Who requires it
Kentucky Attorney General — Office of Consumer Protection
License & permit · Kentucky
Kentucky Debt Adjuster Bond
Kentucky debt adjusters must register with the Attorney General and maintain a $25,000 surety bond—or an Attorney General–approved irrevocable letter of credit—under KRS 380.040. If the adjuster handles consumer debt secured by a residential mortgage or equivalent interest, the bond or letter of credit increases by $50,000. Coverage must remain in place during registration and for two years after the adjuster stops serving debtors.
Common bond amount
$25,000 / $75,000
Base $25,000; +$50,000 when adjusting residential-mortgage-secured consumer debt (KRS 380.040).
How you file
Surety bond or approved irrevocable letter of credit filed with the Attorney General
Renewal
Maintain during registration + two years after cessation
Who requires it
Persons engaged in debt adjusting under KRS Chapter 380 who must file annual registration with the Office of the Attorney General. This is not a collection-agency license bond; Kentucky does not operate a parallel statewide collector surety program.
How much is required
Section 380.040(8) sets a twenty-five-thousand-dollar surety (or approved letter of credit). Subdivision (f) adds fifty thousand dollars when the adjuster engages in debt adjusting for personal, family, or household debt secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, or equivalent residential real-property interest—producing a $75,000 combined amount on that path.
How to get and file it
Complete the Attorney General debt-adjuster registration packet, have an admitted surety issue a $25,000 (or $75,000) bond in favor of the Attorney General, or obtain written AG approval for an irrevocable letter of credit, and file a copy with the registration materials. Renew registration annually and keep the bond or letter of credit active through the registration period plus two years after services end. Ownership changes do not automatically release prior bond liability unless the Attorney General agrees in writing because a replacement bond is on file.
Cost note
Twenty-five thousand or seventy-five thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Base security
- $25,000 surety or AG-approved irrevocable letter of credit
- Mortgage-secured path
- Additional $50,000 when adjusting residential-mortgage-secured consumer debt
- Filing
- Copy of bond filed with the Attorney General
- Related insurance
- Separate statutory E&O / fidelity insurance schedule also applies
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Is this the Kentucky collection agency bond?
No. Debt adjusters register under KRS Chapter 380 with the Attorney General. Kentucky does not publish a statewide collection-agency license bond in this hub.
When is the amount $75,000 instead of $25,000?
When the debt adjuster engages in adjusting personal, family, or household debt secured by a residential mortgage or equivalent security interest, KRS 380.040 increases the bond or letter of credit by $50,000.
Related Kentucky bond guides
Mortgage Lender Bond
$15,000 / $20,000 / $50,000 / $250,000
Kentucky mortgage loan companies, mortgage loan brokers, and mortgage loan originators must keep a bond for the entire license or registration period. KRS 286.8-060 sets floors of $250,000 for mortgage loan companies and $50,000 for mortgage loan brokers. 808 KAR 12:021 adds individual originator amounts of $15,000 or $20,000 based on annual loan volume, using Forms ML-1 through ML-4 filed through NMLS with the Department of Financial Institutions.
Money Transmitter Bond
$500,000–$5,000,000
Kentucky money transmitter applicants and licensees must maintain a surety bond or other security acceptable to the commissioner under KRS 286.11-013. The statutory floor is $500,000. The commissioner may raise the requirement to as much as $5,000,000 based on net worth, transaction volume, or other criteria established by order or rule. Filings typically run electronically through NMLS with the Department of Financial Institutions.
Notary Public Bond
$1,000
Kentucky notary applicants must obtain a $1,000 surety bond—called an assurance in the statute—covering the four-year commission term. After the Secretary of State issues the commission, the applicant has thirty days to appear before the county clerk listed in the application, take the oath, file the commission, and submit the bond. Notarial acts may be performed only while a valid assurance remains on file with the county clerk.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Kentucky application
Kentucky 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.
Agents Ready to Help
Share your agency checklist or bond form and we will confirm the agency, amount, and filing steps before issuing.
Talk to the pro →