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

Before the court issues letters, most fiduciaries have to give a bond. It guarantees you’ll perform the duties of the office 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.

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Required of personal representatives under Estates Code Chapter 305 unless waived by the will or independent administration

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Amount is set by the court to the estate’s personal property plus a year of anticipated income

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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.

In Texas the court 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 setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The personal property and anticipated annual income drive 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, conditioned on faithful performance of duties, ready for the clerk to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the Texas court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as the personal representative of an estate, or a guardian of a ward’s estate — 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 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.

Texas StatuteEstates Code Chapter 305 governs the qualification of personal representatives. Section 305.101 requires a person to whom letters testamentary or of administration will be issued to enter into a bond before the letters issue, except where the will directs that no bond be required or the representative is a corporate fiduciary, and § 305.151 directs the judge to set the bond in an amount sufficient to protect the estate and its creditors; § 305.153 sets the amount to equal the estimated value of all of the estate’s personal property, plus the revenue anticipated to be earned during the succeeding 12 months, with reductions for assets deposited under court order. Guardians of the estate give bond under Estates Code Chapter 1105 on a comparable standard.

You need this bond if you’re

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

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A dependent administrator whose administration is not independent and requires a bond

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A guardian of the estate of a minor or incapacitated person under the Estates Code

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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 →

FAQ

Common questions.

What is a Texas probate or fiduciary bond?It is the bond a court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — a personal representative or a guardian of the estate. Under Estates Code Chapter 305 (and Chapter 1105 for guardians), it is conditioned on faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties according to law, protecting the estate or ward 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 § 305.153 — the value of the personal property plus the revenue anticipated over the next 12 months. 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 § 305.153 it bases the amount on the estimated value of the estate’s personal property and the revenue anticipated over the next year, after an evidentiary hearing, and reduces it for assets deposited under court order. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.

Can the bond be waived?Sometimes. A will can direct that no bond be required, independent executors often serve without bond, and corporate fiduciaries are exempt. Where it isn’t waived — including most dependent administrations and guardianships of the estate — the representative must give 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 clerk to approve so letters can issue.

Related bonds

Other Texas 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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