What is a court bond?
A court bond — also called a judicial or fiduciary bond — is a type of surety bond required by a judge to guarantee that you will perform your legal duties honestly and faithfully.
When a court appoints someone to manage another person’s assets or legal affairs, the court requires a bond to protect everyone involved. If the appointed person fails in their duties, the surety company pays the court — and then collects from the person who caused the harm.
What type of bond does the court require?
The court order or letter from the judge will specify the type and amount. The three most common court bonds are:
Probate / Fiduciary Bond — Required when you are named Executor, Administrator, or Trustee of a deceased person’s estate. The bond amount is typically set at the total value of the estate’s assets.
Guardianship / Conservatorship Bond — Required when you are appointed to care for a minor child or an incapacitated adult. Protects their financial assets while under your care.
Civil Court Bond — Required when you are involved in civil litigation. Includes appeal bonds (if you’re contesting a judgment), replevin bonds (if you’re recovering property before trial), and injunction bonds.
How much does a court bond cost?
You pay a small annual premium — not the full bond amount. The premium is typically 0.5% to 2% of the bond amount set by the court.
| Bond type | Typical premium |
|---|---|
| Probate / Administrator | 0.5% – 1% of bond amount |
| Guardianship / Conservatorship | 0.5% – 1% of bond amount |
| Appeal Bond | 1% – 2% of bond amount |
| Civil / Replevin | 1% – 2% of bond amount |
Example: If the court requires a $100,000 probate bond, you pay $500–$1,000 per year.
For bonds under $25,000, we typically don’t run a credit check. For larger bonds, your credit score affects the rate — but we have programs for applicants with bad credit.
How the bond process works
Getting a court bond from us is straightforward:
- Enter your ZIP code and tell us the bond type and amount from your court order
- Get an instant quote — no phone calls, no broker meetings
- Sign digitally and download your PDF bond certificate immediately
- File with the court — take the PDF to the Clerk of Court or email it to your attorney
Most applicants go from application to signed bond in under 10 minutes.
What courts we work with
We issue bonds accepted by all 50 state court systems and federal courts. Our bonds meet the exact formatting and underwriting requirements of every Clerk of Court in the United States.
If your court has a specific bond form or template, we can use it — just upload it during your application.
Appeal bonds: what you need to know
Appeal bonds (also called supersedeas bonds) work differently from other court bonds.
When you lose a civil lawsuit and want to appeal the decision, the court requires you to post a bond for the full judgment amount — sometimes plus interest and court costs. This guarantees that if you lose the appeal, the other party can still collect.
Appeal bonds typically require:
- A premium of 1%–2% of the bond amount
- In some cases, collateral equal to 100% of the bond amount (cash or letter of credit)
- Court approval of the bond form before filing
Because of the collateral requirement, appeal bonds take slightly longer than other bond types. Contact us directly if you need an appeal bond — we’ll walk you through the specific requirements for your jurisdiction.
