Kentucky notary bond
Kentucky notary bond at a glance
- Bond required
- Yes
- Bond amount
- $1,000
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Total cost, full term
- $95 for the full term
- Statute
- KRS 423.395
- Commissioning authority
- Kentucky Secretary of State (commission); County Clerk (bond and oath)
- Credit check
- None
- Issuance
- Same business day
Key takeaways
- Kentucky requires a notary public surety bond under KRS 423.395.
- The bond penalty is $1,000 and the bond runs for the full commission term of 4 years.
- Commissioning authority: Kentucky Secretary of State.
- Surety One's total cost for the full term is $95, premium and processing fee included; no credit check; same business day issuance.
- 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 Kentucky requires
Kentucky's $1,000 bond is modest, but the filing sequence matters: the bond is filed with the county clerk after state approval, and the commission is not effective until that step is complete.
Kentucky 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 $1,000.
Filing the bond in Kentucky
After the Secretary of State approves the application, the notary must post the bond and take the oath with the county clerk of the county of residence before the commission becomes effective.
We issue the bond on the form the Kentucky Secretary of State 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 Kentucky notary bond
Our total price is $95 for the entire 4 years term. That figure is the surety premium plus a forty-dollar processing fee; there is no application fee, no shipping charge and nothing added at checkout. Divided over the term it is a few dollars a month for the bond that makes your commission possible.
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 $1,000 bond costs only a fraction of its face value.
Remote online, electronic and eNotary commissions
Kentucky permits online notarization under KRS 423.455. The standard $1,000 bond covers online acts.
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.
Standard Kentucky bonds issue the same business day. Apply online in about four minutes, or download the paper application; the Kentucky fee is printed on it.
Apply for your Kentucky notary bond Paper application (PDF)Kentucky notary bond questions
How much is a Kentucky notary bond?
The bond penalty is $1,000. Our total cost for the full 4 years term is $95, which includes the surety premium and our $40 processing fee.
Does Kentucky require a notary bond?
Yes. Kentucky requires a notary public surety bond under KRS 423.395 as a condition of commission. After the Secretary of State approves the application, the notary must post the bond and take the oath with the county clerk of the county of residence before the commission becomes effective.
How long does a Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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.