Maryland consumer reporting agency bonds.
1% of the bond amount.

A consumer reporting agency registering or renewing in Maryland must file a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation under Commercial Law § 14-1217, submitted through NMLS. The bond runs to the Commissioner for the benefit of the State and any consumer harmed by a violation or a data security breach. Premiums cost 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft pull only.

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Required by Commercial Law § 14-1217 for any new or renewal consumer reporting agency registration filed on or after June 1, 2019

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Amount is tiered by the share of Maryland’s population covered by your reports — $100,000 to $1,000,000 under COMAR 09.03.07.04

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1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — soft pull only, never a hard inquiry

1%of the bond amount, $100 minimumA-ratedA.M. Best carriersSoft pull onlynever a hard inquiry

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How it works

Apply to filed in one sitting.

NMLS wants the bond attached to your registration or renewal filing, and the tier is fixed by your report volume, not negotiable. Here is the whole thing:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Your company details, the bond amount your COMAR tier requires, an effective date, and the credit consent that authorizes a soft pull. That is the application.

INSTANTLY

Issued

Most applications approve instantly. The credit consent authorizes a soft inquiry that never affects your score, and no hard inquiry ever runs on this bond.

SAME DAY

Upload to NMLS

Your executed bond arrives by email as a PDF, ready to attach to your NMLS filing for the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the consumer reporting agency bond actually guarantees

Maryland requires a consumer reporting agency — a business that assembles, evaluates, or sells consumer credit or background reports — to register with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation and, for any new or renewal registration filed on or after June 1, 2019, to file a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit under Commercial Law § 14-1217. The filing runs through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS).

The bond names the Commissioner as obligee, for the benefit of the State and any consumer injured by a violation of the consumer reporting subtitle, or who suffers actual damages from a breach of the agency’s data security systems. Under COMAR 09.03.07.04, the required amount is tiered to the share of Maryland’s population covered by the reports you assembled, evaluated, or sold in the prior calendar year — from a $100,000 floor at up to 10% of the state’s population, rising in steps to $1,000,000 above 75%.

Liability on the bond continues for three years after the bond is cancelled or the agency deregisters, and the surety must be authorized to do business in Maryland and hold a certificate from the Maryland Insurance Commissioner. We price the bond from a $100 minimum, and the application includes only a soft credit consent — never a hard inquiry.

Md. Code, Commercial Law § 14-1217; COMAR 09.03.07.04Commercial Law § 14-1217 requires a consumer reporting agency, for a new or renewal registration filed on or after June 1, 2019, to file a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation, running to the Commissioner as obligee for the benefit of the State, any consumer injured by a violation of the consumer reporting subtitle, and any consumer who suffers actual damages from a breach of the agency’s data security. The amount, capped by statute at $1,000,000, is set by the Commissioner by regulation; COMAR 09.03.07.04 ties the amount to the percentage of Maryland’s population covered by the reports assembled, evaluated, or sold in the prior calendar year, in tiers from a $100,000 minimum up to $1,000,000. Filings run through NMLS. Confirm your exact tier and bond amount on your NMLS filing or with the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation.

You need this bond if you are

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A consumer reporting agency registering with Maryland’s Commissioner of Financial Regulation for the first time

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Renewing your registration where your prior-year report volume moved you into a new COMAR tier

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Switching from a letter of credit to a surety bond to free up bank collateral

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An out-of-state agency whose reports reach Maryland consumers and now needs a Maryland filing

One application, priced on the spot.

These are the actual NMLS-facing fields. The credit consent authorizes a soft pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Maryland consumer reporting agency bond?Premiums cost 1% of the bond amount, with a $100 minimum. The bond amount itself is set by COMAR 09.03.07.04 — tiered from $100,000 to $1,000,000 by the share of Maryland’s population covered by your reports. Enter your tier’s amount and your exact price appears at the application.

What amount should I enter?The COMAR tier your prior-year report volume falls into: $100,000 at up to 10% of Maryland’s population, rising through $250,000, $500,000, and $750,000 to a $1,000,000 ceiling above 75%. Your NMLS filing or the Commissioner’s office can confirm which tier applies to you.

What does the bond guarantee?It backs the State and any Maryland consumer harmed by a violation of the consumer reporting law, or who suffers actual damages from a breach of your data security systems. If the Commissioner or an injured consumer makes a valid claim, the surety pays up to the bond amount, then seeks reimbursement from you.

Where do I file it?Through NMLS, attached to your consumer reporting agency registration or renewal with Maryland’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. We deliver an executed PDF you can upload directly, plus a wet-ink original on request.

Is there a credit check?The application includes a credit consent, but it authorizes a soft credit pull only — a soft inquiry that never affects your score. No hard inquiry ever runs on this bond, and most applications approve instantly.

Related bonds

Other Maryland bonds.

NMLS filing waiting on one bond.

1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. Enter your COMAR tier and upload the executed PDF to NMLS the same day. Free until issued.

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Your premiumfrom $100

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Maryland consumer reporting agency bonds.1% of the bond amount.