-sized contractors. The company complements these core products with two digital platforms: MyBondApp® enables agents to provide customers direct access to purchase commercial bonds through their website, while My Contract Bond App allows contractors to submit applications on the go via custom links. Together, these products form an integrated surety bond ecosystem supporting small to large businesses and individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MyBondApp®: Digital platform providing direct access for customers to purchase commercial bonds directly from agent websites.
• My Contract Bond App

Products and services

• Commercial Surety Bonds Account-based and transactional commercial bond solutions for individuals and businesses across a diverse set of industries, covering court bonds, license and permit bonds, and other commercial surety obligations.
• Contract Surety Bonds Performance bonds, payment bonds, bid bonds, and maintenance bonds for experienced small and medium-sized contractors on public and private construction projects.
• MyBondApp® Proprietary digital platform that gives customers direct access to purchase commercial bonds directly from an agent's website, supporting both account-based and transactional commercial bond solutions.
• My Contract Bond App Proprietary digital platform providing a custom link that allows contractors to submit their own contract bond applications on the go via mobile devices for performance and payment bonds.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Insurance Agents and BrokerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRLI Surety operates through a network of appointed insurance agents and brokers who sell commercial and contract surety bonds to their customers. Partners access the MyPortal platform for quoting and issuance, and can use proprietary digital platforms MyBondApp® and My Contract Bond App to serve clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Travelers Companies: Travelers Bond & Financial Products underwrites commercial and contract surety bonds through agency distribution, with overlapping product set, customer segments, and SMB contractor focus comparable to RLI Surety.
• CNA Financial: CNA Surety provides contract and commercial surety bonds distributed through brokers and agents, with a comparable product suite and SMB contractor target customer profile to RLI Surety.
• Merchants Bonding Company: Mutual insurance carrier exclusively focused on surety bonds for contractors and commercial obligations, with a comparable SMB contractor emphasis and agent/broker distribution model that closely mirrors RLI Surety.
• The Hartford: The Hartford's surety division issues commercial and contract surety bonds through agents, competing directly with RLI Surety for small and mid-sized contractor accounts and commercial obligees.
• Liberty Mutual Insurance: Liberty Mutual Surety is one of the largest U.S. surety underwriters offering commercial and contract bonds through similar agent/broker channels, directly competing for the same contractor and commercial obligee accounts.
• International Fidelity Insurance: Specialty surety carrier focused on commercial and contract bond obligations across diverse industries, with similar SMB contractor focus and broker/agent distribution model as RLI Surety.

Broad incumbents

• Zurich Insurance Group: Global P&C carrier with surety offerings bundled into broader commercial lines, competing for larger commercial surety accounts while overlapping with RLI Surety in mid-market segments.
• AmTrust Financial Services: Specialty insurance carrier with surety offerings alongside broader commercial lines, competing in commercial and small contractor surety segments through similar agency channels.
• Chubb: Large global P&C insurer with surety capabilities integrated into its broader commercial insurance portfolio, competing primarily in the upper tier of the surety market where RLI also pursues accounts.

Emerging players

• SureTec Insurance: Surety-focused insurtech and insurance carrier leveraging technology and digital distribution to issue contract and commercial bonds in the same SMB contractor niche as RLI Surety, representing a digital-native competitive threat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RLI.Insurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rli-insurance-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/rli.insurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RLI Surety