Who requires it
Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking
License & permit · District of Columbia
District of Columbia Mortgage Broker / Lender Bond
Mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers, and dual-authority licensees in the District of Columbia file a surety bond with each original and renewal application. Amounts run from $12,500 to $50,000 based on District loan volume. Firms with four or more offices may use a $200,000 bond that lists every office, if the Commissioner approves.
Common bond amount
$12,500–$50,000
Based on District loan volume. New to DC: $12,500. Optional $200,000 bond if you have four or more offices.
How you file
File electronically in NMLS. The company bond covers your loan originators.
Renewal
Keep it active while licensed. Update the amount from your latest DC loan volume when you renew.
Who requires it
Companies applying for or renewing a DISB mortgage lender, mortgage broker, or mortgage dual-authority license. The company bond covers sponsored mortgage loan originators. Individual MLOs do not post a separate company-level bond under this section.
How much is required
Applicants with no mortgage lender, broker, or dual-authority activity in the District in any of the three prior calendar years post $12,500. Applicants with prior District activity use the latest calendar year’s loan totals: $12,500 for $1,000,000 or less; $17,500 for more than $1,000,000 through $2,000,000; $25,000 for more than $2,000,000 through $3,000,000; and $50,000 above $3,000,000. With Commissioner approval, four or more simultaneous office applications may use a $200,000 blanket bond listing every office.
How to get and file it
Complete the District mortgage checklist in NMLS, calculate the amount from prior District loan volume (or use $12,500 if you are new to DC), and have a company allowed to write bonds in the District issue a bond in the legal and trade name of the licensee covering all sponsored loan originators. List every office on the bond and match the dates to the license period. Keep the bond active while licensed. Keep the bond active while any covered license remains in force. If a claim is paid, file a new bond for the required amount. Renew through NMLS and update the amount from your latest District loan volume when those tiers apply.
Cost note
Schedule amounts are the required bond amounts, not the premiums you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- New / low volume
- $12,500 (no prior DC activity in three years, or ≤ $1M latest year)
- Mid volume
- $17,500 or $25,000 on the DCMR $1M–$3M steps
- High volume
- $50,000 when latest-year volume exceeds $3,000,000
- Multi-office blanket
- $200,000 with Commissioner approval if you are filing for four or more offices
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do mortgage loan originators need their own bond?
The company bond covers sponsored mortgage loan originators. Confirm any individual filing instructions on the current NMLS checklist.
What if I am new to the District?
If you have not conducted mortgage lender, broker, or dual-authority business in the District in any of the three preceding calendar years, the required amount is $12,500.
Related District of Columbia bond guides
Money Transmitter Bond
$50,000–$250,000
Money transmitters licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking must post a bond or other approved security of at least fifty thousand dollars. The amount rises by ten thousand dollars for each additional District location or authorized delegate and caps at two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Notary Public Bond
$2,000
Most District of Columbia notaries must file a two-thousand-dollar surety bond covering the five-year commission before performing notarial acts. The Office of Notary Commissions and Authentications supplies the only accepted bond form with the appointment notice.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a District of Columbia application
District of Columbia 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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