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.”
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.
Massachusetts Bonding Requirements by Profession
What's actually required under Massachusetts law, not industry defaults
| Profession | Bond Required? | Amount | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Broker | Yes | $5,000 | c.112 §87TT |
| Real Estate Salesperson | No | — | not named in §87TT |
| Auto Dealer (Class 2, used) | Yes | $25,000 | c.140 §59 |
| Auto Dealer (Class 1 / 3) | No | — | exempt under c.140 §58 |
| Notary Public | No | — | c.222 |
| Public Insurance Adjuster | No | — | c.175 §172 |
| Home Improvement Contractor | No (Guaranty Fund) | — | c.142A |
| Nonresident Contractor (DOR) | Yes | 6.25% of contract | c.64H §30A |
| Mortgage Broker | Yes | $75,000 flat | 209 CMR 42.06 |
| Freight Broker (BMC-84) | Yes | $75,000 | 49 CFR §387.307 |
| Personal Representative (probate) | Yes, unless waived | Court-set | c.190B §3-601 |
Bond amounts current as of August 2026. Salesperson and Class 1/3 dealer exemptions are the reason those rows show 'No' where other states default to 'Yes.'
Sources: malegislature.gov, mass.gov Division of Insurance and RMV
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 approved same-day, 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
$5,000 Massachusetts Real Estate Broker Bond
Based on a $5,000 bond amount
- Excellent (720+)Rate: 1-2%$50-$100
- Good (660-719)Rate: 2-3%$100-$150
- Fair (600-659)Rate: 3-5%$150-$250
- Challenged (below 600)Rate: 5-10%$250-$500
Rates as a percentage of the $5,000 bond amount, applied annually or per multi-year term depending on the surety. Ranges reflect typical market pricing, not a guaranteed quote.
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Full guides for each bond, with the exact statute, amount, and filing process.
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 guideMortgage 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 guideFreight Broker Bond (BMC-84)
$75,000
49 CFR §387.307 (federal)
Same everywhere — Massachusetts adds no state bond on top
Massachusetts freight broker bond guideNonresident 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 guideProbate / Fiduciary Bond
Court-set
M.G.L. c.190B & c.205
Personal representatives, guardians, conservators, trustees
Massachusetts probate bond guideVehicle 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 guidePerformance / 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 guideBonds 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 bondPublic 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 bondCalculators & Cost Guides
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?
My will says my executor "serves without bond." Do I still have to file one?
Does Massachusetts require a surety bond to become a licensed public adjuster?
Why doesn't my Home Improvement Contractor registration need a bond?
I need a Massachusetts notary bond quote — how much is it?
Which Massachusetts bond is cheapest to get approved for with average credit?
Official Massachusetts Resources
Government sources for every claim on this page
The $5,000 broker bond statute, on the official Massachusetts legislature site
Confirms no bond is part of Massachusetts public adjuster licensing
Mass.gov's consolidated guide to broker and salesperson licensing law
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.
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