NJ detective agency bonds.
$275. Five minutes.
New Jersey licenses private detective agencies through the State Police, and conditions the license on a surety bond — $5,000 for a firm, association, or corporation. At a flat 3% the $5,000 bond lands at our $275 minimum, the same for everyone.
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Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit check section.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with the State Police
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with the State Police Private Detective Unit. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
The whole pricing page.
$5,000 bond × 3% = $150, which is below our $275 minimum — so every term is $275, the floor for the smallest bonds.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
New Jersey's Private Detective Act of 1939 requires anyone conducting a private detective or investigation business to be licensed by the Superintendent of the State Police. The license is conditioned on a surety bond — $5,000 for a firm, association, or corporation (a lower figure applies to an individual licensee).
The bond runs to the State for the benefit of anyone harmed, conditioned on the licensee conducting the business lawfully and faithfully under N.J.S.A. 45:19-8 to 45:19-27. If a licensed agency violates the act and someone is damaged, the harmed party can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond must stay active for the life of your license; we track it and notify you 60 and 30 days out so the $5,000 filing stays continuous.
You need this bond if you're
Five minutes. The whole thing.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit check section, because this bond doesn't have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
How much is the New Jersey detective agency bond? +
Is the bond $5,000 or $3,000? +
Do I pay the $5,000? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
Finish your license checklist today.
$275 flat, five-minute application, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.