Wisconsin notary surety bond

A Wisconsin 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.

Wisconsin notary bond at a glance

Bond amount

$500

Commission term

Four years

Commissioned by

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions

Where the bond goes

Filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions

What Wisconsin requires

1. Apply for a four year notary public commission with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.
2. Buy a $500 notary bond from any insurance company licensed to sell surety bonds in Wisconsin.
3. File the bond with the department.
4. The bond expires after four years, at the same time as your commission.

Wisconsin has the smallest notary bond in the country at $500, and the department publishes a consumer alert about what people are charged for it. Prices for the same $500 bond range from roughly $25 to more than $100.

You do not have to join a notary association to become a notary in Wisconsin, and a renewing notary does not need a new stamp every four years unless the old one is worn out. Watch for packages that bundle those things into the price of the bond.

The Department of Financial Institutions does not sell bonds and does not endorse any company that does, including us. Compare before you buy.

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