Florida notary bond
Florida notary bond at a glance
- Bond required
- Yes
- Bond amount
- $7,500
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Total cost, full term
- Individually quoted
- Statute
- Fla. Stat. § 117.01(7); § 117.225(6) (online notaries)
- Commissioning authority
- Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (through an authorized bonding agency)
- Credit check
- None
- Issuance
- Same business day
Key takeaways
- Florida requires a notary public surety bond under Fla. Stat. § 117.01(7).
- The bond penalty is $7,500 and the bond runs for the full commission term of 4 years.
- Commissioning authority: Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations.
- The bond is individually quoted; no fee is due until the quotation is accepted.
- The bond protects the public and must be reimbursed to the surety if a claim is paid; Notary E&O insurance is the coverage that protects the notary.
Surety and fidelity underwriter, attorney and author of The Contractor's Guide to Surety Bonds. Updated September 2026.
What Florida requires
Florida requires a $7,500 bond for traditional notaries. Online notaries must carry a $25,000 bond and, uniquely among the states, a mandatory $25,000 errors and omissions policy. Because Florida commissions flow through authorized bonding agencies, Florida notary bonds are individually placed; request a quotation.
Florida law makes the bond a condition of the commission itself: the commissioning authority will not issue, or will not activate, the commission until the bond is on file. The bond is a faithful performance bond conditioned on the notary's honest and lawful discharge of every duty of the office. Any person who suffers a monetary loss because the notary failed in that duty, whether through negligence, an improper acknowledgment, a defective identification of a signer, or outright fraud, may make a claim against it up to the $7,500.
Filing the bond in Florida
Florida commissions are processed through bonding agencies authorized by the Department of State. The bond, oath and application are submitted as a package by the bonding agency rather than by the notary directly.
We issue the bond on the form the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations prescribes, executed by the surety and with a power of attorney attached where the jurisdiction requires it. You sign as principal where indicated and file. If your jurisdiction requires the notary's signature on the bond to be acknowledged, the instructions that accompany the bond say so.
Cost of a Florida notary bond
This bond is placed individually. Submit the quote request and an underwriter returns a firm quotation, usually the same business day; no premium or fee is due until you accept it.
The premium is not a percentage of the bond amount in the way contract and license bonds are priced. Notary bonds are rated as a class because the claim frequency is low and the penalties are modest, which is why a $7,500 bond costs only a fraction of its face value.
Remote online, electronic and eNotary commissions
Florida online notaries must post a $25,000 bond and maintain $25,000 of errors and omissions insurance (Fla. Stat. § 117.225(6)). Use the online notary bond request and the E&O application.
The bond is not insurance for you
The single most misunderstood feature of a notary bond is who it protects. The bond protects the people who rely on your notarial acts and the State that commissioned you. When the surety pays a claim, it is entitled to full reimbursement from you, the principal, because the surety's promise is a guarantee of your performance, not a transfer of your risk. Notary Errors & Omissions insurance is the product that transfers the risk: it pays claims for honest errors in your official notarial acts with nothing to repay, and it can pay the defense costs of a claim that turns out to be groundless. Notary E&O is available on the same application, at a discounted rate for bond purchasers.
Florida notary bonds are individually placed. Request a quotation online or on paper; an underwriter replies the same business day.
Apply for your Florida notary bond Paper application (PDF)Florida notary bond questions
How much is a Florida notary bond?
The bond penalty is $7,500. The bond is individually quoted; request a quotation and an underwriter will reply the same business day.
Does Florida require a notary bond?
Yes. Florida requires a notary public surety bond under Fla. Stat. § 117.01(7); § 117.225(6) (online notaries) as a condition of commission. Florida commissions are processed through bonding agencies authorized by the Department of State. The bond, oath and application are submitted as a package by the bonding agency rather than by the notary directly.
How long does a Florida notary bond last?
The bond runs for the term of the commission: 4 years. The premium is paid once for the entire term, and a new bond is required with each renewal.
Does a Florida notary bond protect me?
No. The bond protects the public and the State. If the surety pays a claim caused by your error or misconduct, you must reimburse the surety. Notary Errors & Omissions insurance is the coverage that protects you, and bond purchasers receive a discounted E&O rate.
Is a credit check required for a Florida notary bond?
No. Standard notary bonds are issued without a credit check. Individually underwritten bonds, such as enlarged remote online notary bonds, may be reviewed by an underwriter but are not credit scored in the ordinary case.
How fast can I get a Florida notary bond?
Standard bonds issue the same business day. The executed bond is emailed to you on the required form, ready to sign and file.