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Florida Personal Representative Bond
A personal representative (also known as a fiduciary) is appointed by a probate court to look after and close a decedent’s estate, which could include a will and/or trust. While fulfilling this appointment in the State of Florida, the county court may require the filing of a probate bond.
This bond goes by many names—Personal Representative Bond, Administrator Bond, Executor Bond, and Bond of Fiduciary—but for the sake of clarity, we use Personal Representative Bond.
Jet Insurance Company provides the Personal Representative Bond as a guarantee to the Florida County Courts that restitution is available should a fiduciary fail to fulfill their duties and cause financial harm.
What Is the Bond Limit of a Florida Personal Representative Bond?
Personal Representative Bonds have a custom amount determined by the probate court that is handling the deceased person’s case. Things like the gross value of the estate, the relationship of the fiduciary to the beneficiaries, estate assets, known creditors, and any possible liens on the assets will be considered when determining a bond limit that will cover the total liability of the case.
What Is the Cost of a Florida Personal Representative Bond?
To determine how much the bond will cost, administrators and executors can follow the steps listed below:
- Determine the Required Bond Amount
The Probate Court sets the bond amount based on the value of the personal property in the estate plus any annual income. The bond amount must include the value of any real estate if the Personal Representative plans to sell it.
- Calculate the Total Cost
Jet Surety charges $150 per year for all Personal Representative bonds up to $20,000 in size. For each additional $1,000 increase in the bond amount, the bond premium will increase by the corresponding amount outlined in the table below. See the chart below to calculate the price for larger bonds.
| Bond Amount | Additional Premium (per $1,000) | Bond Cost (1 year) |
|---|---|---|
| $0 - $20,000 | $150 flat rate | $150 |
| $20,001 - $60,000 | $6.00 | $150 - $390 |
| $60,001 - $200,000 | $5.00 | $390 - $1,090 |
| $200,001 - $500,000 | $3.75 | $1,090 - $2,215 |
| $500,001 - $1,500,000 | $2.50 | $2,215 - $4,715 |
| $1,500,000+ | $1.00 | $4,715+ |
Jet does not require credit checks for applicants with bond sizes under $25,000 or under $50,000 if the applicant has retained an attorney. Florida Probate Code allows Personal Representatives to charge the bond premium as an estate expense.
Call us at (855) 470-0877 for an estimate of how much your probate bond will cost.
Why Is a Probate Bond Required of Fiduciaries in Florida? Are There Exemptions?
According to the Florida Probate Code (Chapters 731 through 736 of the Florida Statutes), personal representatives are responsible for the management, preservation, and distribution of a deceased person’s estate. The purpose of the bond is to protect the well-being of the estate and the beneficiaries from financial harm. If the personal representative fails to fulfill their duties for any reason, the probate bond will act as a financial guarantee to the damaged parties.
Unless the Personal Representative Bond requirement has been waived by the deceased person’s will specifically, or by the court, every fiduciary appointed in the State of Florida will need a surety bond. However, if the appointed fiduciary is a bank, trust company, or administrator ad litem, no bond is required.
How to Apply for the Florida Personal Representative Bond With Jet
Jet’s application for the Personal Representative Bond can be completed online in just minutes. To begin, general information such as your contact details, personal social security number (for a soft credit check), and some details regarding the estate must be input. If there is a will and/or trust, a copy is required.
Once submitted, an underwriter will review your application and any accompanying documents. Shortly after, you’ll receive an approved rate via email that is ready for immediate purchase. All you need to do is select the payment and bond term option that works best for you and fulfill what is due. A copy of your receipt and bond form will be sent to you instantly after payment is complete.
How Are Florida Personal Representative Bonds Filed to the Probate Court?
The original signed and sealed bond form, along with any other required documents, must be filed with a Florida circuit court clerk, usually in the county in which the decedent lived at the time of their death. Once you have purchased your Personal Representative Bond with Jet, a signed and sealed original bond form will be sent to the mailing address indicated in your application. It is then up to you to sign the bond and file it with the appropriate county court.
