Kentucky probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the court grants letters, most fiduciaries have to post a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate honestly and according to law.
The court sets the amount to the size of the estate — and we underwrite it.
A surety specialist reviews your file and returns a quote, usually within one business day.

Required of fiduciaries under KRS 395.130 unless surety is excused or waived
Amount is set by the court to the value of the estate, including real estate, the fiduciary oversees
Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate
Underwrittencourt sets the amountA-ratedA.M. Best carriers1 business daytypical specialist reply
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
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NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

The court won’t issue letters until the bond is filed and approved, so the bond is usually the last step before you can act. Here is the whole process:

TODAY · 10 MINUTES

Send us the file

Apply online with the order or petition setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The estate size — including real estate the fiduciary oversees — drives the penal sum.

WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY

A surety specialist underwrites it

A specialist reviews the file, a personal credit check, and any financials, then returns a quote. The amount is set by the court — underwriting decides approval and any collateral on a large estate.

ON APPROVAL

Execute & file

Once you bind, we issue the executed bond on the court’s required form, payable as the statute requires, ready for the court to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as an executor or administrator of an estate, or a guardian or conservator for a protected person — it usually requires a bond before granting letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees that you perform all your duties according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or protected person whole — and the surety looks to you to repay it.

Because the surety stands behind the estate, the bond is underwritten on your personal credit and finances, and a large estate can require collateral. The cost of corporate surety is paid from the estate. We tell you what your file needs before you commit.

Kentucky StatuteKRS 395.130 governs when a fiduciary bond is required and provides that the cost of corporate surety is paid from the estate. A personal representative must execute bond with the District Court unless the court, satisfied that all interests are adequately protected, excuses surety, or surety is dispensed with by the terms of the will or trust. The court sets the amount based on the value of the estate, including any real estate, the fiduciary has to oversee. On motion of an interested party after qualification, the court may reduce the bond, release the surety, or permit substitution of another bond.

You need this bond if you’re

An executor named in a will and appointed to administer a Kentucky estate
An administrator appointed where there is no will, or where the named executor cannot serve
A guardian or conservator managing the estate of a minor or a disabled or protected adult
Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the court can grant letters and you can begin administering

The application takes about ten minutes.

These are the actual underwriting fields — the estate, the bond amount the court set, the fiduciary, and your finances. Submit once and a surety specialist returns a quote, typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

What is a Kentucky probate or fiduciary bond? +
It is the bond a court requires before granting letters to a fiduciary — an executor, administrator, guardian, or conservator. Under KRS 395.130, it is conditioned on the faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties, protecting the estate or protected person from mismanagement or fraud.
How much does it cost? +
It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The court sets the penal sum to the size of the estate — under KRS 395.130 that is the total value of the estate, including real estate, the fiduciary oversees. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day. The cost of corporate surety is paid from the estate.
Who decides the bond amount? +
The probate court does. Under KRS 395.130, the amount tracks the value of the estate, including real estate, the fiduciary has to oversee, set high enough to protect the beneficiaries and creditors. After qualification, the court may reduce the bond or release the surety on motion. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever the court sets.
Can the bond be waived? +
Sometimes. Under KRS 395.130, the court may excuse surety if satisfied that all interests are adequately protected, or surety may be dispensed with by the terms of the will or trust. Where it isn’t waived, the fiduciary must file a bond before letters issue.
How fast can the bond be issued? +
A specialist typically returns a quote within one business day of a complete application. Once you bind and any collateral is in place, the executed bond issues on the court’s form, payable as the statute requires, ready for the court to approve so letters can issue.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the court can grant letters.

Send us the estate details and the amount the court set, and a surety specialist sizes, underwrites, and quotes the bond — typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

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