Surety Bond Professionals is a family-owned and operated bonding 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 Mississippi notary bond needs.
What Are They?
Notaries public play a key role in the prevention of fraud. Mississippi notary bonds help ensure that notaries commissioned in the state of Mississippi are honest and diligent in carrying out the responsibilities of that role. A Mississippi notary bond is a notary public’s guarantee to perform all notarial duties in compliance with the state’s legal and ethical requirements.
Notarial duties include verifying the identity of those about to sign a document requiring notarization, witnessing the signing, and affixing a seal or stamp that validates the signature. Documents that must be notarized generally:
- Attest to the truth (e.g., affidavits and depositions).
- Confer control or decision-making authority (e.g., powers of attorney, trust agreements, or guardianship papers).
- Are involved in the transfer of property (e.g., wills, deeds, or titles).
Forged or otherwise improper or defective signatures on such documents have the potential to cause an innocent party substantial financial harm. Any party who suffers a financial loss as a result of a notary public’s violation of the terms of a Mississippi notary bond can seek compensation by filing a claim against the bond.
Who Needs Them?
Every application to the Mississippi Secretary of State for a new notary public commission of renewal of an existing commission must be accompanied by a $5,000 Mississippi notary bond. It must have the same four-year term as the notary public commission. It’s common practice for notaries to purchase errors and omissions insurance for their own financial protection, as well.
Speak with a Surety Bond Professionals agent today to discuss your bonding needs.
How Do They Work?
Like nearly all surety bond agreements, the surety bond agreement for a Mississippi notary bond is a legally binding contract among three parties known as the “obligee,” the “principal,” and the “surety”:
- The obligee requiring the bond is the Mississippi Secretary of State.
- The principal required to purchase the bond in order to obtain a Mississippi notary commission is the notary.
- The surety is the bonding company that underwrites and approves the bond.
When the principal is found to have acted in an unlawful or unethical manner in performing notarial duties, thereby causing someone financial harm, the injured party can file a claim against the Mississippi notary bond. The surety will first make sure the claim is valid and then pay it on behalf of the principal. However, the legal obligation to pay claims belongs solely to the principal. The surety is merely advancing funds to the surety, creating a debt that must be repaid by the principal.
What Do They Cost?
Mississippi notary bonds do not go through the underwriting process but rather are sold for a small flat fee of $40-$50.
Get a Quote
Our surety bond professionals will get you the Mississippi notary bond you need at a competitive rate.