Nevada Collection Agency Bond
Every Nevada-licensed collection agency files a surety bond running to the State of Nevada under NRS 649.105 — but the amount is not fixed. The Commissioner of Financial Institutions sets it annually, from $35,000 to $60,000, based on your agency's average monthly Nevada trust account balance. Some guides quote a flat number; Nevada does not have one.
$35K–$60K
Tiered by trust account balance
Annual
FID redetermines the amount every year
2 Options
Surety bond or a cash/securities deposit
Bonded through NMLS, filed with the Nevada Financial Institutions Division (FID). See how this fits collection agency bond requirements in every state.
- Who requires it: The Nevada Financial Institutions Division (FID), under NRS 649.105, for a Chapter 649 collection agency license.
- Amount: Tiered by trust account balance: $35,000 (under $100,000 in trust); $40,000 ($100,000–$149,999 in trust); $50,000 ($150,000–$199,999 in trust); $60,000 ($200,000+ in trust).
- Timing: Same-day submission; most quotes within one business day.
How the Financial Institutions Division Sets Your Number
NRS 649.105 does not hand every applicant the same bond. The Commissioner determines the required amount annually, keyed to the average monthly balance of your Nevada trust account — the account where you hold collected funds before remitting them to clients. A new agency with light Nevada volume sits at the $35,000 floor; an established agency running six-figure monthly balances through its trust account climbs the same four-step ladder every regulator-set renewal.
Nevada collection agency bond amount by trust account balance
Set annually by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions
Under $100,000
$35,000
Average monthly trust account balance below $100,000
Where most newly licensed agencies start
$100,000–$149,999
$40,000
Trust balance in this range
$150,000–$199,999
$50,000
Trust balance in this range
$200,000 and up
$60,000
Trust balance at or above $200,000
NRS 649.105
Because the tier resets every year, your Nevada bond is not a one-time number to file and forget — a growing trust account balance can move you to the next tier at your next FID review, and premium scales with penal sum.
The Choice Most States Don't Give You: Bond or Deposit
Nevada writes an explicit substitute into the statute. Under NRS 649.119, an applicant can deposit U.S. Treasury obligations, state or municipal bonds, or bank instruments with the Commissioner — in an amount at least equal to the surety bond otherwise required — instead of buying a bond at all.
Surety bond vs. NRS 649.119 deposit substitute
Both satisfy NRS 649.105 — the tradeoff is premium vs. tied-up capital
| Surety bond | Deposit substitute | |
|---|---|---|
| Who typically uses it | Most agencies — the standard route | Agencies that would rather post their own capital than pay a premium |
| What you pay | Annual premium (a fraction of the penal sum) | Nothing ongoing — but the full $35K–$60K is tied up, unavailable for other use |
| What secures it | A surety company authorized to write bonds in Nevada | U.S. Treasury obligations, state or municipal bonds, or bank instruments you deposit with the Commissioner |
| Statute | NRS 649.105 | NRS 649.119 |
The deposit route still requires posting the full tiered amount ($35,000–$60,000) — it replaces the bond, not the obligation.
NRS 649.105, 649.119
Most agencies choose the bond because it converts a $35,000–$60,000 obligation into a modest annual premium instead of locking up that much capital. The deposit route tends to make sense only for agencies that already hold idle, low-yield Treasury or municipal paper they would rather post than let a surety underwrite.
Know your trust balance tier? Get bonded fast.
Tell us your average Nevada trust account balance and we quote the exact NRS 649.105 penal sum — no guessing which tier applies.
Get my Nevada collection agency bond quoteOut-of-State Agencies: The “Foreign Agency” Shortcut Was Repealed in 2023
National agencies assume having zero Nevada employees or office space keeps them out of Nevada licensing entirely, or that a lighter “foreign collection agency” registration still applies. Neither is true anymore. Nevada reaches across state lines directly through NRS 649.075(2), and the narrower certificate some older guidance still describes no longer exists — the most common trip-up we see from multi-state agencies expanding into Nevada.
