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Form 56-100 · Obligee: State of Texas, through the Comptroller
Texas IFTA bonds,
Texas IFTA bonds,
issued fast — when the Comptroller requires security on your license.
If the Texas Comptroller has asked you to post a bond on your IFTA license, this is it. The amount is set by the Comptroller — Texas has no statutory formula. Bonds are "not generally required of first-time applicants" (Form 56-100); they come after late returns, unpaid tax or an audit problem.
- Texas Continuous Bond for IFTA License
- Covers every IFTA member jurisdiction
- Houston-based agent, statewide
Who needs one
Who gets asked for an IFTA bond.
Most Texas IFTA licensees start without a bond. The Comptroller's bond form puts it plainly: "Bonds are not generally required of first-time applicants. A bond may be required, however, if an IFTA licensee has a history of not filing tax returns on time, not remitting tax due or other problems to indicate that a bond is required to protect the interests of all member jurisdictions and the state of Texas."
The IFTA Articles of Agreement, which every member jurisdiction follows, list the same main triggers (R340). Your base jurisdiction may require a bond for:
- Late filing or late payment — failing to file quarterly IFTA returns on time, or to pay the tax due on time.
- Audit problems — an audit that turns up problems serious enough that the commissioner decides a bond is needed to protect the member jurisdictions.
If that describes the letter on your desk, the Comptroller is not asking you to stop operating. It is asking for a guarantee before it keeps, issues or renews your license.
What it is
What is an IFTA bond?
A Texas IFTA bond is a surety bond that guarantees you will pay "all taxes including penalty, interest and costs accruing under the Agreement" — the International Fuel Tax Agreement. The Comptroller's form is the Texas Continuous Bond for International Fuel Tax Agreement License (Form 56-100).
Under IFTA, an interstate carrier files one quarterly fuel tax return with its base jurisdiction, and that jurisdiction collects and passes on the tax owed to every other member jurisdiction the trucks drove through. Texas is the base jurisdiction for carriers based here, and the Comptroller administers IFTA under its authority to enter fuel tax agreements with other jurisdictions (Tax Code §162.003(h)). So the bond protects the other member jurisdictions as well as Texas.
Three parties sign on. You are the principal — the IFTA licensee. The State of Texas, through the Comptroller, is the obligee the bond protects. The surety is the insurance company that issues the bond. If the tax goes unpaid, the surety pays and then collects that money back from you. It protects the jurisdictions, not your business.
Bond amount
What sets the bond amount.
The Texas Comptroller sets the IFTA bond amount case by case; no Texas statute sets a formula for it.
Form 56-100 says only that "The Texas State Comptroller will determine the required bond amount." Unlike the sales tax bond, which Tax Code §151.253(b) caps, or the motor fuels bond, which §162.111 sets at two times the tax that could accrue in a reporting period, the IFTA bond has no amount written into Texas law.
You will see formulas quoted on other sites, such as a multiple of quarterly tax with a minimum. They do not appear on the Texas form, so we do not print them. The amount in the Comptroller's request is the amount your bond must carry. If the request does not state one, call the Comptroller's fuels tax line at 800-252-1383, the number printed on the form.
What you pay
What sets your premium.
You do not pay the bond amount. You pay a premium to the surety, and that premium is set by credit underwriting.
The underwriter reads the amount the Comptroller set and the reason it asked. An IFTA bond is only required after a filing, payment or audit problem, so expect the underwriter to look at your fuel tax history alongside your personal and business credit. The bond is a new obligation each calendar year, so the premium is charged for each year it stays in force.
If your credit is bruised, apply anyway. Every file is underwritten on its own, and the soft credit pull does not affect your score. Get a quote online in a few minutes, or call (281) 484-8320.
Don't mix them up
IFTA bond vs. the motor fuels tax bond.
Both are Comptroller fuel tax bonds, and both get called a "fuel tax bond." They cover different businesses.
| IFTA bond | Motor fuels tax bond | |
|---|---|---|
| Who posts it | Interstate carriers licensed under IFTA | Fuel suppliers, distributors, importers, exporters and blenders |
| Form | 56-100 | AP-111 |
| When required | After late filing, late payment or audit problems | When the Comptroller decides security is needed to protect the State |
| Amount | Set by the Comptroller; no statutory formula | Two times the tax that could accrue in a reporting period, $30,000 to $600,000 (Tax Code §162.111) |
| Release | Not stated on the form | Four consecutive compliant years, on request (§162.111(c)) |
If you sell or distribute fuel rather than burn it on the road, you are looking at the motor fuels bond. Call us and we will confirm which one your letter asks for.