If you are unsure where to file your bond, Jet’s chart at the bottom of the page includes the mailing address and contact details for each judicial circuit court and the counties they manage in the State of Florida. The Clerk Directory webpage and Florida Court Locations webpage are also helpful resources.
What Happens if I Need to Cancel My Personal Representative Bond?
The Personal Representative Bond may be cancelled at any time, but only if certain steps are taken first. If early cancellation is necessary, you must send our team a written request to do so—email is fine: bonddept@jetsurety.com. Upon receipt of the email, Jet will send an official termination notice to the county probate court where the surety bond was originally filed. If the court accepts this request, the bond will be officially cancelled as soon as Jet receives a notice for release of further liability.
The court will likely only allow your Personal Representative Bond to be released early if you have either fulfilled your fiduciary duties and closed the estate, successfully resigned as the estate’s personal representative (further details on this process can be found in Chapter 733, Part V of the Florida Statutes), or if you have supplied the probate court with a new bond.
If you fail to supply the court with a new bond within the ordered timeline and are still the acting fiduciary, the court will remove you from your position.
When Does the Bond Obligation End for Florida Administrators and Executors?
The State of Florida requires Personal Representative Bonds to remain active and on file with the county probate court throughout the fiduciary’s entire appointment; this includes the final account hearing process.
If your appointment as an administrator or executor is expected to continue past your purchased bond term, the Personal Representative Bond needs to be renewed. Jet will send you a renewal invoice in advance of the official bond term expiration date via mail and email. Complete payment and your bond will remain active with the probate court for another term.
Once you have fulfilled all obligations, the court will hold a mandatory account review hearing, and if all goes well, acceptance of the closing of the estate will be granted. At this time the personal representative will be officially discharged and the surety bond with Jet will be terminated, therefore relieving you of future liability.
Florida Administrator and Executor Bond Claim Process
Bond Claim Process
Estate personal representatives should be aware of probate bond claim details.
Florida County Probate Courts
Below is a list of all the county probate courts located in Florida, as well as their addresses, and if available, contact information.
| Judicial Circuit Court | County Courthouse Details |
|---|---|
| First Circuit | Escambia County Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse 7500 N Century Blvd. Century, FL 32535 |
| Okaloosa County Crestview Courthouse 101 James Lee Blvd. East Crestview, FL 32536 | |
| Santa Rosa County 6865 Caroline Street Milton, FL 32570 | |
| Walton County 571 Hwy. 90 East DeFuniak Springs, FL 32435 | |
| Second Circuit | Franklin County 33 Market Street #203 Apalachicola, FL 32320 850-653-8861 |
| Gadsden County 10 East Jefferson Street Quincy, FL 32351 850-875-8601 | |
| Jefferson County 1 Court House Circle Monticello, FL 32344 850-342-0218 | |
| Leon County 301 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, Fl 32301 850-606-4000 | |
| Liberty County P.O. Box 687 Bristol, FL 32321 850-643-2215 | |
| Wakulla County 3056 Crawfordville Hwy. Crawfordville, FL 32327 850-926-0905 | |
| Third Circuit | Columbia County 173 N.E. Hernando Ave. Lake City, FL 32055 |
