TN credit services business bonds.
1% of the bond amount.

Tennessee requires a credit services business — anyone who sells help improving a consumer's credit record, history, or rating — to file a $100,000 surety bond with the Department of Commerce & Insurance under the Credit Services Businesses Act. The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, which is $1,000 on the statutory $100,000 penal sum, and the bond issues the moment you pay. Any credit screen is a soft pull only — it never affects your score.

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Required to register as a TN credit services business under T.C.A. 47-18-1011

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$100,000 statutory penal sum — 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — $1,000 here

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Multi-year terms available — set it up once for up to 3 years

A-ratedA.M. Best carriersInstantissuance at checkout1% rate$100 minimum

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How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

Credit services registration bonds are among the simplest filings in surety. Here is the entire process:

NOW · ONLINE

Apply online

Business details, owner information, an effective date, and a term. Any credit screen is a soft pull that never shows as a hard inquiry.

INSTANTLY

Pay & e-sign

The rate is fixed at 1% of the bond amount, so the bond issues the moment you pay — your executed bond and power of attorney generate on the spot.

SAME DAY

File with Commerce & Insurance

Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your credit services business registration at the Department of Commerce & Insurance. Wet-ink original mailed on request.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Tennessee regulates credit services businesses under Part 10 of the Consumer Protection Act. A credit services business sells, provides, or performs services it represents will improve a buyer's credit record, history, or rating — or gives advice about doing so. Before it does business in Tennessee, it must register and file a $100,000 surety bond with the Department of Commerce & Insurance.

It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Tennessee (the obligee), with buyers of your services as the protected parties. A consumer who wins damages in a private action under Part 10 can make a claim against the bond, and the Attorney General can ask that bond proceeds go to consumer restitution or civil penalties.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond has to stay continuously on file for as long as you are registered, so we track the term and send renewal notices 60 and 30 days out.

T.C.A. § 47-18-1011Section 47-18-1011 of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act requires a credit services business to obtain a surety bond before conducting business in Tennessee. Where the commissioner has not promulgated a rule setting a different level of bonding, the bond is in the amount of $100,000. A business registered before May 1, 1998 may satisfy the requirement at $10,000, and may use cash, a certificate of deposit, or other securities acceptable to the commissioner instead of a corporate surety bond. Since July 1, 2015, bonds are received by the Division of Regulatory Boards within the Department of Commerce & Insurance.

You need this bond if you're

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Registering a Tennessee credit services business — credit repair, credit improvement, or credit-rating advisory services

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Renewing your registration and the Department needs a current $100,000 bond on file

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Selling credit-improvement services to Tennessee consumers from inside or outside the state

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Reinstating a registration that lapsed when the prior bond expired

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual issuing fields — business details, owner information, an effective date, and a term.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Tennessee credit services business bond?The premium is 1% of the bond amount with a $100 minimum. T.C.A. 47-18-1011 sets the penal sum at $100,000 unless the commissioner sets a different level by rule, so the standard filing prices out at $1,000. Your exact price is confirmed at the application, before you pay.

Do I pay the $100,000?No. You pay the premium. The $100,000 is the surety’s maximum liability if a valid claim is made against the bond — not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

How fast will I have the bond?The rate is fixed at 1% of the bond amount, so the bond issues the moment you pay — your e-signed bond and power of attorney arrive by email, ready to file with your registration.

Is there a credit check?If a credit screen runs on this bond, it is a soft pull only — never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. The rate stays 1% of the bond amount either way.

Who requires the bond, and where do I file it?The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance — its Division of Regulatory Boards has received these bonds since July 1, 2015. The bond is filed with your credit services business registration under T.C.A. 47-18-1011.

Related bonds

Other Tennessee bonds.

Finish your credit services registration today.

1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, issued the moment you pay. Free until issued.

Start application

Your price$1,000

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