When Nevada reaches across state lines
Under NRS 649.075(2), you are engaging in the collection agency business in Nevada — and need the license — if you operate from another state and either collect a claim from a debtor who resides in Nevada, or collect a claim on behalf of a client who resides in Nevada. It does not matter whether you have any employees, agents, or office space physically in the state.
What used to be different, and isn't anymore
Before 2023, NRS 649.171 let a narrower slice of out-of-state agencies (no Nevada staff or office, interstate phone/mail/fax contact only, collecting for out-of-state clients) hold a lighter “certificate of registration” instead of the full license. The Legislature repealed that statute in 2023 (Statutes of Nevada 2023, ch. 534). There is no certificate track today — every out-of-state agency that trips either NRS 649.075(2) trigger files the standard license, at the same NRS 649.105 bond tiers as a Nevada-based agency.
Official Nevada Requirements
"A person engages in the business of a collection agency in this State if the person: ...(b) Is located in another state and is seeking to collect a claim from a debtor who resides in this State; or (c) Is located in another state and is seeking to collect a claim on behalf of a person or entity that resides in this State."Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 649 • NRS 649.075(2)
There is no separate application, fee schedule, or expiration date for out-of-state agencies — the NRS 649.295 fees and NRS 649.105 bond tiers on this page apply the same way whether your principal place of business is in Las Vegas or another state entirely.
What the Bond Covers, and the 2-Year Clock After You Close
NRS 649.115 requires the bond to be written on a form approved by the Financial Institutions Division and to cover all matters placed with the licensee during the term of the license — not just the transaction that happens to trigger a claim. That breadth is the flip side of a detail few guides mention: the statute also sets a hard filing deadline for claims.
Filed concurrently with your application
The bond (or NRS 649.119 deposit) has to be on file with the Commissioner at the same time you submit the license application — Nevada does not issue a conditional license while a bond is pending.
Two years to bring a claim after the license ends
NRS 649.115 bars any action on the bond after two years from the revocation or expiration of the license. Closing your Nevada operation or letting the license lapse doesn't end exposure the day the license does — build that tail into your wind-down plan.
Written by a Nevada-authorized surety
The bond must be executed by the principal and a surety company authorized to write bonds in Nevada — a generic multi-state bond form filed against another state's statute will not satisfy NRS 649.105.
Nevada's NMLS Licensing Path, Step by Step
The FID moved Chapter 649 licensing onto the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry — the same system mortgage licensees use — and no longer accepts paper applications for new Nevada collection agency filings.
Confirm your trust account tier
Estimate the average monthly balance your Nevada trust account will carry. That figure — not your total company revenue — determines whether you need a $35,000, $40,000, $50,000, or $60,000 bond under NRS 649.105.
Choose a bond or a deposit
Obtain a surety bond in the required penal sum from a company authorized to write bonds in Nevada, or elect the NRS 649.119 deposit substitute — Treasury obligations, state/municipal bonds, or bank instruments equal to the required amount, held with the Commissioner instead.
File your application through NMLS
Nevada moved Chapter 649 licensing onto the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry, the same system used for mortgage licensing. Create your NMLS company account and submit the collection agency application electronically — the Financial Institutions Division no longer accepts paper applications for new filings.
Pay the application and license fees
Budget for an application fee of up to $500 and a license fee between $200 and $600, both set under NRS 649.295 and paid through NMLS. These are state fees, separate from your bond premium.
Designate a licensed compliance manager
Nevada requires collection agencies to have a certificate-holding compliance manager overseeing day-to-day operations. Line this up alongside your bond — the FID will not issue the agency license without one on file.
What the state charges (these are FID/NMLS fees, not premium)
- Application feeUp to $500
- License fee$200–$600
- Bond penal sum$35,000–$60,000
Fee ranges set under NRS 649.295. Source: Nevada Financial Institutions Division. Your bond premium is quoted separately based on credit and agency financials.
