Arkansas · Surety Bond Resource Center

Arkansas surety bonds

Arkansas’s published statewide license bonds in this hub sit with the Motor Vehicle Commission and State Police for dealers, the Contractors Licensing Board for commercial and residential-roofing credentials, the Securities Department for mortgage and money-transmission licenses, the State Board of Collection Agencies, and the Secretary of State for notaries. New auto, truck, and RV dealers post a $50,000 Motor Vehicle Commission surety; motorcycle, ATV, scooter, and lessor tracks use $25,000; used dealers licensed under § 23-112-607 post at least $25,000, or one $100,000 bond covering multiple locations. Commercial contractors and commercial registered subcontractors must file the Board’s $10,000 surety under § 17-25-401; a separate optional bond-in-lieu of financial statement runs from $50,000 to $500,000 by classification under § 17-25-304(c). Residential roofing registrants post a $15,000 bond under § 17-25-604. Mortgage brokers, bankers, and servicers size $100,000 to $200,000 under Fair Mortgage Lending Act rules. Money transmitters size under § 23-55-204 at the greater of $100,000 or average daily Arkansas liability up to $500,000. Collection agencies post $10,000, $20,000, or $25,000 per location by collector count. Credit repair organizations that charge before complete performance need a $10,000 bond and trust account under § 4-91-202. Notaries file a $7,500 bond for a ten-year commission. Ordinary residential builder licenses do not carry a statewide surety on Board forms, and underground storage tank contractor bonding is outside this commercial-core set.

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Arkansas at a glance

New motor vehicle dealer (auto/truck/RV): $50,000
Used motor vehicle dealer: $25,000+
Commercial contractor license: $10,000
Residential roofing registrant: $15,000
Mortgage broker / banker / servicer: $100,000–$200,000
Money transmitter: $100,000–$500,000
Collection agency: $10,000 / $20,000 / $25,000
Notary public: $7,500

How it works in this state

How Arkansas bonding is organized

How Arkansas organizes these bonds

Dealer bonding splits between the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission for new-vehicle and lessor credentials and Arkansas State Police used-dealer licensing under the Used Motor Vehicle Buyers Protection Act. Contractor bonds run through the Contractors Licensing Board: a fixed $10,000 commercial compliance bond, an optional classification-based bond that substitutes for a financial statement, and a separate $15,000 residential roofing registrant bond. Mortgage and money-transmission licenses file electronic bonds with the Arkansas Securities Department on NMLS. Collection agencies answer to the State Board of Collection Agencies with amounts based on collector count. Credit repair organizations follow consumer-protection rules in Title 4 rather than a Securities Department license. Notary commissions are issued by the Secretary of State after the $7,500 bond is arranged and later recorded in the county of commission.

What this hub does not treat as statewide license bonds

Residential building contractor, residential remodeler, and home-improvement licenses on Contractors Licensing Board forms emphasize exams, fees, and financial statements where required—not a universal statewide surety like the commercial $10,000 bond. Underground storage tank contractor bonding sits with environmental tank regulation and is excluded here as a specialty. Title insurance agent materials on the Insurance Department’s forms list do not present a marketed statewide title-agent surety schedule for this hub. Local permit bonds, project bid/performance/payment bonds, and court bonds remain outside the commercial-core set.

Arkansas bond directory

Find your bond requirement

These guides cover license and permit bonds with verified educational content. Your agency notice or application checklist is always the final authority.

BondAgencyCommon amountHow you file

Who sets the requirement?

Arkansas licensing agencies

Each agency below sets its own bond requirement. Open the related guide for amounts and filing steps.

Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission

Licenses new motor vehicle dealers and related lessor credentials and receives commission-approved dealer bonds.

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Arkansas State Police — Used Motor Vehicle Dealer Licensing

Licenses used motor vehicle dealers, wholesalers, and auto auctions under § 23-112-601 et seq. and receives used-dealer bonds.

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Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board

Licenses commercial contractors and residential roofing registrants and receives the $10,000 commercial bond, optional bond-in-lieu, and $15,000 roofing bond.

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Arkansas Securities Department — Mortgage licensing

Licenses mortgage brokers, bankers, and servicers through NMLS and receives Fair Mortgage Lending Act bonds.

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Arkansas Securities Department — Money transmission

Licenses money transmitters under the Uniform Money Services Act and receives § 23-55-204 bonds.

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Arkansas State Board of Collection Agencies

Licenses collection agencies and receives collector-count bonds under § 17-24-306.

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Arkansas Secretary of State — Notary Public

Commissions notaries and requires the $7,500 bond described in § 21-14-101 and the Notary Handbook.

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Before you apply

Confirm these details from the agency notice

Bring these five items when you request a bond. For the full checklist, see how to read a bond requirement.

1
Separate new-dealer and used-dealer paths
AMVC forms and amounts apply to new-vehicle and lessor licenses. Used dealers file the State Police / § 23-112-607 instrument. Ordering the wrong commission’s form will not satisfy licensing.
2
Do not confuse the two commercial contractor bonds
Every commercial contractor needs the $10,000 compliance bond. The bond-in-lieu of financial statement is optional, classification-specific, and often much larger than $50,000.
3
Recalculate Securities Department volume amounts
Mortgage bonds step up by March 31 when prior-year Arkansas residential volume crosses $10,000,000 or $25,000,000. Money-transmitter amounts track average daily Arkansas liability unless the net-worth path keeps the figure at $100,000.

Learn more about surety bonds

Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.

Frequently asked questions

Do Arkansas residential builders need the $10,000 contractor bond?

The Contractors Licensing Board’s $10,000 bond form and commercial application materials apply to commercial contractors and commercial registered subcontractors. Residential builder, remodeler, and home-improvement license pages emphasize other financial and exam requirements rather than that $10,000 commercial instrument. Residential roofing registration is a separate $15,000 bond under § 17-25-604.

Is a $50,000 bond the standard Arkansas commercial contractor face?

No single $50,000 amount covers every commercial contractor. The required compliance bond is $10,000. The optional bond-in-lieu of financial statement uses classification amounts from $50,000 (specialty) up to $500,000 on several heavy and building tracks. Confirm which instrument the Board is asking for before ordering.

Do Arkansas credit repair companies always need a bond?

Under § 4-91-202, a credit repair services organization must obtain a $10,000 surety and an in-state federally insured trust account before charging or receiving payment prior to complete performance. Organizations that do not take fees early follow the statute’s other contract and disclosure rules without that pre-performance bond trigger.

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Arkansas will be preselected in the application. Choose the bond type on the next step—we verify the current agency form before anything is issued.

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Last verified 2026-08-11. Official sources are retained with this guide and checked before publication.

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