Notary Errors & Omissions insurance
The notary bond protects the public. Notary E&O protects the notary. If you make an honest mistake in an official notarial act and someone is harmed, the policy pays the claim and the cost of defending you, and you repay nothing. Available in every state, in every bonding state alongside the bond at a discounted rate, and on its own where no bond is required.
Surety and fidelity underwriter, attorney and author of The Contractor's Guide to Surety Bonds. Updated September 2026.
Why a bonded notary still needs E&O
A surety bond is a three-party guarantee. When a claimant recovers from the bond, the surety turns to the notary for reimbursement of every dollar paid plus its costs; the surety's promise was to guarantee your performance, not to insure you. The bond therefore leaves you exactly where you were, out of pocket for the loss, with the surety now the creditor. E&O insurance is a two-party contract that pays on your behalf. That is the whole difference, and it is why nearly every notary who understands the bond also carries E&O.
What the policy covers
Notary E&O covers claims for honest errors or omissions in the performance of official notarial acts: a defective acknowledgment, a misdated certificate, a missed element of identification, an improperly completed jurat. It pays damages up to the limit and, in most forms, defense costs in addition to the limit. Limits from $10,000 to $100,000 or more per commission term are available, and a group or employer policy can cover every notary in an office under one form.
The policy does not cover dishonest acts, and it does not cover the separate duties of a notary signing agent. If you conduct loan document signings for lenders, title or escrow companies, your errors in handling the loan package (as opposed to the notarial certificates within it) fall outside notary E&O. Applicants for $50,000 or more of coverage answer signing agent questions on the application so the underwriter can address that exposure; do not represent notary E&O to a lender as signing agent E&O.
Where E&O is required
Florida requires online notaries to carry $25,000 of E&O in addition to a $25,000 bond, and Montana requires $25,000 of E&O for remote online notaries. Louisiana formerly allowed an E&O policy as an alternative to the bond; that alternative was eliminated effective February 1, 2026, and Louisiana notaries now post the $50,000 bond, with E&O optional but advisable given the breadth of a Louisiana civil law notary's powers. Everywhere else E&O is voluntary.
States without a bond requirement
In Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia, and in the states that repealed the bond (South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming), no third party pays first. The notary is personally liable for the full loss. E&O is the only coverage that stands between a notary in those states and a claim.
Cost
Notary E&O is inexpensive relative to the exposure, and the rate for bond purchasers is discounted. Because the premium depends on the limit, the term and whether you act as a signing agent, we quote it on application rather than publishing a single figure. The application takes about three minutes online.
Apply for Notary E&O online, or download the paper application and return it with your bond application.
Apply for Notary E&O E&O application (PDF)Questions
Is a notary bond the same as notary insurance?
No. The bond guarantees your performance to the public and must be repaid if a claim is paid. E&O insurance pays claims on your behalf with nothing to repay. They are complementary, not interchangeable.
How much Notary E&O should I carry?
Consider the documents you notarize. A notary who acknowledges deeds, powers of attorney and loan documents faces claims that can run to the value of the transaction; $50,000 to $100,000 is common for that work. A notary who mostly witnesses affidavits may be comfortable at $25,000.
Does Notary E&O cover loan signing agent work?
It covers the notarial acts within a signing. It does not cover errors in handling the loan package that are unrelated to the notarial certificates. Signing agents with lender requirements should ask about a signing agent E&O form.
Can my employer buy one policy for all of our notaries?
Yes. A group or employer's comprehensive policy covers every notary employed by the firm under one form; the application asks for the employer's name and the number of notaries.
Does E&O have to be filed with the state?
Only where the state requires it (Florida and Montana remote notaries). Otherwise it is a private policy you keep with your records.