Insurance for Notaries
Every commission starts with the $15,000 California notary bond, but that bond is written for the public, not for you. We request notary bonds and notary errors and omissions insurance for California notaries and loan signing agents, and the surety or insurer decides after reviewing your application.
The $15,000 California notary bond
Government Code section 8212, reprinted in the Secretary of State’s 2026 Notary Public Handbook, requires every California notary to execute an official bond of $15,000. The bond must come from an admitted surety insurer, and a cash deposit cannot be used in its place.
The bond runs with the commission, and a commission lasts four years from the date shown on it, under Government Code section 8204. To qualify in the first place, the SOS requires applicants to be at least 18 and legal California residents, complete an approved course, pass the written exam and a Live Scan background check, and disclose all convictions. Renewing before the commission expires lets a notary take a 3-hour refresher in place of the 6-hour first-time course.
Who the notary bond California requires actually protects
The handbook is blunt about it: the notary public bond is not an insurance policy for the notary public. It provides a limited source of funds for paying claims made by people a notary harms. Under Government Code section 8214, the notary and the sureties on the bond are liable in a civil action to anyone injured by official misconduct or neglect for all the damages sustained.
Two consequences follow. A claim larger than $15,000 lands on the notary personally once the bond is used up, and the handbook notes the notary may have to pay the bonding company back for whatever it pays out.
Filing the bond and oath within 30 days
Under Government Code section 8213(a), the bond and the oath of office must be filed with the county clerk no later than 30 days after the commission term begins, in the county of the principal place of business shown on the SOS application. Miss the window and the commission is not valid: you cannot act as a notary until you are appointed again and qualify within a new 30-day period. The handbook adds that exceptions are not made for mail delays.
Filing by certified mail or another delivery method that gives a receipt is allowed. The county clerk then sends the SOS a certificate of filing and passes the bond to the county recorder. If you later move, Government Code section 8213.5 requires written notice to the SOS within 30 days, and willfully failing to give it is an infraction with a fine of up to $500.
Notary errors and omissions insurance for your own protection
Notary E&O is the policy that does protect the notary. The National Notary Association says it is separate from the bond and not required by law. It covers unintentional errors up to the policy limit, paying damages from a verdict or settlement along with attorney’s fees, court costs and other defense costs up to that limit. In some cases it can be used to repay a loss on the bond.
The NNA draws two contrasts with the bond. E&O carries no repayment obligation, while a surety that pays a bond claim expects the notary to pay it back. And a policy can answer a claim made after it expires, as long as the notarial act took place during the policy term. The NNA also points out that even a claim with no merit costs money to defend without E&O. For the wider idea behind it, our page on professional liability covers E&O for other services.
The handbook penalties a notary can face
The SOS handbook lists the duties and penalties that turn a busy day into an exposure. Several of them apply to everyday signings:
- Missing thumbprint: the journal must hold the signer’s right thumbprint for deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, other real-property documents and powers of attorney (section 8206). Leaving it out carries a civil penalty of up to $2,500 (section 8214.23).
- False certificate: a certificate of acknowledgment containing a material fact the notary knows is false carries a civil penalty of up to $10,000 and is also a crime (Civil Code 1189(a)(4)).
- Journal access: refusing a peace officer access to the journal on request carries a civil penalty of up to $2,500 (section 8214.21).
- Other violations: violations under section 8214.1 carry civil penalties of up to $1,500, or $750 when negligent (section 8214.15).
- Forged deeds of trust: knowingly notarizing a forged or false deed of trust on a 1-4 unit single-family residence is a felony (section 8214.2).
A quieter risk sits behind those penalties: an identity is not properly verified, a forged grant deed or deed of trust is recorded, and the injured owner or lender sues the notary and claims on the bond under section 8214. Keep the single sequential journal the law requires, locked and under your exclusive control, and charge no more than the handbook’s $15 maximum per signature for acknowledgments and $15 for jurats and oaths.
Notary E&O for loan signing agents
Signing agents carry the same commission and bond as any notary, with more of their work on real-property documents, where the thumbprint rule and the forged deed of trust rules apply most directly. Their work also goes beyond the notarial act: receiving and returning loan packages, guiding borrowers through pages and catching missed signatures. Vehicle paperwork has its own rule: the DMV requires the surety’s signature on a title bond to be notarized, as our guide to California DMV bonds explains.
Before you take assignments, read your E&O policy’s definition of covered services and ask the insurer in writing whether signing-agent duties are included. Signing services and title companies can set their own E&O expectations, so ask each one for its minimum limit before you accept work. A home-based business policy is worth a look if you keep loan documents and equipment at home.
Remote online notarization is coming in stages
The Online Notarization Act, SB 696 of 2023, took effect on January 1, 2024 and becomes operative in stages. According to the SOS’s January 2026 handbook letter, the appointment and duty provisions for remote online notaries start when the SOS finishes its Notary Automation Project 2.0, or by January 1, 2030, whichever comes first. When online work begins, review your E&O policy for remote acts, and ask about cyber insurance for the records you will hold electronically.
What a California notary bond and E&O cost
Treat any marketplace price as a rough guide; the surety you apply with sets yours. SuretyBonds.com, one bond marketplace, publishes a flat $50 for the California $15,000 notary bond for the four-year term without E&O.
The E&O limit drives the rest. The same marketplace bundles the bond with $10,000 of E&O for $90, $20,000 for $110 and $30,000 for $130, each for four years. Moving from the bond alone to the $30,000 bundle adds $80 over the four-year commission, about $20 a year.
The total rises with a higher E&O limit or extra coverage a signing service asks for, and stays at the $50 bond price when you carry no E&O. These are one marketplace’s published prices, not a Mithril1 quote. Ask us about a notary bond or E&O when your commission is issued, since the 30-day filing clock starts with the commission term.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Does my California notary bond protect me if I make a mistake?
No. The $15,000 bond protects the public. If the surety pays a claim, you may have to pay it back, and you remain personally liable for damages beyond the bond.
How long do I have to file my notary bond and oath?
30 days from the start of the commission term, with the county clerk in the county of your principal place of business. Miss it and the commission is not valid until you are reappointed.
Is notary errors and omissions insurance required in California?
Not by law. It is optional coverage for the notary’s own protection, though a signing service or title company may ask for it before sending you work.
Does notary E&O cover a claim filed after my policy ends?
It can. The NNA says a policy can cover claims made after it expires, as long as the notarial act happened during the policy term.
Do I have to refile my bond if I move to another county?
No, refiling is optional. You must notify the Secretary of State in writing within 30 days of the move.
Can I get a notary bond and E&O through Mithril1?
You can, when a surety accepts the bond application and an insurer accepts the E&O request. We gather your commission details and request both before your county filing.