If a statute allows costs to a party in an action or proceeding, the costs shall include all of the following:
§ 995.250.Costs Include Premium On Bond Paid By Party
Title 14. Of Miscellaneous Provisions · Chapter 2. Bonds and Undertakings · Article 2. General Provisions · Enacted 1982 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 995.250 requires that, whenever a statute allows costs to a party, those costs include the premium the party reasonably paid on a bond the statute required in the action or proceeding, plus any bond premium reasonably paid in connection with the case unless the court finds the bond unnecessary.
Full Text of § 995.250
(a) The premium on a bond reasonably paid by the party pursuant to a statute that provides for the bond in the action or proceeding.
(b) The premium on a bond reasonably paid by the party in connection with the action or proceeding, unless the court determines that the bond was unnecessary.
Plain-English Summary
Bonds cost money, and this section makes sure the winning party can recover that cost as part of ordinary costs of suit. Subdivision (a) covers the plain case: the premium reasonably paid on a bond the statute required in the action or proceeding counts as recoverable costs.
Subdivision (b) reaches a bit further, covering the premium on a bond reasonably paid in connection with the action or proceeding even when no statute specifically required it — unless the court determines the bond wasn't necessary. That qualifier keeps the cost-shifting tied to bonds that served a real purpose in the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a party recover the cost of a bond premium as part of costs of suit?
Yes, if a statute allows costs to that party, § 995.250 includes bond premiums reasonably paid.
Does this cover only bonds a statute specifically required?
No. Subdivision (b) also covers premiums on a bond reasonably paid in connection with the action or proceeding, even without a specific statutory requirement, unless the court finds the bond was unnecessary.
Can a court refuse to award a bond premium as costs?
Yes, for a bond that wasn't specifically required by statute, if the court determines it was unnecessary.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 998, Sec. 1.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: bond premium recoverable costs californiacan i recover bond premium as costs