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Last updated: General Massachusetts surety bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
Massachusetts Surety Bonds

Massachusetts Bonds a Handful of Professions— And Says No to the Rest

A licensed real estate broker in Massachusetts posts a $5,000 bond under M.G.L. c.112 §87TT. A notary public posts nothing at all. A public adjuster posts nothing at all. A home improvement contractor pays into a state guaranty fund instead of buying an individual bond. Knowing which category you're in saves you from shopping for a bond that Massachusetts never asks for.

Eight bond categories are genuinely required here — from a fixed $5,000 broker bond to a court-set probate bond to a $75,000 federal freight broker bond. This page covers every one of them with the actual statute, plus the three professions where the answer is simply “you don't need one.”

3 professions need no bond
8 bond categories, real statutes
Quick answer
Massachusetts bonds only a handful of professions. A licensed real estate broker posts a $5,000 bond, a Class 2 used auto dealer posts $25,000 and a mortgage broker posts a flat $75,000. Notaries and public adjusters post no bond, and home improvement contractors pay into a state guaranty fund instead.
  • Who requires it: The Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (M.G.L. c.112 §87TT), plus probate courts.
  • Amount: $5,000 real estate broker, $25,000 Class 2 auto dealer, $75,000 mortgage broker, $75,000 freight broker.
  • Timing: We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes within one business day.
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Required vs. Not Required, at a Glance

Massachusetts is unusually selective about who it bonds. Before you assume your profession needs a bond because it does in most states, check this table.

Most requested Massachusetts bond

The $5,000 Real Estate Broker Bond

Every applicant for a Massachusetts real estate broker's license — and every renewal — needs a $5,000 surety bond on file with the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons before the license issues. The bond is fixed by statute; it doesn't scale with your sales volume or brokerage size the way some states' bonds do.

It only applies to brokers. If you're licensed as a salesperson working under a broker's license, you are not named in the bonding statute and don't need this bond — you'd only encounter it if and when you upgrade to a broker license of your own. Attorney-brokers face the same $5,000 requirement as any other broker applicant.

Because the bond amount is small and fixed, underwriting is usually fast: most applicants with average or better credit are submitted promptly, and the bond can be executed by a licensed surety company or, per the statute, by two board-approved individual sureties (in practice, almost every applicant uses a surety company).

Official Massachusetts Requirements

"No broker's license shall be issued or renewed until the applicant gives to the board a bond in the form approved by said board in the sum of five thousand dollars, executed by the applicant and by a surety company authorized to do business within the commonwealth, or by the applicant and by two good and sufficient sureties approved by the board."
Massachusetts General Laws • M.G.L. c.112 §87TT

Typical Premium by Credit Tier

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Every Massachusetts Bond Category

Full guides for each bond, with the exact statute, amount, and filing process.

Real Estate Broker Bond

$5,000

M.G.L. c.112 §87TT

Brokers only — salespersons are exempt

Get a quote

Auto Dealer Bond

$25,000

M.G.L. c.140 §59

Class 2 (used-car) dealers only — Class 1 and 3 are exempt

Massachusetts auto dealer bond guide

Mortgage Broker / Lender / MLO Bond

$25,000 – $500,000

209 CMR 42.06

Broker flat $75K, lender scales with volume, $25K per MLO

Massachusetts mortgage broker bond guide

Freight Broker Bond (BMC-84)

$75,000

49 CFR §387.307 (federal)

Same everywhere — Massachusetts adds no state bond on top

Massachusetts freight broker bond guide

Nonresident Contractor Bond

6.25% of contract

M.G.L. c.64H §30A

DOR use-tax bond, projects over $20,000 — HIC uses a Guaranty Fund instead

Massachusetts contractor bond guide

Probate / Fiduciary Bond

Court-set

M.G.L. c.190B & c.205

Personal representatives, guardians, conservators, trustees

Massachusetts probate bond guide

Vehicle Title Bond

1.5x vehicle value

M.G.L. c.90D §12

For a bonded title when the RMV can’t confirm ownership

Massachusetts bonded title guide

Performance / Payment Bond

100% of contract (performance)

M.G.L. c.149 §44E, §29; c.30 §39M

Public building work over $150,000; payment bonds trigger at $25,000

Massachusetts performance bond guide

Bonds Massachusetts Does NOT Require

Three professions that carry a bond requirement in many other states don't in Massachusetts. If a form, employer, or out-of-state checklist is telling you to get one of these, verify against the statute below before you pay for a bond you don't need.

Notary Public

M.G.L. c.222

Appointment runs through the Governor's Council for a $60 fee. No bond, ever — voluntary E&O insurance is the closest equivalent.

Why Massachusetts skips the notary bond

Public Insurance Adjuster

M.G.L. c.175 §172

Licensing runs through NIPR with a clean-history and experience requirement. No surety bond is filed with the Division of Insurance.

Home Improvement Contractor

M.G.L. c.142A

Registered contractors are backed by the state-administered HIC Guaranty Fund (claims up to $10,000/contract), not an individual bond.