Nevada Collection Agency Bond Questions
How does the FID decide whether my bond is $35,000, $40,000, $50,000, or $60,000?
It runs off your Nevada trust account, not your company's total revenue. NRS 649.105 sets a $35,000 floor and directs the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to determine your required amount annually based on the average monthly balance of your trust account: under $100,000 stays at $35,000; $100,000–$149,999 moves you to $40,000; $150,000–$199,999 to $50,000; and $200,000 or more to $60,000. Because it is redetermined annually, an agency whose Nevada collection volume grows can be required to increase its bond at renewal even if nothing else about the business changed.
Can I skip the surety bond and post cash or securities instead?
Yes — Nevada is one of the states that spells this out by statute rather than leaving it to agency discretion. NRS 649.119 lets an applicant deposit U.S. Treasury obligations, state or municipal bonds, or bank instruments with the Commissioner in an amount at least equal to the surety bond that would otherwise be required. It is a real substitute, not a partial one: you still have to post the full $35,000–$60,000 figure your trust balance requires, just as capital instead of an annual premium. Agencies that already hold idle Treasury or municipal paper sometimes find this cheaper over several years than renewing a bond; agencies that would rather keep that capital working elsewhere choose the bond.
My agency has no Nevada office — do I still need a Nevada collection agency license?
Yes, if either of two things is true, and there is no narrower path anymore. NRS 649.075(2) reaches across state lines: you engage in the collection agency business in Nevada if you operate from another state collecting a claim from a debtor who resides in Nevada, or collecting on behalf of a client who resides in Nevada. Either trigger means you need the same license as a Nevada-based agency, at the same NRS 649.105 bond tiers — having zero employees, agents, or office space in Nevada does not exempt you. Older guidance (including some websites) still describes a narrower "foreign collection agency" certificate of registration under NRS 649.171 that let out-of-state agencies register on lighter terms if their only Nevada contact was interstate phone, mail, or fax collecting for out-of-state clients. That certificate was repealed by the Nevada Legislature in 2023 (Statutes of Nevada 2023, ch. 534) and no longer exists — if you collect from or for a Nevada resident, you file the standard NRS 649.075 license application, not a certificate.
Does my Nevada bond amount go up automatically if my trust account balance grows?
Not automatically mid-term, but expect it at your next review. The Commissioner sets the required bond amount annually based on your average monthly trust account balance, so a year in which your Nevada collection volume pushes that average past a tier threshold — say, from $95,000 to $110,000 — typically means a higher bond requirement at the next redetermination rather than an immediate mid-year demand. Track your trailing average during the year so a tier jump does not surprise you at renewal.
How long can someone bring a claim on my bond after my Nevada license ends?
Two years. NRS 649.115 sets a hard cutoff: no action may be brought on the bond after the expiration of two years from the revocation or expiration of the license. Until that window closes, the bond you filed while licensed keeps covering matters placed with you during the license term — closing your Nevada operation or letting the license lapse does not end your exposure on its own.
Is the Nevada collection agency application filed through NMLS now?
Yes. The Financial Institutions Division transitioned Chapter 649 licensing onto the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System & Registry, with paper applications phased out for new filings. If you already hold licenses in other NMLS states — mortgage, money transmission — your company record may already exist in the system; you add the Nevada collection agency license line to it rather than starting from scratch.
Where Nevada Licensees Go Next
Other Nevada financial-services bonds and the statewide picture, plus how Nevada compares to other collection agency states:
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.
General information, not legal or licensing advice. Nevada's collection agency bond tiers, fees, and NMLS filing process are set by statute and FID practice and can change. Confirm your current required bond amount and application requirements with the Nevada Financial Institutions Division before binding a bond.
File Your Nevada FID Bond With Confidence
Tell us your average Nevada trust account balance and whether you're collecting from Nevada residents from out of state — we'll quote the exact NRS 649.105 tier, on the FID-accepted form.