Florida Standard Notary Bond
Overview
Florida Statutes section 117.01(7) makes the notary bond a condition of the commission itself: an applicant must obtain a surety bond of $7,500, payable to any individual harmed as a result of a breach of duty by the notary public, before the Governor issues the four-year commission. The statute also requires the bonding to run through the commission's term and directs that the bond be approved and filed as part of the application process handled through the Department of State.
Who Needs This Bond?
Every applicant for a Florida notary public commission posts this bond — new applicants completing the state's education requirement and application, and current notaries renewing before their four-year term expires. It applies uniformly across all 67 counties and all professions; there is no exemption for attorneys, bank officers, or title agents. Florida online notaries hold the same underlying commission, so the $7,500 bond sits beneath any remote online notarization registration as well.
What is this Bond For?
Section 117.01(7) states the beneficiary plainly: the bond is payable to any individual harmed as a result of a breach of duty by the notary. A signer, document recipient, or other person who loses money because a Florida notary performed an act improperly — a defective acknowledgment, a failure to require proper identification, a false certificate — recovers on the bond up to $7,500. The surety then collects from the notary, so the bond disciplines the office rather than insuring the officeholder. E&O insurance is the separate, optional product that protects the notary personally.
When is it Required?
The bond must exist before the commission does — it is submitted with the application, and the Governor does not issue a Florida notary commission without it. Renewal works identically: a new bond backs each new four-year term. Florida applications are processed through bonding agencies registered with the Department of State, which is why your bond and application typically travel together as one package rather than as separate filings.
Where Does it Apply?
A Florida notary commission is statewide authority, and the bond covers notarial acts performed anywhere in Florida for the full commission term. There is no county-level bond filing as in some states — the bond is part of the state application package. It has no force outside Florida: notarizing under another state's commission means meeting that state's separate bonding requirements.
How to Buy Online
Hit 'Buy This Bond Online' to open the secure surety portal in a new tab, complete the short application, and pay in one session. Your executed $7,500 Florida notary bond comes back ready to submit with your commission application or renewal.
Why Bond Titan?
The amount, beneficiary language, and term on this page are cited to section 117.01 of the Florida Statutes in the Official Sources section below — verify them before you apply. Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, with a fully online flow that keeps four-year renewal cycles painless.
Official Sources
The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.
- $7,500 bond payable to any individual harmed by the notary's breach of duty; four-year commission; bond required before commission issuance: Florida Statutes § 117.01 (Chapter 117) (verified July 16, 2026)