DC notary bonds.
$2,000 flat.
Most DC notaries must file a $2,000 surety bond with the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia as part of their commission. This is the bond without E&O coverage — the price you see is the checkout price: $50 flat. The bond issues the moment you pay — no credit review of any kind, not even a soft pull.
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Three steps. One sitting.
Notary bonds are about the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Your details and an effective date. That is the application — no financials, no credit section.
Pay & e-sign
Notary bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with your commission
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your notary commission application at the Office of the Secretary. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the notary bond actually guarantees
A District of Columbia notary bond is a public-protection guarantee. The bond stands behind your faithful performance as a notary — that you actually witness signatures, verify identity, and follow DC notary law. The Office of the Secretary administers notary commissions for the District.
It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the District, with the public as the protected party. If a notary’s error, negligence, or misconduct causes a financial loss, the harmed person can recover against the $2,000 bond.
A notary bond protects the public, not you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Notaries who want coverage for their own mistakes add a separate errors-and-omissions policy; this bond does not include E&O. Notaries commissioned only on behalf of the DC government are generally exempt from the bond requirement.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit section, because this bond doesn’t have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
Notary bond, issued today.
$50 flat, no credit review, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.