Michigan Notary Public Bond
Overview
Michigan's notary bond requirement lives in the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts: MCL 55.273 requires a notary applicant to file with the county clerk a surety bond of $10,000, executed by a surety authorized to do business in Michigan, covering the notary's six-year term of office. The county clerk filing is the distinctive step — your bond and oath go to the clerk of the county where you reside (or maintain your principal place of business, for non-residents) before the Secretary of State completes your appointment.
Who Needs This Bond?
Applicants for a Michigan notary public appointment — first-time applicants and notaries renewing an expiring six-year term — file this bond. Michigan residents file in their county of residence; qualifying non-residents who work in Michigan file in the county of their principal place of business. The requirement is uniform across professions and counties: attorneys (unless exempt by the Act's specific provisions), bank employees, and independent signing agents all post the same $10,000 bond as part of qualification.
What is this Bond For?
The bond guarantees the notary's faithful discharge of official duties for the people of Michigan. A person who suffers financial loss because a Michigan notary acted improperly — certified a signature never made in their presence, skipped identification, or issued a false certificate — recovers against the bond up to its $10,000 penal sum. The surety's payment becomes the notary's debt, so the bond enforces accountability rather than covering the notary; optional errors-and-omissions insurance is the product that protects the notary personally.
When is it Required?
The bond and oath must be filed with the county clerk as part of the application sequence — the Secretary of State does not finalize a Michigan notary appointment until the clerk certifies that filing. Each six-year renewal repeats the process with a fresh bond. There is no window for notarizing while un-bonded: the appointment simply doesn't exist until the bond is on file, and a mid-term cancellation without replacement breaks your qualification.
Where Does it Apply?
Although the bond is filed with one county clerk, a Michigan notary appointment is statewide — the bond stands behind notarial acts performed in any Michigan county for the full six-year term. The obligation comes from the Michigan Law on Notarial Acts, administered by the Secretary of State, with county clerks handling the bond filing and oath. The bond has no effect on acts performed under another state's notary authority.
How to Buy Online
Click '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 $10,000 Michigan notary bond arrives ready for filing with your county clerk.
Why Bond Titan?
The amount, term, and county-clerk filing requirement on this page are cited to MCL 55.273 in the Official Sources section below — read the statute before you file. Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, and the online flow keeps your appointment timeline intact.
Official Sources
The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.
- $10,000 surety bond filed with the county clerk, covering the six-year notary term: MCL 55.273 (Michigan Law on Notarial Acts) (verified July 16, 2026)