Surety Bond Professionals is a family-owned and operated agency with over 30 years of experience. With access to a broad range of surety markets, our expert agents are ready to assist with all your Kentucky notary bond needs.
What Are They?
A Kentucky notary bond is a promise that a notary public commissioned in Kentucky will perform all notarial duties in strict compliance with applicable statutes and the Kentucky Notary Public Handbook. Those duties include verifying the identity of the individual(s) signing a document that requires notarization, witnessing the signing of the document, and affixing an official seal to authenticate the signature(s).
Thus, a Kentucky notary bond plays an important role in fraud prevention. It also provides a source of funds for compensating those who suffer a financial loss due to the deliberate malfeasance, negligence, or unintentional error of a Kentucky notary public. This protects the Kentucky Secretary of State against liability for having issued a commission to a notary public who fails to comply with the laws and standards governing the performance of notarial duties.
Who Needs Them?
If you have applied for a new or renewal commission as a notary public in Kentucky, you must provide the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office with a $1,000 Kentucky notary bond within 30 days of receiving your commission. The bond must have the same four-year term as the notary public commission.
The kinds of documents that require notarization—such as loan agreements, deeds, wills, prenuptial agreements, titles, affidavits, and powers of attorneys—have the potential to cause great financial harm if signed fraudulently or under coercion. Yet the bond only covers claims up to the required $1,000 “penal sum,” which means that notaries have considerable risk exposure for larger claims. That’s why most notaries also purchase errors and omissions insurance for their own protection.
Speak with a Surety Bond Professionals agent today to discuss your bonding needs.
How Do They Work?
There are three parties to a Kentucky notary surety bond agreement. Using standard notary bond terminology, these are:
- The “obligee” (the Kentucky Secretary of State)
- The “principal” (the notary public)
- The “surety” (the bonding company underwriting and approving the bond)
If the principal is found to have harmed someone financially by acting unlawfully or unethically in the performance of notarial duties, the injured party has the right to file a claim against the Kentucky notary bond. They can be compensated up to the bond’s $1,000 penal sum.
Although paying valid claims is the legal responsibility of the principal, the surety typically pays the claimant directly and then collects reimbursement from the principal.
What Do They Cost?
Kentucky notary bonds are not subject to the surety’s underwriting process. Rather, they are sold for a small flat fee, usually around $40 for the full four-year term of the bond.
Get a Quote
Our surety bond professionals will get you the Kentucky notary bond you need at a competitive rate.