New Hampshire probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the probate court issues letters, most fiduciaries have to give bond.
It guarantees you’ll faithfully administer and account for the estate.
The probate judge 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 most fiduciaries under RSA 553:13 unless waived by the court

✓

Amount is a reasonable sum the probate judge approves — sized to the estate

✓

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

How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

The probate 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 and any restricted assets drive 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 payable as the probate court 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 the administrator or executor of an estate, or a guardian or conservator for a ward — it usually requires a bond before issuing letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees you discharge your duties faithfully: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or ward 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. For an estate worth $25,000 or less, New Hampshire requires only a personal bond without sureties — we tell you what your file needs before you commit.

New Hampshire StatuteRSA 553:13 requires an administrator to give bond, with sufficient sureties, in a reasonable sum the probate judge shall approve, conditioned on faithful administration of the estate. When the estate has a gross value of $25,000 or less, only a personal bond without sureties is required; the judge may in his or her discretion waive the requirement of bond or sureties, and may at any time require a further bond or reduce an existing one. Guardians of the estate of an incapacitated adult are bonded under RSA 464-A:21 at the aggregate capital value of the estate plus one year’s estimated income, less restricted assets; guardians of a minor’s estate are bonded under RSA 463:27.

You need this bond if you’re

✓

An administrator or executor appointed to administer a New Hampshire estate

✓

A guardian of a minor or an incapacitated adult under Title XLIV

✓

A conservator managing the property of someone who cannot manage it alone

✓

Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the probate court can issue 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 New Hampshire probate or fiduciary bond? +

It is the bond a probate court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — an administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator. Under RSA 553:13 it is conditioned on faithful administration of the estate, protecting the estate or ward from mismanagement or fraud.

How much does it cost? +

It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The probate judge sets the penal sum to a reasonable amount sized to the estate under RSA 553:13. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day.

Who decides the bond amount? +

The probate judge does. RSA 553:13 leaves the amount to the judge’s discretion, fixed at a reasonable sum sized to the estate. For a guardian of an incapacitated adult, RSA 464-A:21 sets it at the estate’s capital value plus one year’s estimated income. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.

Can the bond be waived? +

Sometimes. Under RSA 553:13 the judge may waive bond or sureties in his or her discretion, and for an estate worth $25,000 or less only a personal bond without sureties is required. Where sureties are required, the fiduciary must file the 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 as the probate court requires, ready for the court to approve so letters can issue.

Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the court can issue 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.

Start application Talk to a specialist

PricingOn review

Apply now →