Ohio title agent bonds.
$1,500 flat.

Ohio requires a licensed title insurance agent who handles escrow, settlement, or closing funds to file a $150,000 surety bond with the Department of Insurance. Ours is $1,500 flat — set by our carrier for this bond, identical for every agent. A soft credit check may apply; the bond is issued when you pay.

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Required under ORC 3953.23 for title agents handling escrow, settlement, or closing funds

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Fixed amount, fixed price — $150,000 bond, $1,500, no quote theater

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A soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry, no impact on your score, and the price stays $1,500 either way

A-ratedA.M. Best carriersInstantissued the moment you pay1–3 yrterms available

Trusted by industry leaders

How it works

Three steps to filed.

Your title agent license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply once, online

Business details, owner information, effective date. That is the application — a quick soft credit check may run as part of approval.

RIGHT AWAY

Approved

Most are approved as soon as you apply. Any credit check that runs is a soft pull that never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.

WHEN YOU PAY

E-sign & file with the Department of Insurance

Pay online and receive the executed $150,000 bond ready to file with your title agent license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Ohio title insurance agents who conduct closings hold large sums of other people's money in escrow. ORC 3953.23 requires those agents to maintain a $150,000 surety bond filed with the Department of Insurance, backing the honest handling of settlement and escrow funds.

The bond is for the benefit of any aggrieved person who suffers a loss from theft, misappropriation, fraud, or any other failure to properly disburse settlement, closing, or escrow funds in a real estate transaction — by the agent or its owners, employees, or officers. It runs alongside the agent's duty to keep non-directed escrow funds in an IOTA trust account under ORC 3953.231.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Agents who keep clean trust accounting and disburse correctly treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk.

ORC 3953.23 (Title Agents)Ohio Revised Code 3953.23 conditions a title insurance agent's authority to maintain an escrow, settlement, or closing account on a $150,000 surety bond filed with the Department of Insurance, for the benefit of any aggrieved person who suffers a loss from theft, misappropriation, fraud, or failure to properly disburse settlement, closing, or escrow funds. The related trust-account duties appear in ORC 3953.231. Confirm the current amount on your application.

You need this bond if you're

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A title agent conducting closings — handling escrow, settlement, or closing funds

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Applying for an Ohio title agent license that requires the escrow bond

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Renewing your title agency authority and your current bond is expiring

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Adding escrow/settlement services to an existing title agency

One application, issued instantly.

These are the actual underwriting fields. A quick soft credit check may run as part of approval — never a hard inquiry. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.

Start the application →

FAQ

Common questions.

Do I pay the $150,000?No. You pay $1,500 — the flat price our carrier sets for this bond. The $150,000 is the surety's maximum liability to aggrieved parties; it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.

Who requires this bond?The Ohio Department of Insurance requires it under ORC 3953.23 for title agents who handle escrow, settlement, or closing funds. No active bond, no authority to run those accounts.

What does the bond guarantee?That you properly disburse settlement, closing, and escrow funds, and protect clients against theft, misappropriation, or fraud. If you fail and someone is harmed, they can claim against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety.

Is there a credit check?A quick soft credit check may apply as part of underwriting — never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. It informs approval, not price: the price stays $1,500 either way.

When does it renew?Terms run 1, 2, or 3 years — your choice at purchase. You'll get renewal notices 60 and 30 days before expiration, with autopay available, and the bond must stay active for your title agent authority to stay valid.

Which A-rated carriers underwrite these bonds?Typically Arch Insurance Company (A.M. Best A+) or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (A.M. Best A). Which one writes your bond depends on the bond type and your state. The carrier's name and official signature are printed on the bond you receive.

How do I contact Light RFP about this bond?Email insurance@lightrfp.com. It reaches the bond team at Light RFP Risk Management Services LLC (NY DFS License # PC-1978982). Write to us about quotes, applications, bond forms or certificates. We will respond within 24 hours.

Related bonds

Other Ohio bonds.

The Department of Insurance is waiting on one document.

$1,500 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.

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Your price$1,500

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