Who requires it
Illinois Secretary of State — Index Department (Notary)
License & permit · Illinois
Illinois Notary Public Bond
Illinois notaries public file a surety bond under 5 ILCS 312/2-105 and 14 Ill. Adm. Code 176.340. Traditional in-person commissions use a five-thousand-dollar four-year bond. Notaries that also perform remote or electronic notarizations must add a twenty-five-thousand-dollar remote/electronic bond, or satisfy both with one thirty-thousand-dollar combined bond.
Common bond amount
$5,000 / $25,000 / $30,000
Traditional $5,000; remote/electronic $25,000 (in addition when both apply); combined option $30,000; four-year term.
How you file
File the notary bond with the Secretary of State
Renewal
Align with four-year commission; add remote/electronic or combined amount when authority expands
Who requires it
Applicants for Illinois notary public commissions, including those seeking remote or electronic notarial authority. Employers sometimes purchase the bond for staff notaries, but the commission and bond still run to the individual notary named by the Secretary of State.
How much is required
Section 2-105(a) sets $5,000 for the traditional commission bond. Section 2-105(b) requires an additional $25,000 exclusively for remote or electronic notarizations by audio-video communication; when both bonds would otherwise apply, one $30,000 combined bond satisfies the statute. Rule 176.340 implements the same structure for Index Department filings.
How to get and file it
Select traditional-only ($5,000), traditional plus remote/electronic ($5,000 and $25,000, or one $30,000 combined bond), have an authorized surety issue the instrument for the four-year term with the oath on the bond face as Rule 176.340 requires, and file a copy with the Secretary of State Index Department. Illinois notary commissions run four years; keep matching coverage for the entire term. When adding remote or electronic authority, put the twenty-five-thousand-dollar remote bond or thirty-thousand-dollar combined bond in place before that authority begins. Replace coverage before cancellation.
Cost note
Five thousand, twenty-five thousand, or thirty thousand dollars is the required bond amount for your authority class, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Traditional amount
- $5,000 surety bond for in-person notarizations
- Remote / electronic amount
- $25,000 surety conditioned on remote or electronic notarial acts
- Combined option
- $30,000 surety satisfies both traditional and remote/electronic requirements
- Term
- Four-year commission alignment under 5 ILCS 312/2-105
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Which notary bond amount do I need?
Traditional-only notaries file five thousand dollars. If you will notarize remotely or electronically, you also need the twenty-five-thousand-dollar remote/electronic bond—or one thirty-thousand-dollar combined bond that satisfies both. Match the filing to the authority on your SOS application.
Does the bond expire with my commission?
The traditional bond term runs with the four-year commission. When you renew or add remote/electronic authority, obtain a new or amended bond that matches the renewed commission before the prior coverage ends.
Related Illinois bond guides
Public Adjuster Bond
$50,000
Illinois public adjusters must maintain fifty thousand dollars of security—either a surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit—under 215 ILCS 5/1560 before the Department of Insurance will issue or continue the license. Current IDOI forms and licensing materials use the fifty-thousand-dollar amount; older twenty-thousand-dollar figures are obsolete for this requirement. Filings run through NIPR with the Department’s public adjuster bond form.
Credit Services Organization Bond
$100,000
An Illinois credit services organization that charges consumers before completing contracted services must maintain a one-hundred-thousand-dollar surety bond under 815 ILCS 605/10 and register with the Secretary of State under § 605/5. The bond is filed on SOS Form I-220 and must remain in place for two years after the organization ceases to do business in Illinois.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Illinois application
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Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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