Notary E&O Insurance FAQs

What is notary errors and omissions insurance?

Notary E&O insurance protects you, the notary, in case you make a mistake while acting as a notary. If someone makes a valid claim on your notary bond, your notary bond company will reimburse the claim, and you will be responsible for reimbursing the bond company.

For example, if someone makes a valid claim on your $15,000 notary bond, your bond company will pay the claim, and then you will be responsible for reimbursing the bond company out of pocket unless you have a notary E&O insurance policy.

 

How long does notary E&O insurance last? 

Notary E&O insurance is sold by year. For example, we offer Texas notary E&O insurance for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years (the full commission term).

You cannot purchase E&O insurance for a longer term than your current commission term. For instance, if you are a Texas notary with a 4-year commission term, you cannot purchase a Texas E&O policy for more than 4 years.

 

How do I know when my E&O policy expires?

The policy expiration date is listed on the E&O policy.

 

How do I get E&O insurance?

You can purchase E&O insurance through Notary.net. Ordering is easy: simply go to your state notary supplies page, then select the category “Bonds and Insurance.”

 

Can my E&O insurance policy be emailed to me?

Yes, E&O policies can be sent by email.

 

I ordered notary E&O insurance through Notary.net. When will I receive my policy?

Notary E&O insurance is sent out at the end of the business day.

 

What E&O insurance amount should I get?

We recommend that your E&O insurance policy matches the amount of your bond. For instance, if you are a California notary, we recommend $15,000 in E&O insurance to cover your $15,000 notary bond.

If you plan to work as a signing agent, $25,000 in E&O insurance is a good place to start because it is the minimum amount required by most signing services and title companies.

 

How much does E&O insurance cost?

How much an E&O insurance policy costs is dependent upon the term and the coverage.

The term is the amount of time that you are covered by the E&O policy.

The coverage is the amount that the E&O policy will pay to cover your costs. If you have a $15,000 notary bond and a $10,000 notary E&O policy, you are covered for $10,000 in damages. If a valid claim is made on your bond, you will have to pay for the remaining $5,000 out of pocket.

 

Is notary E&O insurance required by law?

Notary E&O insurance is not required by law. However, notary E&O insurance is HIGHLY recommended by almost all state governments, notary organizations, and working notaries.

Mistakes happen. You do not want to be $15,000 in debt just because you overlooked a signature.

 

Does notary E&O insurance pay for legal fees?

Yes, up to the policy limit.

 

What are the different types of notary E&O insurance policies?

There are two types of notary E&O insurance policies: occurrence-based and claims-made.

Occurrence-based insurance policies are freely written, and usually have policy limits ranging from around $5,000 or $100,000. Occurrence-based policies offer protection for mistakes made during the policy term, even if the policy has expired.

For example, if Nancy Notary had a notary E&O insurance policy from 11/11/2018 – 11/11/2022, and a customer sues Nancy in 2030 for a mistake she made in 2020, Nancy is still protected by that expired E&O policy.

Claims-made insurance policies require an application, and usually have policy limits around $500,000 or $1,000,000.

 

What is the difference between notary E&O insurance and signing agent E&O insurance?

Notary E&O insurance covers what you do as a notary; signing agent E&O insurance covers what you do as a signing agent.