Who requires it
Office of the State Bank Commissioner
License & permit · Delaware
Delaware Money Transmitter Bond
Money transmitters licensed under Delaware’s Money Transmission and Virtual Currency Modernization Act must file an original surety bond with the Office of the State Bank Commissioner. Section 2309 directs the Commissioner to set the amount anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 after weighing the licensee’s average daily Delaware money-transmission liability, tangible net worth, total assets, and any other factor the Commissioner finds relevant. A licensee that posts the $500,000 maximum need not calculate average daily liability. The bond protects the State and consumers injured by wrongful acts, omissions, default, fraud, or misrepresentation in the licensed activity. Claims cannot exceed the bond amount.
Common bond amount
$100,000–$500,000
The Commissioner sets the amount between $100,000 and $500,000.
How you file
File an original bond from a company allowed to write bonds in Delaware
Renewal
Keep the bond active for the license period.
Who requires it
Persons licensed to engage in money transmission under Title 5 Chapter 23, including applicants whose activity includes covered virtual currency business as defined in that chapter.
How much is required
Unlike the repealed location-add-on formula, current §2309 has no published per-location schedule. The Commissioner assigns an amount inside the $100,000 to $500,000 band from the statutory factors. Confirm the amount the Office assigns or accepts on your NMLS filing before the surety issues the bond.
How to get and file it
Complete the Chapter 23 license application through the channel the Commissioner directs (including NMLS when required), obtain the assigned amount, and have a Delaware-authorized surety issue an original bond in that amount in the exact legal name on the application. Keep the bond continuous or matched to the license period so it does not expire before the license. Deliver amended originals immediately when the surety or amount changes. If the surety cancels, they must file at least thirty days’ written notice with the Commissioner. Replace the bond before it ends. Existing licensees may have statutory transition timing under 85 Del. Laws, c. 338—confirm your renewal or compliance deadline with the Office.
Cost note
One hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Statutory range
- $100,000 minimum to $500,000 maximum (§ 2309)
- How the amount is set
- Average daily Delaware money-transmission liability, tangible net worth, total assets, and other Commissioner factors
- If you post $500,000
- Maintaining $500,000 excuses average daily liability calculation
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Is Delaware still using the old $25,000 plus $5,000 per location formula?
No. The Money Transmission and Virtual Currency Modernization Act replaced that schedule. Current §2309 uses a Commissioner-determined amount between $100,000 and $500,000. Older commercial summaries that still quote the location formula are outdated.
Does posting $500,000 simplify compliance?
Yes, in one respect: §2309(b) states that a licensee maintaining the maximum bond amount is not required to calculate average daily money-transmission liability. You still must satisfy net worth, permissible investment, and other Chapter 23 conditions.
Related Delaware bond guides
Mortgage Broker / Lender Bond
$25,000 / $50,000–$200,000
Delaware mortgage loan brokers licensed under Title 5 Chapter 21 must file a $25,000 surety bond—or a Commissioner-accepted irrevocable letter of credit—with the Office of the State Bank Commissioner under §2108. Licensed lenders under Chapter 22 instead carry a Commissioner-set bond between $50,000 and $200,000 under §2208. Regulation 2204 translates that statutory range into a prior-year Delaware loan-volume table stepping from $50,000 through $200,000, and the Commissioner may demand a larger amount based on individual circumstances. A qualifying company bond may cover mortgage loan originators who are employees or exclusive agents when Chapter 24 and Regulation 2401 coverage rules are satisfied; an irrevocable letter of credit may not be used to cover originators.
Credit Services Organization Bond
$15,000
A Delaware credit services organization that wants to charge or receive money before finishing every service promised to a buyer must first obtain a $15,000 surety bond from a surety authorized in Delaware or establish a $15,000 surety account at a federally insured bank or savings and loan located in the State. Section 2404 requires a copy of the bond—or official depository notice of the account—to be filed with the Secretary of State. The bond protects the State and anyone harmed by a chapter violation. Claims cannot exceed $15,000.
Debt Management Services Bond
≥ $50,000
Every licensed debt-management services provider under Delaware’s Chapter 24A must file an original surety bond—issued by a surety authorized in the State—with the Attorney General. Section 2413A sets a floor of $50,000 and lets the Attorney General fix a higher amount after considering the provider’s Delaware business and related risk factors. The bond protects the State and consumers injured by wrongful acts, omissions, default, fraud, or misrepresentation in the licensed activity. Section 2414A allows the Attorney General, at discretion, to accept an irrevocable letter of credit instead of the bond in the same determined amount.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
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Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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