U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond
U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond at a glance
- Bond required
- Yes
- Bond amount
- Per jurisdiction form
- Commission term
- 4 years
- Total cost, full term
- $425 for the full term
- Statute
- 3 V.I.C. § 771 et seq.
- Commissioning authority
- Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands
- Credit check
- None
- Issuance
- Same business day
Key takeaways
- U.S. Virgin Islands requires a notary public surety bond under 3 V.I.C. § 771 et seq..
- The bond penalty is set by the jurisdiction and the bond runs for the full commission term of 4 years.
- Commissioning authority: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands.
- Surety One's total cost for the full term is $425, 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 U.S. Virgin Islands requires
The U.S. Virgin Islands is a separate commissioning jurisdiction with its own bond form and a considerably higher premium than the states because of limited surety market participation in the territory. Surety One is one of the few markets writing the Virgin Islands notary bond. Confirm the current penalty with the Lieutenant Governor's office; our underwriters verify it at issuance.
U.S. Virgin Islands 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 penalty.
Filing the bond in U.S. Virgin Islands
The bond is filed with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor together with the application, the oath and the commission fee. Virgin Islands commissions run four years.
We issue the bond on the form the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond
Our total price is $425 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 bond costs only a fraction of its face value.
Remote online, electronic and eNotary commissions
Remote notarization in the Virgin Islands is governed by territorial law; ask an underwriter.
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 U.S. Virgin Islands bonds issue the same business day. Apply online in about four minutes, or download the paper application; the U.S. Virgin Islands fee is printed on it.
Apply for your U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond Paper application (PDF)U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond questions
How much is a U.S. Virgin Islands notary bond?
The bond penalty is the amount on the jurisdiction's form. Our total cost for the full 4 years term is $425, which includes the surety premium and our $40 processing fee.
Does U.S. Virgin Islands require a notary bond?
Yes. U.S. Virgin Islands requires a notary public surety bond under 3 V.I.C. § 771 et seq. as a condition of commission. The bond is filed with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor together with the application, the oath and the commission fee. Virgin Islands commissions run four years.
How long does a U.S. Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands 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 U.S. Virgin Islands 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.