Louisiana notary surety bond

A Louisiana 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.

Louisiana notary bond at a glance

Bond amount

$50,000

Commission term

Renews every five years

Commissioned by

Louisiana Secretary of State, on behalf of the Governor

Bond payable to

The Governor of Louisiana

Where the bond goes

Filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State

What Louisiana requires

1. Pass the Louisiana notary exam, unless you are licensed to practice law in Louisiana.
2. Take your oath of office.
3. Buy a $50,000 surety bond, or qualify with a personal surety, from a company licensed in Louisiana.
4. File the bond and your commission paperwork with the Secretary of State, along with the $35 commission filing fee.
5. Renew the bond every five years to keep your commission active. Licensed attorneys are exempt from the bond requirement entirely.

Louisiana notary commissions are for life. It is the bond, not the commission, that has to be renewed, on a five year cycle.

The bond amount increased from $10,000 to $50,000 under a 2025 law that took effect February 1, 2026. If you see $10,000 quoted anywhere, that figure is out of date.

Licensed attorneys are exempt from both the state exam and the bond requirement. Everyone else must pass the exam first.

Do not confuse the $35 commission filing fee with the $50,000 bond amount — they appear in the same sentence on the state's own FAQ page.

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 Louisiana commissioning authority for the current requirements before you apply. Details on this page were last checked on 2026-08-12.

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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 Louisiana notaries add an E&O policy next to the bond.