Who requires it
Arkansas consumer-protection framework (Credit Repair Services Organizations Act)
License & permit · Arkansas
Arkansas Credit Repair Services Organization Bond
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.
Common bond amount
$10,000
Required with an in-state federally insured trust account before charging prior to complete performance (§ 4-91-202).
How you file
$10,000 bond plus an in-state trust account when you charge before completing the work
Renewal
Maintain while collecting fees before complete performance
Who requires it
Credit repair services organizations, as defined in § 4-91-202, that want to charge or receive money or other valuable consideration before complete performance of the contracted services. Organizations that wait until performance is complete do not use this early-fee bond trigger, though other Act requirements still apply.
How much is required
Section 4-91-202 fixes a ten-thousand-dollar surety for the early-payment path. The statute pairs that bond with an in-state federally insured trust account; both conditions must be met before early fees are allowed.
How to get and file it
Engage a surety admitted in Arkansas for a $10,000 credit repair services organization bond, open the required trust account at a qualifying Arkansas depository, and keep surety and trust details ready for the buyer disclosure statement the Act requires. Maintain the bond and trust account for as long as you collect fees before complete performance. Update buyer disclosures if the surety company or trust account changes.
Cost note
Ten thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Surety face
- $10,000 from a surety authorized in Arkansas
- Trust account
- Federally insured account at an in-state bank or savings and loan
- Trigger
- Charging or receiving payment before complete performance
- Buyer notice
- Written statement identifying the surety or trust account
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as an Arkansas collection agency bond?
No. Collection agencies license with the State Board of Collection Agencies under Title 17 and use collector-count sureties. Credit repair services organizations follow Title 4 consumer-protection rules, including the conditional $10,000 bond in § 4-91-202.
Do I need the bond if I only bill after the work is finished?
The $10,000 surety and trust-account pair in § 4-91-202 is the statutory gateway for charging or receiving consideration before complete performance. If you never take early fees, that specific trigger does not apply, but other Act contract and disclosure rules still govern the business.
Related Arkansas bond guides
Collection Agency Bond
$10,000 / $20,000 / $25,000
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.
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.
Notary Public Bond
$7,500
Arkansas notary applicants must arrange a $7,500 surety bond before the Secretary of State commissions them. Ark. Code § 21-14-101 requires either a surety bond from an insurer authorized in Arkansas or a qualifying Arkansas corporate surety contract limited to $7,500 aggregate. The 2025 Notary Handbook makes obtaining that bond the first application step and ties it to a ten-year traditional commission.
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.
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