Who requires it
New Hampshire Secretary of State
License & permit · New Hampshire
New Hampshire Credit Services Organization Bond
Credit services organizations that want to collect money before finishing the promised services must first post a surety bond or open a trust account under RSA 359-D:3 and :8. The amount equals five percent of the fees charged buyers under contracts during the previous twelve months, but never less than five thousand dollars or more than twenty-five thousand dollars. A bond copy—or trust-account depository, trustee, and account-number notice—files with the Secretary of State. The amount resets once a year no later than the tenth day of the organization’s first fiscal-year month.
Common bond amount
$5,000–$25,000
5% of prior-12-month buyer fees, floored at $5,000 and capped at $25,000, when taking prepayment (RSA 359-D:3 / :8).
How you file
Surety bond or federally insured in-state trust account
Renewal
Recalculate the amount each year; keep coverage while taking prepayment
Who requires it
Credit services organizations that charge or receive money or other valuable consideration before fully performing agreed credit-repair or related services for New Hampshire buyers, as defined in RSA chapter 359-D.
How much is required
Multiply prior-twelve-month buyer fees under CSO contracts by five percent, then apply the $5,000 minimum and $25,000 maximum. Recalculate the amount each year by the deadline in RSA 359-D:8. A federally insured New Hampshire bank or savings-and-loan trust account may substitute for the bond when the statute’s notice rules are followed.
How to get and file it
Determine whether you will take prepayment. If so, size the amount from RSA 359-D:8, have an admitted surety issue the bond—or open the qualifying trust account—and file the bond copy or account notice with the Secretary of State. Keep the bond or trust account in place while you continue to take fees before completing services. Recalculate the amount each fiscal year by the statutory deadline and update the Secretary of State filing when the amount or depository changes.
Cost note
The calculated amount is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Trigger
- Taking money before full performance of contracted services
- Amount formula
- 5% of prior-12-month buyer fees ($5,000 minimum / $25,000 maximum)
- Filing
- Bond copy or trust-account notice with the Secretary of State
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the bond if I never collect until services are finished?
RSA 359-D:3 ties the bond or trust-account requirement to charging or receiving money before the work is finished. Organizations that never take prepayment should confirm with counsel whether other chapter 359-D duties still apply, but the RSA 359-D:8 bond or trust account is required when you take prepayment.
Can I use a trust account instead of a surety?
Yes. RSA 359-D:3 allows a trust account at a federally insured bank or savings and loan located in New Hampshire as an alternative to the surety, with depository, trustee, and account-number notice filed with the Secretary of State under :8.
Related New Hampshire bond guides
Debt Adjuster Bond
$25,000
Debt adjusters licensed under RSA chapter 399-D must post a $25,000 bond with the Banking Department. Licensing runs through NMLS. The surety must give 30 days’ written notice before canceling. If a claim is filed, file a replacement right away. Separately, RSA 399-G:3 lets some debt adjusters skip a money-transmitter license when they transmit funds only under a debt-adjustment contract and keep a $100,000 chapter 399-D bond on file—that higher amount is an exemption condition, not the ordinary licensing minimum.
Mortgage Banker / Broker / Servicer Bond
$50,000 / $100,000 minimums
Mortgage bankers, brokers, and servicers licensed under RSA chapter 397-A must keep a bond on file with the Banking Department through NMLS while licensed. RSA 397-A:5 sets a $50,000 minimum for brokers and a $100,000 minimum for bankers and servicers. The Banking Department can require a higher amount so coverage matches the loans originated by the company’s mortgage loan originators. The surety must give 30 days’ written notice before canceling. If a claim is filed, file a replacement right away.
Small Loan Lender Bond
$25,000
Companies that lend under New Hampshire’s small-loan, payday-loan, and title-loan rules must keep a $25,000 bond on file with the Banking Department. RSA 399-A:4 protects people harmed by chapter violations. Applications and renewals run through NMLS. The surety must give 30 days’ written notice before canceling. If a claim is filed, file a replacement right away.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
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Last verified 2026-08-12. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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