Texas Credit Services Organization & Credit Access Business Bond
There are two bonds here, from two regulators -- and you almost never file both.
Every Texas credit services organization (CSO) registers with the Secretary of State and, if it charges fees before finishing its work, backs that registration with a $10,000-per-location bond under Finance Code §393.403. But if your CSO also arranges payday advances or auto-title loans, you are a credit access business (CAB) under §393.601, and the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner requires its own $10,000-per-license bond, capped at $2.5 million, under §393.605 -- a bond that, per §393.605(e), replaces the SOS bond rather than stacking on top of it. Which one applies to you depends entirely on what your locations do.
- Who requires it: The Texas Secretary of State (§393.403 registration bond) and, for payday and title-loan credit access businesses, the OCCC (§393.605).
- Amount: $10,000 per location under §393.403. Credit access businesses post $10,000 per licensed location under §393.605, capped at $2,500,000 in aggregate.
- Timing: Same-day submission; most quotes within one business day.
How Much Is a Texas Credit Services Organization Bond?
A Texas credit services organization bond costs $10,000 per business location, filed with the Secretary of State under Finance Code §393.403. If the CSO also arranges payday advances or auto-title loans, it instead files a $10,000-per-license bond with the OCCC, capped at $2.5 million, which replaces the SOS bond under §393.605(e).
Two Regulators, Two Bonds -- Match Yours to the Right One
Nearly every generic "Texas credit services organization bond" guide treats this as one flat $10,000 filing. That is only true if you never touch payday or title lending. The moment you do, the OCCC bond takes over and the math changes.
Secretary of State -- CSO Registration
$10,000 per location
Fin. Code §393.401, §393.403
- Applies to every CSO: credit repair, debt management, credit report assistance
- Required only if fees are charged before services are fully performed (§393.302)
- Registration term: 1 year, $100 fee to file or renew
- No statutory cap on total penal sum as locations grow
OCCC -- Credit Access Business License
$10,000 per license, cap $2.5M
Fin. Code §393.601-.603, §393.605
- Applies only to CSOs arranging payday advances or auto-title loans
- Separate license required per location (§393.603) -- filed via ALECS
- Filing this bond exempts the location from the SOS bond (§393.605(e))
- Aggregate bond exposure caps at $2,500,000 regardless of location count
Official Texas Requirements
"The bond must be in favor of this state for the use of this state and the use of a person who has a cause of action under this subchapter against the license holder. The aggregate liability of a surety to all persons damaged by the license holder's violation of this subchapter may not exceed the amount of the bond."Texas Finance Code §393.605(b), (d) -- Credit Access Business Bond • Tex. Fin. Code §393.605; §393.401-.406 (SOS bond); §393.601-.603 (CAB licensing)
How the OCCC Caps a Multi-Location CAB Bond
Tex. Fin. Code §393.605(a)(1) -- the lesser of $10,000 per license or the aggregate $2,500,000 ceiling. A chain would need 250+ locations before the cap, rather than the per-location total, controls the bond amount.
The Bond Isn't Automatic -- It's Tied to How You Bill
Finance Code §393.302 restricts a CSO from charging or receiving valuable consideration from a consumer before it has completely performed the services it agreed to perform, unless the organization has obtained the surety bond or account required under Subchapter E for each of its locations. Read narrowly, a CSO that only bills after finishing its work has no advance-fee restriction to satisfy and, in theory, no bonding trigger.
In practice, that carve-out rarely matters. Credit repair, debt negotiation, and payday/title-loan brokering businesses are built around collecting a fee, application charge, or loan-origination amount before the engagement is complete -- which is exactly the transaction §393.302 gates. If your Texas locations collect anything upfront, treat the $10,000-per-location bond as a filing requirement, not an optional protection.
This is also why SOS registration and bonding are legally distinct steps that almost always travel together in practice: registration is mandatory outright under §393.101, while the bond is mandatory in effect for any CSO with a normal fee structure.
Know whether you're SOS-only or a CAB? Get your Texas bond quote in about two minutes.
Get Your QuoteTwo Filing Tracks -- Pick the One That Matches Your Locations
A CSO that never touches payday or title lending only ever walks the left column. A CAB walks the right column instead of the left.
SOS Registration (CSO-only)
File Form 2801 with the Secretary of State
Registration statement disclosing ownership, locations, and services offered under §393.101.
Obtain the §393.403 bond or surety account
$10,000 per Texas location, filed on SOS Form 2802 (bond) or 2803 (surety account).
Pay the $100 registration fee
Plus $15 for each additional location certificate beyond the first.
Renew annually
Registration runs one year; the bond stays in force through the two-year post-closure tail under §393.406.
OCCC CAB License (payday / title)
Create an ALECS account
OCCC's electronic licensing system handles the CAB application, forms, and document uploads.
File a license application per location
Every location performing deferred-presentment or title-loan services under §393.602 needs its own license (§393.603).
Pay the license fee
A per-license fee, confirmed with OCCC at application -- verify the current schedule before filing, as OCCC has proposed fee-structure changes.
File the §393.605 bond instead of the SOS bond
$10,000 per license, capped at $2.5M in aggregate -- this bond satisfies §393.605(e) and replaces the separate SOS filing.
New to Texas bonding entirely? Our step-by-step surety bond guide covers the mechanics before you file with either agency.
SOS CSO Bond vs. OCCC CAB Bond, Side by Side
Same statute chapter, two different obligees -- do not file both for the same location
| SOS CSO Bond | OCCC CAB Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Texas Secretary of State | Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner |
| Who needs it | Any CSO charging fees before completing services | CSOs arranging payday or auto-title loans |
| Amount | $10,000 per location, no cap | $10,000 per license, capped at $2,500,000 |
| Statute | Fin. Code §393.401, §393.403 | Fin. Code §393.605 |
| Filing fee | $100 (original or renewal) | Per-license fee, confirm current schedule with OCCC |
| Term | 1 year, renewable | Set by license term |
| Post-closure tail | 2 years (§393.406) | Per bond/license conditions |
A CAB that files the §393.605 bond is exempt from the separate SOS bond under §393.605(e) -- SOS registration itself is still required, only the duplicate bond is waived.
Source: Texas Finance Code Chapter 393, Subchapters B, E, and H, cross-referenced with Texas Secretary of State CSO registration guidance.
Both Bond Types Underwritten
Whether you file with the SOS or the OCCC, our carriers write the correct instrument for your regulatory track.
Multi-Location Chains Welcome
From a single credit-repair storefront to a 100-location payday chain approaching the $2.5M cap, we price the full range.
Many CSO bonds don’t require a credit check
Many SOS CSO bonds don’t require a credit check; CAB bonds are underwritten same-week.
Texas CSO & CAB Bond Questions We Get Asked
Do I need both the SOS bond and the OCCC bond?
How much does bonding cost with 5 Texas locations?
What actually triggers OCCC licensing instead of just SOS registration?
Does the bond renew every year, or does it run continuously?
What happens to the bond if I close my Texas business?
Can a credit-repair company skip bonding entirely if it never charges upfront?
Official Texas Resources
Phone: 512-475-1769
Forms: Form 2801 (registration), Form 2802 (surety bond), Form 2803 (surety account)
Website: sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/cso.shtml
Phone: 512-936-7600
System: ALECS (electronic licensing)
Website: occc.texas.gov/industry/apply-for-licensing
Read §393.605 Bond TextExplore More Texas & Credit-Adjacent Bond Resources
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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.
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