RLI Surety
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.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1994
- Headquarters—
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
RLI Surety firmographics
Firmographics- 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
RLI Surety industry classification
Industry- 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
RLI Surety business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Commercial Surety Bonds - Account-based and transactional solutions |
| Other | Annual | Contract Surety Bonds - Performance and payment bonds for contractors |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
RLI Surety product offering
Product offeringCore 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.
Companies that use RLI Surety
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RLI Surety technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
RLI Surety partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Insurance Agents and BrokerscoreRLI 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
RLI Surety competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
RLI Surety social profiles
Digital presenceRLI Surety financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RLI Surety leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RLI Surety funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RLI Surety M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RLI Surety
What does RLI Surety do?
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.
Is RLI Surety a public or private company?
RLI Surety is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RLI Surety founded?
RLI Surety was founded in 1994.
How does RLI Surety make money?
One revenue line is on record: surety Bond Premiums.
Who are RLI Surety's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Travelers Companies, CNA Financial, Merchants Bonding Company, The Hartford, Liberty Mutual Insurance and International Fidelity Insurance. Broad incumbents are Zurich Insurance Group, AmTrust Financial Services and Chubb. SureTec Insurance is listed as an emerging player.
Does RLI Surety have an API?
No public API is recorded for RLI Surety.
What industry is RLI Surety in?
RLI Surety's product category is Surety Bonds. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAJAIAB, Commercial Surety Bonds, with a secondary code of FSAJAIAA, Contract Surety Bonds. Its SIC code is 6351.