$10,000 Notary bond without E&O coverage Bond - Statewide in Texas

Brief Summary

This is the legal minimum for a Texas notary commission: the $10,000 bond required by Government Code 406.010 and nothing more. If you already carry errors and omissions coverage elsewhere, or just want the filing requirement met, this is the one to buy. The surety completes the Proof of Bond form 2301-B you need for the Secretary of State application.

Texas Government Code 406.010 requires every notary public, except one serving primarily as a state officer or employee, to execute a $10,000 bond with a solvent surety company authorized to do business in Texas before performing any official duties. The bond is deposited with the Secretary of State and protects the public. This version carries no errors and omissions policy, which Texas treats as additional insurance for the notary's own protection.

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How to Apply for a $10,000 Notary bond without E&O coverage Bond:

• Confirm you are not applying as a state employee notary, the one group exempt from the bond.
• Complete and pass the Secretary of State notary education requirement.
• Buy the $10,000 bond and get the completed Proof of Bond form 2301-B from the surety.
• Submit the traditional notary application through the SOS portal and pay the $21 in state fees.
• Include criminal conviction documentation with the application if it applies to you.
• Start the reappointment application no earlier than 90 days before the four year term ends.

Detailed Information About the Texas $10,000 Notary bond without E&O coverage Bond:

What you are buying

This is the notary bond alone. The Texas Secretary of State calls a notary surety bond a promise to pay for any financial loss due to the actions of a notary. It exists for the people who rely on your stamp. It does not defend you, and the Secretary of State says so directly: errors and omissions coverage is additional insurance a notary buys to protect the notary, and not the public. Leaving E&O off does not affect your eligibility for a commission.

The legal requirement

Under Texas Government Code 406.010, each person appointed a notary must, before entering the duties of the office, execute a $10,000 bond with a solvent surety company authorized to do business in Texas. The bond is deposited with the Secretary of State. It is not void on first recovery, so an injured party can sue on it, and later claimants can too, until the full $10,000 has been recovered.

The only statutory exemption is for a person whose notary services are performed primarily as a state officer or employee. Those notaries apply on the state employee track and cannot notarize for the public.

Before you apply

You must be at least 18, a Texas resident and have no conviction for a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude (406.004). The Secretary of State requires all new and renewing applicants to pass its notary education requirement first, completed within 90 days of payment. The surety then issues the Proof of Bond form 2301-B, and you submit the application through the SOS portal.

Fees and renewal

The state charges $10 to approve and file the bond, $1 for its investigator fund and $10 for the commission, $21 in all (406.007). The commission expires four years after you qualify (406.002). Reappointment takes a new application, filed no earlier than 90 days before expiration (406.011), and every appointment carries the bond requirement in 406.010.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Texas $10,000 Notary bond without E&O coverage Bond:

• Applicant at least 18 and a Texas resident.
• No felony or crime of moral turpitude conviction.
• Surety must be solvent and authorized to do business in Texas.
• Bond amount fixed at $10,000 with no tiers.
• Bond deposited with the Texas Secretary of State.

Texas $10,000 Notary bond without E&O coverage Bond FAQs:

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