Who requires it
Arkansas State Board of Collection Agencies
License & permit · Arkansas
Arkansas Collection Agency Bond
Arkansas collection agencies must post a surety bond payable to the State Board of Collection Agencies before licensure. Ark. Code § 17-24-306 authorizes a face of not less than $10,000 and not more than $50,000 for each location. Board rules and licensing forms currently set $10,000 for agencies with up to five collectors, $20,000 for six to twelve collectors, and $25,000 for thirteen or more, with a separate bond at every office.
Common bond amount
$10,000 / $20,000 / $25,000
By collector count under Board rules; statutory range $10,000–$50,000 per location (§ 17-24-306).
How you file
Separate bond per location, filed with the State Board of Collection Agencies
Renewal
Maintain each location bond; 30-day cancellation notice to the Board
Who requires it
Applicants and licensees for an Arkansas collection agency license under § 17-24-301 et seq. Each additional office needs its own license and surety.
How much is required
Statute gives the Board a $10,000–$50,000 per-location range. Current Board implementation keys the amount to collector count: up to five collectors → $10,000; six through twelve → $20,000; more than twelve → $25,000. Count collectors for the location being bonded.
How to get and file it
Confirm collector count and location address, complete the Board’s bond form (or an equivalent carrier form with the required data), attach power of attorney, and upload it with the online license application. Keep a live bond for each licensed location. The surety may cancel with thirty days’ notice to the Board. Update the Board when the physical address or collector count changes the required face.
Cost note
Ten thousand to twenty-five thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- 0–5 collectors
- $10,000
- 6–12 collectors
- $20,000
- 13+ collectors
- $25,000
- Locations
- Separate license and bond for each office
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Can one Arkansas collection-agency bond cover every branch?
No. Board rules require a separate license and surety bond for each office or location, and each bond must show the agency’s current physical address.
Who can claim against the bond?
The Board may collect on the bond when a licensee fails to pay clients and then administers claim notice, hearing, and pro-rata distribution procedures under its rules.
Related Arkansas bond guides
Credit Repair Services Organization Bond
$10,000
Arkansas credit repair services organizations that charge or receive payment before fully performing agreed services must obtain a $10,000 surety bond and maintain a federally insured trust account at a bank or savings and loan in this state. Ark. Code § 4-91-202 also requires written buyer disclosures naming the surety or trust account. The bond is a consumer-protection condition on early fee collection, not a Securities Department mortgage-style license bond.
Mortgage Lender Bond
$100,000 / $150,000 / $200,000
Arkansas mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, and mortgage servicers must maintain a surety bond under the Fair Mortgage Lending Act. Rule 23 CAR § 301-408 starts applicants at $100,000 and then sets continuing faces of $100,000, $150,000, or $200,000 from prior-calendar-year Arkansas residential loan volume or servicer portfolio size. Bonds are filed electronically through NMLS with the Arkansas Securities Department.
Money Transmitter Bond
$100,000–$500,000
Arkansas money transmission licensees must maintain a surety bond under Ark. Code § 23-55-204. The face is the greater of $100,000 or one hundred percent of average daily Arkansas money-transmission liability for the most recently completed three-month period, capped at $500,000. Licensees whose tangible net worth exceeds ten percent of total assets instead maintain a $100,000 surety. The Securities Commissioner may require additional security for virtual-currency cybersecurity risks outside the scope of the base bond.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Arkansas application
Arkansas will be preselected. Choose your bond type in the application—we confirm the correct product against your agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
Agents Ready to Help
Share your agency checklist or bond form and we will confirm the agency, amount, and filing steps before issuing.
Talk to the pro →