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. DCMR 26-C1109 sets amounts from twelve thousand five hundred to fifty thousand dollars based on District loan volume, with a higher blanket option for multi-office filings.
Common bond amount
$12,500–$50,000
Volume tiers under DCMR 26-C1109; $12,500 for new District entrants; optional $200,000 blanket for four+ offices.
How you file
File electronically through NMLS; covers sponsored MLOs
Renewal
Continuous while licensed; renew with volume statement as required
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 DCMR amount from prior District volume (or use $12,500 for a first-time entrant), and have an authorized surety issue a bond in the legal and trade name of the licensee covering all sponsored MLOs. List every office on the bond and align effective and expiration dates with the license period. The bond stays in force while licensed. Maintain the bond continuously while any covered license remains in force. After a recovery on the bond, file a new bond as DCMR 26-C1109 requires. Renew through NMLS with an updated volume statement when the prior-activity 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 for four or more offices
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do mortgage loan originators need their own bond?
DCMR 26-C1109 requires the lender, broker, or dual-authority company bond and states that bond covers sponsored MLOs. 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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