VA settlement agent bonds (law firm).
$2,000 flat.

A Virginia attorney or law firm acting as a real estate settlement agent must maintain a $200,000 surety bond under the Real Estate Settlement Agents Act (the former CRESPA), Code of Virginia § 55.1-1004(B). Ours is $2,000 flat — the premium set by our carrier's rate book for this bond, identical for every firm. A quick soft credit check may apply, and it never affects your score. E-signed in 1–2 business days.

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Required to conduct residential real estate closings as a settlement agent under the Real Estate Settlement Agents Act

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Fixed amount, fixed price — $200,000 bond, $2,000, no quote theater

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A soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry, no impact on your score, and the price stays $2,000 either way

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How it works

Three steps to registered.

Your settlement-agent registration is waiting on this bond. Here is the entire process — no broker phone tag:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply once, online

Firm details, owner/principal information, and an effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

Reviewed & approved

Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

E-sign & register with the Virginia State Bar

Pay online and receive the executed $200,000 bond, ready to file with your settlement-agent registration. Attorney agents register with the Virginia State Bar; wet-ink originals mailed whenever required.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Virginia's Real Estate Settlement Agents Act (Title 55.1, Chapter 10 — the former Consumer Real Estate Settlement Protection Act, or CRESPA) lets attorneys, title companies and agents, real estate brokers, and financial institutions provide escrow, closing, and settlement services for residential real estate transactions. Each settlement agent must register and maintain a surety bond of at least $200,000 under Code of Virginia § 55.1-1004(B).

This page is for the attorney / law-firm path. A licensed Virginia attorney or law firm acting as a settlement agent registers with the Virginia State Bar (rather than the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance, which handles title and other non-attorney agents). The $200,000 bond is one of the Act's core requirements either way.

The bond is a consumer-protection guarantee standing behind the funds you handle at closing — it protects parties to a settlement against an agent's errors, omissions, or fraud. It is not insurance for you: if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond must stay in force for as long as you act as a settlement agent, so we track it and notify you 60 and 30 days out.

Code of Virginia § 55.1-1004(B) (Real Estate Settlement Agents Act)Under the Real Estate Settlement Agents Act (Code of Virginia, Title 55.1, Chapter 10 — the former CRESPA), Code § 55.1-1004(B) requires a settlement agent to maintain a surety bond of not less than $200,000. Attorney settlement agents register with the Virginia State Bar; title insurance companies and agents and certain other agents register through the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance. The Act also requires errors-and-omissions or malpractice coverage and a fidelity bond or employee-dishonesty coverage — confirm the full set of requirements with your registering authority.

You need this bond if you're

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An attorney or law firm registering as a Virginia real estate settlement agent

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Renewing your registration and your current settlement-agent bond is expiring

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Adding settlement services to a Virginia law practice that handles closings

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Re-registering after a lapse that interrupted your settlement-agent status

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

Do I pay the $200,000?No. You pay $2,000 flat — the premium set by our carrier's rate book for this bond. The $200,000 is the surety's maximum liability to parties harmed at settlement; it is not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

Who requires this bond?The Real Estate Settlement Agents Act (the former CRESPA), Code of Virginia § 55.1-1004(B), requires every settlement agent to maintain a $200,000 surety bond. For attorneys and law firms, registration is handled by the Virginia State Bar.

How is the law-firm bond different from the title-agent bond?The $200,000 bond requirement is the same. What differs is where you register: attorney settlement agents register with the Virginia State Bar, while title insurance companies and agents and certain other agents register through the State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance. This page is the attorney / law-firm version.

Is there a credit check?Yes — a quick soft credit check may apply, and it never affects your score. It is the only extra step beyond the application, and it informs approval, not price. The price is $2,000 flat either way: credit can affect whether we approve the bond, never what it costs.

When does it renew?Terms run 1, 2, or 3 years — your choice at purchase. You'll get renewal notices 60 and 30 days before expiration, with autopay available, and the bond must stay in force for as long as you act as a settlement agent.

Related bonds

Other Virginia bonds.

Your settlement-agent registration is waiting on one document.

$2,000 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

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Your price$2,000

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