Washington notary surety bond

A Washington 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.

Washington notary bond at a glance

Bond amount

$10,000

Commission term

Four years

Commissioned by

Washington State Department of Licensing

Where the bond goes

Mailed to the Department of Licensing with a bond rider from your insurance company

What Washington requires

1. Apply to the Washington State Department of Licensing, not the Secretary of State.
2. Buy a $10,000 surety bond covering your four year term.
3. Mail your application, the $30 fee, and the bond rider from your insurance company to the Department of Licensing.

Washington is one of the few states that does not commission notaries through the Secretary of State. It runs through the Department of Licensing instead.

The $10,000 figure comes from the department's administrative rule, not the underlying statute, which only says the amount is set by rule. That means the department could change it through rulemaking without a new law.

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

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