Tennessee sheriff’s indemnity bonds.
From $1,000.
Tennessee law requires a sheriff to post an official bond under T.C.A. § 8-8-103 before taking office. The amount is a $100,000 statutory minimum, or the greater amount the county legislative body sets by resolution. The price is 1% of the bond amount.
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How much does a Tennessee sheriff’s indemnity bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $1,000 at the $100,000 minimum. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard sheriff’s bond — enter your amount, pay, and you have the executed bond to record. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
The principal’s details, the bond amount your county fixed, and the effective date — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $100,000, so most bonds are issued instantly as soon as you pay. Above $100,000, a soft pull may add a short review.
Execute, file & record
The bond is prepared, executed, filed, and recorded per Title 8, Chapter 19 — with the county clerk and Secretary of State as the statute directs. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the sheriff’s bond actually guarantees
A sheriff's indemnity bond is an official public-officer bond. Tennessee conditions the office of sheriff on it: the bond holds the officeholder financially accountable for failing to carry out the statutory duties of the office, or for causing loss through official misconduct.
It is a three-party arrangement: the sheriff (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Tennessee and county together with anyone harmed by a failure of official duty (the protected parties). If the office mishandles money, property, or process and someone is damaged, that party can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, the principal repays the surety.
This is a public-official bond, often procured by or for the county. The minimum is $100,000 under T.C.A. § 8-8-103, but the county legislative body can set a higher amount by resolution — confirm the figure your county fixed before you buy, and we'll issue exactly that.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
Execute, file & record. The bond is prepared, executed, filed, and recorded per Title 8, Chapter 19 — with the county clerk and Secretary of State as the statute directs. Wet-ink originals mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $100,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with the bond amount your county fixed — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file and record.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Tennessee bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Sheriff’s bond, issued today.
From $1,000. Enter the amount your county fixed and file the same day.