Who requires it
Arkansas Securities Department — Mortgage licensing
License & permit · Arkansas
Arkansas Mortgage Lender Bond
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.
Common bond amount
$100,000 / $150,000 / $200,000
By prior-calendar-year Arkansas residential originations (broker/banker) or portfolio (servicer); increases by March 31.
How you file
File electronically through NMLS
Renewal
Continuous; resize by March 31 when volume tiers change; five-year claims tail
Who requires it
Licensed Arkansas mortgage brokers, mortgage bankers, and mortgage servicers under Ark. Code § 23-39-501 et seq. Combination licenses use the surety rules that apply to the activities conducted.
How much is required
Applicants post $100,000. For brokers and bankers, prior-calendar-year originated or funded Arkansas residential loans of $10,000,000 or less stay at $100,000; more than $10,000,000 through $25,000,000 require $150,000; more than $25,000,000 require $200,000. Servicers use the same dollar tiers measured against Arkansas residential loans held in portfolio during the prior calendar year. Required increases must be completed by March 31.
How to get and file it
Compute the correct tier from prior-year Arkansas volume or portfolio, then authorize a surety to issue the electronic NMLS bond listing the licensee’s full legal and trade names used in Arkansas. Keep the full required face in effect at all times. If the bond is reduced, restore it within thirty days. Rule text keeps coverage available for at least five years after lapse or termination to satisfy claims arising from the bonded period.
Cost note
One hundred thousand to two hundred thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Initial applicant
- $100,000
- Lower volume / portfolio
- ≤ $10,000,000 prior year → $100,000
- Middle volume / portfolio
- > $10,000,000 through $25,000,000 → $150,000
- Upper volume / portfolio
- > $25,000,000 → $200,000
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do Arkansas mortgage loan officers post their own company bond?
The Fair Mortgage Lending Act surety schedule in 23 CAR § 301-408 applies to mortgage broker, banker, and servicer licensees. Loan-officer licensing follows the Department’s separate MLO path; the company surety is the volume-tier instrument described here.
When must I increase the mortgage bond?
If prior-calendar-year Arkansas volume or portfolio pushes you into a higher tier, the rule requires the increase by March 31. Failure to maintain the proper face is grounds for discipline.
Related Arkansas bond guides
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.
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.
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.
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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