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LA House Bill 259

Legislation

State: Louisiana
Signed: June 11, 2025

Effective: February 01, 2026
Chapter: Act No. 258

Summary

House Bill 259 raises the Notary bond in Louisiana from $10,000 to $50,000 and no longer gives Notaries the option of filing an errors and omissions insurance policy instead of a bond.

Affects

Amends Sections 35:71, 35:191, 35:192, 35:201, 35:391, and 35:412, and repeals Section 39:342 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

Changes
  1. Raises the surety bond from $10,000 to $50,000 for Notaries and ex officio Notaries.
  2. No longer allows Notaries or Ex Officio Notaries to choose an errors and omissions insurance policy instead of a surety bond.
  3. No longer exempts bonds currently in force on the effective date of the new law from the higher bond amount.
  4. Provides that if a bond is secured through a special mortgage or personal surety, the bond must be recorded in the mortgage office of the Notary's parish.
  5. No longer requires Notaries to record the bond with the clerk of court and ex officio recorder of mortgages or have the bond approved by the clerk of court.
  6. Clarifies that notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, in all cases where a Notary furnishes a bond signed by a surety company authorized to do business in Louisiana, it is not necessary to record the bond with the clerk of court or have the bond approved by the clerk of court.
Analysis

Louisiana raises its Notary bond amount from $10,000 to $50,000 for Notaries Public and Ex Officio Notaries and repeals the option of filing a Notary errors and omissions insurance policy instead. All Notaries must secure a higher bond on February 1, 2026 when House Bill 259 takes effect.

As introduced, House Bill 259 would have raised the bond for Notaries to $25,000 and reduced the bond for Ex Officio Notaries to $10,000, but later amendments settled on both bonds being raised to $50,000. Testimony taken in committee revealed fraudulent car titles as the impetus for the increase in the bond and for striking the option of carrying an errors and omissions insurance policy because a bond covers fraud committed by a Notary and an insurance policy does not.

Read House Bill 259.

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