A Florida citrus fruit dealer bond is required under state statute of brokers and dealers of all citrus products. As per F.S.S. 601.03, “Citrus fruit dealer” means any consignor, commission merchant, consignment shipper, cash buyer, broker, association, cooperative association, express or gift fruit shipper, or person who in any manner makes or attempts to make money or other thing of value on citrus fruit in any manner whatsoever, other than of growing or producing citrus fruit. The term does not include retail establishments whose sales are direct to consumers and not for resale or persons or firms trading solely in citrus futures contracts on a regulated commodity exchange.” A purveyor’s license is required unless specifically exempted. “No person shall act as a citrus fruit dealer in this state without first having applied for and obtained the issuance of a current license for each shipping season, or portion thereof.”
The Florida citrus fruit dealer bond must be submitted to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), along with the appropriate registration materials. The surety bond is a statutory compliance obligation however there are certain financial guarantees in the underlying statute. The citrus fruit dealer bond is cancelable however it is a term bond expiring on May 1st, of each year so the surety bond can be subject to cumulative liability. In addition to the primary dealer bond the seller may also be obligated to post an inspection fees surety bond and/or a Florida citrus fruit dealer excise tax bond. The dealer bond contains a helpful “per box” calculator so that the principal can determine the appropriate surety bond amount. All application materials and surety bond should be submitted as follows:
Office of Citrus License & Surety Bond
170 Century Boulevard
Bartow, FL 33830
Florida surety bond leader, Surety One, Inc. is a specialist in the bonding needs of agricultural and livestock professionals. We offer our support in ALL fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Visit us at SuretyOne.com, call (800) 373-2804, or email us at Underwriting@SuretyOne.com for a Florida citrus fruit dealer bond application or information on ANY bonding need. ¡También recuerden que nuestra asesoría está disponible en SU idioma!
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