California notary surety bond

A California notary surety bond is a promise, backed by a surety company, that helps pay a person who is harmed by a mistake or by misconduct of a notary. The bond is for the public. It is not for the notary. If the surety pays a claim, the notary usually has to pay the surety back.

California notary bond at a glance

Bond amount

$15,000

Commissioned by

California Secretary of State

Where the bond goes

The county clerk in the county where your principal place of business is located, within 30 calendar days of the commission start date

What California requires

1. Get your commission from the California Secretary of State.
2. Buy a $15,000 surety bond from a California admitted surety insurer.
3. Take and subscribe your oath of office.
4. File the oath and the bond with the county clerk in the county where your principal place of business is located.
5. Do all of this within 30 calendar days of the start date on your commission.

California is one of the few states where the bond goes to the county, not the state. The oath of office is filed at the same time and in the same place.

The 30 day deadline cannot be extended. Submitting in person is the safest way to be sure the filing lands in time.

The California Secretary of State says plainly that the bond is not an insurance policy for the notary. It is a limited pot of money for paying claims made against you, and the surety can come after you to recover what it pays.

A notary bond does not replace notary errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. The bond pays the public. E&O protects you.

State rules change. Always check with the California commissioning authority for the current requirements before you apply. Details on this page were last checked on 2026-08-11.

Apply online in minutes. Same day issue is available in most cases.

A notary bond protects the public. E&O insurance is intended to protect you, the notary, against a claim that comes from an error, a mistake or alleged misconduct in your notarial work. Many California notaries add an E&O policy next to the bond.