How to get bonded
Four steps, starting from the Comptroller's request.
- 01
Send the request
Send us the Comptroller's request and your IFTA account details. The Comptroller sets the bond amount.
- 02
Get a quote
Apply online. A soft credit pull starts underwriting, and the premium is priced on the bond amount, your credit and your filing history.
- 03
Sign and pay
Sign the application and indemnity agreement and pay the premium. Approved bonds issue the same day.
- 04
Mail Form 56-100
The surety executes Form 56-100. Mail it to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, 111 E. 17th St., Austin, TX 78774-0100 — the address printed on the form.
Legal requirements
Statute, agreement, forms.
Statute
Texas Tax Code Chapter 162 — §162.001(36) defines an interstate trucker, and §162.003(h) authorizes the Comptroller to enter fuel tax agreements with other jurisdictions, which is how Texas administers IFTA.
Agreement
IFTA Articles of Agreement R340 — a base jurisdiction may require a bond for late filing or payment, or when an audit shows serious problems. Bond procedures are in the IFTA Procedures Manual, Section P400.
Forms
Form 56-100, Texas Continuous Bond for International Fuel Tax Agreement License. Form AP-178, the IFTA license application, repeats that bonds are not generally required of first-time applicants.
Bond amount
Determined by the Texas Comptroller. No formula in Texas statute.
Term
Continuous, calendar year to calendar year. A new bond may be demanded when a new license is issued or renewed. Sources last checked October 2, 2026.
Why Surety Bond Houston
Keep the trucks licensed and moving.
Same-day issuance
Approved bonds issue the same day, so the bond is ready to mail as soon as you have it.
40+ years of combined experience
Our team has placed Texas surety bonds for decades. We read the Comptroller's request with you and make sure it is the IFTA bond, not the motor fuels bond.
Houston-local, Texas-wide
Houston runs on freight. We write for carriers off I-10, I-45 and the Port, and for Texas-based fleets everywhere in the state.
Related bonds
Other Texas bonds for trucking and tax.
FAQ
Texas IFTA bond questions.
What is a Texas IFTA bond?
A continuous surety bond, filed on Comptroller Form 56-100, that guarantees an IFTA licensee will pay "all taxes including penalty, interest and costs accruing under the Agreement." Texas, as your base jurisdiction, collects fuel tax for every IFTA member jurisdiction you drive in, so the bond protects them as well as the State of Texas.
Do first-time IFTA applicants need a bond?
Generally, no. Form 56-100 says "Bonds are not generally required of first-time applicants." The Comptroller asks for one when a licensee has a history of late returns, unpaid tax or other problems. The IFTA Articles of Agreement (R340) also allow a bond when an audit turns up problems serious enough to put the member jurisdictions at risk.
How is the IFTA bond amount set?
The Comptroller sets it. Form 56-100 says "The Texas State Comptroller will determine the required bond amount," and no Texas statute sets a formula. Figures you may see elsewhere, such as a multiple of quarterly tax, do not appear on the Texas form. The amount in your Comptroller request is the one your bond must carry.
How much does an IFTA bond cost?
You pay a premium, not the bond amount. The premium is set by credit underwriting on the amount the Comptroller sets, your credit and your fuel tax filing history. Because the bond is a new obligation each calendar year, the premium is charged for each year it stays in force. A quote online takes a few minutes.
How long does an IFTA bond last?
It is continuous. Form 56-100 runs from calendar year to calendar year as a new obligation each year until the surety is released. The Comptroller may also demand a new bond when your IFTA license is issued or renewed.
Is the IFTA bond the same as a motor fuels tax bond?
No. The motor fuels tax bond (Form AP-111) is for fuel suppliers, distributors, importers, exporters and blenders licensed under Tax Code Chapter 162. It equals two times the tax that could accrue in a reporting period, from $30,000 to $600,000 (§162.111), and has a four-year release clock. The IFTA bond is for interstate carriers reporting the fuel their trucks burn.
Ready when you are
Get your Texas IFTA bond today.
Send us the Comptroller's request. Same-day issuance from a Houston agent.