Tennessee probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the court issues letters, most fiduciaries have to post a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate honestly and 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.

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Required of personal representatives under T.C.A. § 30-1-201 unless waived by the will or beneficiaries

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Amount is set by the court — not less than the estate’s value, not more than double

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Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate

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How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

The clerk 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 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 court — 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, payable as the statute 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 a personal representative of an estate, or a conservator or guardian for a protected 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, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or protected person 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.

Tennessee StatuteT.C.A. § 30-1-201 requires a bond of the personal representative before letters testamentary or of administration issue, unless excused — by the will, by a sole-beneficiary representative the court approves, by all adult beneficiaries consenting, or for a bank excused under § 45-2-1005. When required, the bond shall not be less than the value of the estate subject to administration nor more than double that value, and the court may increase or decrease the amount at any time. Conservator and guardian bonds are governed by T.C.A. § 34-1-105, set to the fair market value of all personal property plus one year’s anticipated income.

You need this bond if you’re

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A personal representative (executor or administrator) appointed to administer a Tennessee estate

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A conservator of the estate of an incapacitated or disabled adult under title 34, chapter 1

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A guardian managing the assets of a minor or someone who cannot manage them alone

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Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the 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 Tennessee probate or fiduciary bond? +

It is the bond a court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — a personal representative, conservator, or guardian. Under T.C.A. § 30-1-201 (and § 34-1-105 for conservators and guardians), it is conditioned on the faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties, protecting the estate or protected person from mismanagement or fraud.

How much does it cost? +

It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The court sets the penal sum to the size of the estate — under § 30-1-201 not less than the estate’s value and not more than double it. 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 court does. Under § 30-1-201 the amount runs from the value of the estate subject to administration up to double that value, and the court may increase or decrease it at any time. Conservatorships and guardianships are sized under § 34-1-105 to personal property plus a year’s income. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever the court sets.

Can the bond be waived? +

Sometimes. Under § 30-1-201, a will can excuse the bond, a sole-beneficiary representative or all consenting adult beneficiaries can waive it with court approval, or an excused bank may serve without it. Where it isn’t waived, the fiduciary must file a bond with surety 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, payable as the statute 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.

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