Delaware · Surety Bond Resource Center

Delaware surety bonds

Delaware’s published statewide license bonds in this hub cluster around the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, the Department of Finance, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit, and the Department of Insurance. Motor vehicle sales finance companies post a $25,000 bond under 5 Del. C. §2914; dealers who self-finance retail sales without interest and who are not already bonded under Chapter 29 instead file a $25,000 bond with Finance under 30 Del. C. §3005. Mortgage loan brokers use a fixed $25,000 instrument under §2108, while licensed lenders size from $50,000 to $200,000 under §2208 and Regulation 2204. Money transmitters carry Commissioner-set bonds between $100,000 and $500,000 under the Money Transmission and Virtual Currency Modernization Act (§2309). Credit services organizations that take prepayment file a $15,000 bond or surety account under 6 Del. C. §2404. Debt-management service providers post at least $50,000 under §2413A. Public adjusters file a $20,000 bond under 18 Del. C. §1752. Delaware does not require a notary bond and does not impose a statewide general-contractor license bond.

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Delaware at a glance

Motor vehicle sales finance / self-finance dealer: $25,000
Mortgage loan broker: $25,000
Licensed lender: $50,000–$200,000
Money transmitter: $100,000–$500,000
Credit services organization: $15,000
Debt-management services: ≥ $50,000
Public adjuster: $20,000

How it works in this state

How Delaware bonding is organized

How Delaware organizes these bonds

Most commercial financial licenses—motor vehicle sales finance, mortgage loan brokerage, licensed lending, and money transmission—file bonds with the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, often through NMLS. Self-financing dealers who fall outside Chapter 29 instead lodge a Department of Finance bond under Title 30. Credit services organizations register with the Secretary of State and either post a $15,000 bond or open a matching surety account. Debt-management providers license with the Attorney General and size a minimum $50,000 bond to that office. Public adjusters attach a $20,000 bond to their Department of Insurance application, and the license ends if coverage lapses.

What this hub does not treat as statewide license bonds

Delaware contractors obtain a Division of Revenue business license; there is no statewide general-contractor license bond. Nonresident contractors may face a separate tax bond sized at six percent of contract price under 30 Del. C. §375—that instrument is a tax guarantee, not a trade license bond, and stays outside this commercial-core set. Collection agencies obtain a mercantile/collection business license under Title 30 without a verified statewide collection-agency bond in current code. Notaries are commissioned without a bond. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC bonding, when required, is a county or city matter. Project bid, performance, payment, and court bonds are excluded.

Delaware 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?

Delaware licensing agencies

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

Office of the State Bank Commissioner — Motor vehicle sales finance

Licenses sales finance companies under Title 5 Chapter 29 and receives §2914 bonds.

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Department of Finance — Motor vehicle dealer license

Collects the annual dealer license fee and receives §3005 self-financing dealer bonds when Chapter 29 does not already apply.

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Office of the State Bank Commissioner — Mortgage / lending

Licenses mortgage loan brokers and licensed lenders and receives §§2108 and 2208 bonds.

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Office of the State Bank Commissioner — Money transmission

Licenses money transmitters under Chapter 23 and receives §2309 bonds.

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Secretary of State — Credit services organizations

Registers credit services organizations and receives the $15,000 §2404 bond or surety-account notice.

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Attorney General — Debt-management services

Licenses debt-management providers and receives §2413A bonds of at least $50,000.

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Delaware Department of Insurance — Public adjusters

Licenses public adjusters and receives the $20,000 §1752 bond.

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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 Chapter 29 sales finance from a plain dealer license
Retail installment financing or holding contracts triggers the Office of the State Bank Commissioner $25,000 Chapter 29 bond. Interest-free self-financing outside Chapter 29 uses the Department of Finance $25,000 bond under §3005. Confirm which path your DMV/Finance package requires before ordering a form.
2
Size licensed-lender coverage from Delaware loan volume
Regulation 2204 steps from $50,000 to $200,000 based on the prior calendar year’s Delaware lending. Recheck the amount each December 31 if the bond spans more than one year.
3
Do not expect a statewide contractor license bond
Division of Revenue contractor licensing does not publish a statewide bond. Confirm any New Castle County, Wilmington, or other local bond where you work, and treat nonresident tax bonds under §375 separately.

Learn more about surety bonds

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

Frequently asked questions

Does every Delaware auto dealer need a $25,000 bond?

No. Title 30’s $25,000 Department of Finance bond applies only to dealers who self-finance retail sales without charging interest and who are not already required to bond the Banking Commissioner under Title 5 Chapter 29. Sales finance companies licensed under Chapter 29 post their own $25,000 Office of the State Bank Commissioner bond. Confirm the correct path with Dealer Services and Finance before you apply.

Does Delaware require a statewide contractor license bond?

No. Contractors register for a Division of Revenue business license without a statewide license bond. Local jurisdictions may impose their own contractor bonds. Nonresident contractors may need a separate tax bond under 30 Del. C. §375 sized at six percent of qualifying contract price.

Do Delaware notaries need a surety bond?

No. The Secretary of State’s Notary Public FAQ states Delaware notaries are not required to be bonded. Optional errors-and-omissions insurance is a private risk-management choice, not a commissioning condition.

Start your Delaware bond application

Delaware 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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