Who requires it
Montana Department of Justice — Office of Consumer Protection
License & permit · Montana
Montana Debt Management Bond
Montana credit-counseling and debt-management companies that offer debt management plans must be licensed by the Department of Justice Office of Consumer Protection. MCA 30-14-2004 requires a $50,000 bond when the applicant does not keep a Montana office with a credit counselor on site. The Office of Consumer Protection’s licensing package uses that same $50,000 Surety Bond Form. Official Form OCP-303 protects consumers, allows the surety to cancel only after ninety days’ certified-mail notice to the department, and requires claims within two years after the license ends. Debt-settlement companies follow a separate registration path and do not use this licensing bond.
Common bond amount
$50,000
Department of Justice licensing package uses the $50,000 Surety Bond Form; MCA 30-14-2004 requires $50,000 without a Montana office/counselor and otherwise sets amount by rule.
How you file
File Form OCP-303 with the Office of Consumer Protection
Renewal
Annual license (expires Feb. 1); 90-day certified cancel notice; claims allowed for 2 years after the license ends
Who requires it
Applicants for and holders of Montana debt-management / credit-counseling licenses under MCA 30-14-2004 filing with the Office of Consumer Protection.
How much is required
Use the $50,000 amount on the Department of Justice licensing bond form. The statute independently requires $50,000 for applicants without a Montana office that has a credit counselor on site; otherwise amount, form, and duration follow department rule—confirm any in-state variation with the Office of Consumer Protection before ordering coverage.
How to get and file it
Complete Form OCP-303 for $50,000 in the exact company legal name, have a surety execute it, and mail the original with the debt-management license application, $1,000 fee, and required certificates to the Office of Consumer Protection. Licenses expire annually on February 1; the Office of Consumer Protection asks applicants to remit by January 1. Renew the bond with each annual license package. If the surety cancels, Form OCP-303 makes cancellation effective ninety days after certified-mail notice to the department—replace coverage before that date so the license does not lose the required bond.
Cost note
Fifty thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Required amount (licensing form)
- $50,000
- Statutory out-of-state / no MT office floor
- $50,000 when no Montana office with on-premises credit counselor
- Cancellation
- Effective 90 days after surety’s certified-mail notice to DOJ
- Claim timing
- Within 2 years after licensee ceases to be licensed
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
Do debt-settlement companies use this same $50,000 bond?
No. Debt-settlement providers register with the Office of Consumer Protection under a separate statute and annual fee. The Form OCP-303 licensing bond belongs to debt-management / credit-counseling licensees.
Is a collection agency the same as a debt-management company here?
No. Montana does not publish a statewide collection-agency license surety in this hub. Debt collectors who do not advertise as credit-counseling services are among the professions MCA 30-14-2002 can exempt from debt-management licensing.
Related Montana bond guides
Mortgage Broker / Lender / Servicer Bond
$25,000–$350,000
Montana mortgage brokers, lenders, and servicers must keep a surety bond under MCA 32-9-123. You need a separate bond for each license type—broker, lender, and servicer—even if one company holds more than one. Broker and lender amounts follow combined annual residential loan production: $25,000 up to $50 million of production, $50,000 for more than $50 million through $100 million, and $100,000 above $100 million. Servicer amounts follow unpaid loan balances as of December 31: $75,000, $150,000, $250,000, or $350,000. New broker or lender applicants with little or no history start at $25,000 under ARM 2.59.1735. Employee mortgage loan originators are usually covered by the employer’s bond. File electronically through NMLS. The surety may cancel only after thirty days’ written notice to the department through NMLS.
Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond
$5,000–$50,000
Montana motor vehicle dealers, brokers, wholesalers, and auto auctions must file a surety bond with the Motor Vehicle Division under MCA 61-4-101. Most businesses need $50,000. Dealers limited to motorcycles or quadricycles need $15,000. Dealers limited to motorboats, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, or off-highway vehicles—other than highway-equipped motorcycles—need $5,000. Form MV22 requires an original bond that expires December 31 of the current license year, names the State of Montana, and lists the exact dealer license type. The department must approve the bond, keep it on file, and see it renewed every year.
Notary Public Bond
$25,000
Montana applicants for a new or renewed notary public commission must obtain a $25,000 bond under MCA 1-5-619. The statute accepts a surety bond or another form the Secretary of State accepts, from an issuer authorized in Montana, on the Secretary of State’s form. The bond covers acts during the four-year commission, and you may notarize only while a valid bond remains on file. The surety must give the Secretary of State thirty days’ notice before cancelling and must notify the office within thirty days after paying a claim. The Secretary of State’s notary guidance confirms the $25,000 amount, requires the standardized bond form that includes the statement and oath of office, and expects any bond effective date to fall within thirty days before or after the application is received.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Montana application
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Last verified 2026-08-12. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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