Who requires it
Montana Division of Banking and Financial Institutions
License & permit · Montana
Montana Mortgage Broker, Lender, and Servicer Bond
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.
Common bond amount
$25,000–$350,000
Broker/lender $25k–$100k by production; servicer $75k–$350k by December 31 unpaid loan balances; one bond per license type (MCA 32-9-123).
How you file
File electronically through NMLS; separate bond for each license type
Renewal
Keep in force while licensed; 30-day NMLS cancel notice; restore the amount after a claim
Who requires it
Applicants for and holders of Montana mortgage broker, mortgage lender, or mortgage servicer licenses under the Montana Mortgage Act filing with the Division of Banking and Financial Institutions.
How much is required
For broker or lender licenses, combine annual residential loan production for all originators and locations and select the MCA 32-9-123(2)(b) tier—or use $25,000 when ARM 2.59.1735 applies to a new or short-history applicant. For a servicer license, size from December 31 unpaid loan balances under MCA 32-9-123(2)(c). Hold a separate bond for each license type.
How to get and file it
Confirm each license type and the matching amount, arrange a Montana-authorized surety in the exact licensee name, and file electronically through NMLS as Banking instructs. Do not mail paper bond packages for this license. Keep the bond in force while licensed. If a claim payment reduces the remaining amount, file a new or additional bond—or an endorsement that restores coverage—so you are back at the required amount. Cancellation takes effect only thirty days after the department receives written NMLS notice, and only for events after that date.
Cost note
The production or unpaid-balance tier is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Broker/lender production ≤ $50M
- $25,000
- Broker/lender production > $50M–$100M
- $50,000
- Broker/lender production > $100M
- $100,000
- Servicer unpaid loan balance ≤ $25M
- $75,000
- Servicer unpaid loan balance > $25M–$100M
- $150,000
- Servicer unpaid loan balance > $100M–$500M
- $250,000
- Servicer unpaid loan balance > $500M
- $350,000
- Cancellation
- Effective 30 days after department receives NMLS written notice
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
If I hold broker and lender licenses, can one bond cover both?
No. MCA 32-9-123 requires one surety bond for each entity license. A company licensed as broker, lender, and servicer maintains three bonds.
Do mortgage loan originators buy their own Montana bond?
Usually no. An employee MLO may be covered by the employing licensed broker’s or lender’s bond instead of posting a separate individual surety.
Related Montana bond guides
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.
Debt Management Bond
$50,000
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.
Public Adjuster Bond
$5,000
Montana public adjuster applicants must file a $5,000 bond with the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance as part of licensing. The commissioner’s licensing page states the bond and copies of the adjuster’s contracts are required to obtain the public adjuster license. MCA 33-17-302 separately requires every public adjuster written contract filed with the commissioner to state that the adjuster is fully bonded under state law. Keep the bond in force for the license so that statement stays true.
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
Montana 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 2026-08-12. 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 →