Iowa credit services organization bonds.
$150 flat.
Iowa regulates credit services organizations, businesses paid to improve a buyer's credit, under Iowa Code chapter 538A. Before charging fees ahead of full performance, a CSO must obtain a surety bond of at least $10,000 in favor of the state, with a copy filed with the Secretary of State. Ours is $150 flat.
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How much does an Iowa credit services organization bond cost?
$150 at the $10,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps. One sitting.
Credit services organization bonds are among the simplest filings in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details, an effective date, and a term. That is the application. No credit check.
Pay & e-sign
This bond is checkout-priced at $150 flat, so it issues the moment you pay — your executed bond and power of attorney generate on the spot.
File with the Secretary of State
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your credit services organization registration at the Iowa Secretary of State. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Iowa Code chapter 538A governs credit services organizations — businesses that, for a fee, improve or promise to improve a buyer's credit record, history, or rating, or provide advice or assistance about it. Under 538A.3, a CSO may not charge or receive money before full and complete performance of its services unless it has obtained a surety bond or established a surety account — and under 538A.4, a copy of the bond is filed with the Iowa Secretary of State, alongside the registration chapter 538A requires.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the state (the obligee). The bond runs in favor of the state for the benefit of any person damaged by a violation of chapter 538A — a buyer harmed by prohibited conduct can maintain an action against both the organization and the surety, up to the bond amount.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond is continuous until the surety cancels it on at least 30 days' written notice to you and the Secretary of State, so it has to stay on file for as long as you operate; we track the term and send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the $10,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Secretary of State. Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your credit services organization registration at the Iowa Secretary of State. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $150 at the $10,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
No credit check.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — business details, an effective date, and a term. That is the entire application.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Iowa bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
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Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Finish your CSO registration today.
$150 flat, issued the moment you pay, no credit check. Free until issued.