Overview of Florida Process Server Bond Requirements
The process server bond is a licensing requirement in the state of Florida for people who wish to act as process servers. Such people work as third parties who deliver legal notices and other court documents to a defendant during a court proceeding. The process server is not part of the court proceeding, however.
Florida process servers are required to obtain a surety bond in order to be licensed in the state. The bond guarantees that process servers will perform their job in an impartial way, without any interest in the outcome of a court proceeding, and that they will deliver the legal notices they are supposed to. If this is not the case, a claim can be made against the Florida process server bond, and claimants can be compensated up to the full penal sum of the bond.
For a fuller explanation of how bonds work, see our detailed ‘What is a surety bond’ guide.
Below you can find out more about how much process server bonds cost, what can give rise to a bond claim and how to get your own process server bond in Florida.
Call our bond agents at 866.450.3412 if you’d like to know more about the bonding requirements for these bonds, or you’re in need of any other type of information regarding bonds.
Cost of Process Server Bonds in Florida
The cost of the process server bond in Florida is a fraction of the full bond amount. According to the Florida Statutes, process servers must post a $5,000 bond in order to obtain their professional license.
The cost of your bond is determined on the basis of your application. Your credit score is the most important information that sureties consider when determining your rate. Along with that, sureties also take into account your financial statements and your personal liquidity and assets.
Typically, the higher your credit score, the lower your bond rate will be. Applicants with a high credit score can obtain their bond for a little as $100.
Getting Bonded With Bad Credit
Even if your credit score is far from perfect, you can still get bonded easily. Our Bad Credit Program allows applicants with a lower credit score to obtain their bond without any difficulties. Bond rates under this program are slightly higher, due to the increased risk for sureties when extending bonds to applicants with lower credit.
Our applicants are guaranteed that we always seek to provide them with the lowest and most exclusive rates on any bond. We work with over 20 of the most trusted and respected surety companies in the country, all of which are A-rated and T-listed.
Visit our Bad Credit Program page to find out more about getting bonded with bad credit, and to contact our agents for more information.
Claims Against Your Process Server Bond
Process server bonds in Florida typically differ in their requirements depending on the court that has requested the bond. They remain valid for one year, during which a claim can be brought against the bond.
Claims are typically filed if a process server is established to have acted dishonestly or fraudulently, due to having an interest in the outcome of a court proceeding. A claim can also be filed if the process server has simply acted neglectfully and failed to perform their work in a legally compliant manner.
If this occurs, a claim can be filed against the bond, and the surety bond company will extend compensation to claimants up to the full bond amount. In this case, the process server must repay the compensation to the surety in its entirety.
Since bond claims can be laborious and complicated, they are best avoided by bonded parties. The safest way to avoid a bond claim is to comply strictly with the bond’s conditions, and to communicate with the surety immediately if ever there is cause to think a claim may be filed.
How to Get Your Florida Process Server Bond
To get your process server bond, simply fill in and submit our online bond application form. Once we receive your application, we’ll contact you with a free, no-obligations bond quote, and further directions about how to conclude the application process.
Bonds are typically issued within two working days. Once your bond is issued by the surety, you will receive a digital copy of it via email, and the original paper copy via standard mail.
For more information, call our experts at 866.450.3412. Our bond agents can provide you with more information regarding the bonding requirements for Florida process servers, and assist you with your application. Don’t hesitate to call!