How the Guaranty Fund replaces a bond

Calculators & Cost Guides

Mortgage Broker Bond CalculatorAuto Dealer Bond CalculatorFreight Broker Bond CalculatorContractor License Bond CalculatorVehicle Title Bond CalculatorPerformance Bond CalculatorProbate Bond Cost EstimatorGeneral Surety Bond Cost GuideBad Credit? See Your OptionsCheap Surety Bonds ExplainedBuy Surety Bonds OnlineNotary Bond Requirements by State

Massachusetts Surety Bond Questions

The questions that come up once people learn what's NOT required

Do Massachusetts real estate salespersons need the $5,000 bond, or just brokers?
Just brokers. M.G.L. c.112 §87TT says "no broker's license shall be issued or renewed until the applicant gives to the board a bond... in the sum of five thousand dollars." Salespersons work under a supervising broker's license and are not named on the statute's bond requirement. If you're applying for your salesperson license, you can skip this bond entirely — it only applies once you upgrade to a broker license.
My will says my executor "serves without bond." Do I still have to file one?
You still have to file paperwork, but not necessarily a bond with a paid surety. M.G.L. c.190B §3-601 requires every personal representative to qualify by giving bond unless the will expressly waives it or all interested parties in an informal proceeding consent to a waiver under §3-603. If your will has a bond waiver clause and heirs don't demand security, the Probate and Family Court can appoint you without a commercial surety bond. If any heir objects, or the estate has creditor risk, a judge can still require one regardless of what the will says.
Does Massachusetts require a surety bond to become a licensed public adjuster?
No. Massachusetts is one of the states that does not require a surety bond for public insurance adjuster licensure. Under M.G.L. c.175 §172 and the Division of Insurance's business-entity licensing requirements, adjusters need a clean license history, NIPR registration, and (for business entities) a member holding an active individual license — but no bond filing. This differs from states like Texas, which requires a $10,000 bond. If a Massachusetts-licensed adjuster later needs bonding to work claims in another state, that's a separate requirement tied to that state's law, not to Massachusetts.
Why doesn't my Home Improvement Contractor registration need a bond?
Massachusetts protects homeowners through the HIC Guaranty Fund instead of individual contractor bonds — registered contractors pay into a state-administered fund that pays claims up to $10,000 per contract, rather than each contractor posting their own bond. The bond you will encounter as a Massachusetts contractor is a different one: the Department of Revenue's nonresident contractor bond at 6.25% of the contract value on out-of-state contracts over $20,000, required under M.G.L. c.64H §30A to secure use-tax collection, not construction-quality guarantees.
I need a Massachusetts notary bond quote — how much is it?
There isn't one to quote. Massachusetts notaries public are not required to carry a surety bond under M.G.L. c.222, the 2016 Notary Public statute — appointment runs through the Governor's Council with a $60 commission fee, not a bond filing. Some notaries voluntarily carry errors and omissions insurance to cover their own liability, which is a different product from a bond and isn't mandated either. If a form or employer asks you for a "notary bond number," they're likely thinking of a different state's requirement.
Which Massachusetts bond is cheapest to get approved for with average credit?
The $5,000 real estate broker bond is typically the fastest and cheapest to underwrite — premiums usually run $75–$300 for a 1-2 year term with average-to-good credit, because the bond amount is small and fixed by statute. The $75,000 BMC-84 freight broker bond and the $25,000 Class 2 auto dealer bond cost more in dollar terms but are still quick to underwrite for most applicants. Mortgage lender bonds ($100,000–$500,000, volume-scaled) and performance bonds tied to large contracts go through more underwriting because the amounts and risk are higher.
How do I get a Massachusetts surety bond?
Request a quote with the form on this page. A licensed agent submits your application to a Treasury-listed surety carrier; once the carrier issues your bond, file it as the requiring agency directs.
What happens after I apply?
We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes come back within one business day. The carrier decides approval and the final premium, and you pay only when your bond is issued.

Surety Bonds in Other States

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Official Massachusetts Resources

Government sources for every claim on this page

M.G.L. c.112 §87TT — Real Estate Broker Bond

The $5,000 broker bond statute, on the official Massachusetts legislature site

Division of Insurance — Public Adjuster Licensing

Confirms no bond is part of Massachusetts public adjuster licensing

Massachusetts Law About Real Estate Brokers

Mass.gov's consolidated guide to broker and salesperson licensing law

Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
Reviewed by
Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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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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Other Massachusetts Bonds

Additional surety bonds available in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Notary Bond

Notary public bond

Massachusetts Contractor License Bond

Contractor licensing

Massachusetts Auto Dealer Bond

DMV dealer licensing

Massachusetts Mortgage Broker Bond

NMLS mortgage licensing

Massachusetts Performance Bond

Construction & service contracts

Massachusetts Probate Bond

Executors, administrators & guardians

Massachusetts Freight Broker Bond

FMCSA broker authority

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