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

Before the Surrogate issues letters, most fiduciaries have to file a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate faithfully, 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 executors, administrators, and guardians under SCPA 801 unless waived or reduced
Amount is set by the Surrogate to the personal property plus 18 months of estimated rents
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
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
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Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

In New York the Surrogate 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 petition or decree setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The value of the personal property plus estimated rents 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 Surrogate — 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, conditioned on faithful performance of duties, ready for the Surrogate to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the New York Surrogate’s Court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as the executor or administrator of an estate, or a guardian for a minor or incapacitated person — it usually requires a bond before issuing letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees that you perform all your duties according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, obey the court’s decrees, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or beneficiaries 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. We tell you what your file needs before you commit.

New York StatuteSCPA 801 sets the amount of a fiduciary’s bond, except where the court reduces or dispenses with it, at (i) the value of all personal property receivable by the fiduciary, (ii) the estimated gross rents of real property receivable for 18 months, and (iii) the probable recovery in any cause of action prosecuted by the fiduciary. The condition of the bond is that the fiduciary will faithfully discharge the trust, obey all lawful decrees and orders, and render a verified account. Administrators give bond under SCPA 805; no bond is required where the estate does not exceed the small-estate amount under SCPA 1301(1).

You need this bond if you’re

An executor or administrator appointed to administer a New York estate
A guardian of the person or property of a minor under the SCPA
A guardian of the property of an incapacitated person appointed by the court
Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the Surrogate 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 York probate or fiduciary bond? +
It is the bond the Surrogate’s Court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — an executor, administrator, or guardian. Under SCPA 801 it is conditioned on faithful discharge of the fiduciary’s duties, obedience to the court’s decrees, and rendering an account, protecting the estate or ward from mismanagement or fraud.
How much does it cost? +
It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The Surrogate sets the penal sum to the size of the estate under SCPA 801 — the value of the personal property plus 18 months of estimated rents. 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 Surrogate’s Court does. Under SCPA 801 it bases the amount on the value of the estate’s personal property, 18 months of estimated rents, and any probable recovery, and may reduce or dispense with it. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.
Can the bond be waived? +
Sometimes. A will can direct that an executor serve without bond, and the court may reduce or dispense with it where all interested parties consent or the fiduciary takes the whole estate. No bond is required where the estate does not exceed the small-estate threshold. 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, conditioned on faithful performance, ready for the Surrogate to approve so letters can issue.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the Surrogate 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.

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