| Dixie County 214 N.E. Highway 351 Cross City, FL 32628 | |
| Hamilton County 207 First Street N.E. Jasper, FL 32052 | |
| Lafayette County 120 West Main Street Mayo, FL 32066 | |
| Madison County 125 Southwest Range Ave. Madison, FL 32340 | |
| Suwannee County 200 South Ohio Ave. Live Oak, FL 32064 | |
| Taylor County 108 North Jefferson St. Perry, FL 32348 | |
| Fourth Circuit | Clay County 825 N Orange Ave Green Cove Springs, FL 32043 |
| Duval County 311 W Monroe St. Jacksonville, FL 32202 | |
| Nassau County 76347 Veterans Way, Ste 456 Yulee, FL 32097 | |
| Fifth Circuit | Citrus County 110 North Apopka Avenue Inverness, FL 34450 352-341-6700 |
| Hernando County 20 North Main Street Brooksville, FL 34601 352-754-4402 | |
| Lake County 550 West Main Street Tavares, FL 32778 352-253-1600 | |
| Marion County 110 NW First Avenue Ocala, FL 34475 352-401-6700 | |
| Sumter County 215 East McCollum Avenue Bushnell, FL 33513 352-569-6950 | |
| Sixth Circuit | Pasco County Judicial Center 7530 Little Road New Port Richey, FL 34654 |
| Pinellas County Justice Center 14520 49th Street Clearwater, FL 33762 | |
| Seventh Circuit | Putnam County 410 St. Johns Ave. Palatka, FL 32177 |
| Volusia County 101 N. Alabama Ave. DeLand, FL 32724 | |
| Eighth Circuit | Alachua County 220 South Main Street Gainesville, FL 32601 |
| Baker County 339 East Macclenny Ave Macclenny, FL 32063 | |
| Bradford County 945 North Temple Ave Starke, FL 32091 | |
| Gilchrist County 112 South Main Street Trenton, FL 32693 | |
| Levy County 355 South Court Street Bronson, FL 32621 | |
| Union County 55 West Main Street Lake Butler, FL 32054 | |
| Ninth Circuit | Orange County 425 N. Orange Avenue Orlando, FL 32801 407-836-2050 |
| Osceola County (same link as above) 2 Courthouses Square Kissimmee, FL 34741 407-742-2400 | |
| Tenth Circuit | Hardee County 417 W. Main St. Wauchula, FL 33873 863-773-4147 |
| Highlands County 430 S. Commerce Ave. Sebring, FL 33870 863-402-6565 | |
| Polk County 255 N. Broadway Ave. Bartow, FL 33830 863-534-4000 | |
| Eleventh Circuit | Miami-Dade County Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center 175 N.W. 1st Avenue Miami, FL 33128 |
| Twelfth Circuit | Desoto County 115 East Oak Street Arcadia, FL 34266 |
| Manatee County 1051 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, FL 34205 | |
| Sarasota County 2071 Ringling Blvd Sarasota, FL 34237 | |
| Thirteenth Circuit | Hillsborough County 800 E. Twiggs St. Tampa, FL 33602 813-272-5894 |
| Fourteenth Circuit | Bay County 300 East 4th Street Panama City, FL 32401 |
| Calhoun County 20859 East Central Avenue Blountstown, FL 32424 | |
| Gulf County 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd. Port St. Joe, FL 32456 | |
| Holmes County 201 North Oklahoma Street Bonifay, FL 32425 | |
| Jackson County 4445 Lafayette Street Marianna, FL 32446 | |
| Washington County 1293 Jackson Ave. Chipley, Florida 32428 | |
| Fifteenth Circuit | Palm Beach County 205 N. Dixie Hwy. West Palm Beach, FL 33401 |
| Sixteenth Circuit | Monroe County Freeman Justice Center 302 Fleming Street Key West, FL 33040 305-292-3423 |
| Seventeenth Circuit | Broward County Judicial Complex 201 SE 6th Street Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301 |
| Eighteenth Circuit | Brevard County Moore Justice Center 2825 Judge Fran Jamieson Way Viera, FL 32940 |
| Seminole County Downtown Civil Courthouse 301 N. Park Ave, Suite 301 Sanford, FL 32771 | |
| Nineteenth Circuit | Indian River County 2000 16th Ave Vero Beach, FL 32960 772-770-5185 |
| Martin County 100 SE Ocean Blvd Stuart, FL 34994 772-288-5576 | |
| Okeechobee County 312 N.W. 3rd St. Okeechobee, FL 34972 863-763-2131 | |
| Saint Lucie County 218 S 2nd St. Fort Pierce, FL 34950 772-462-6900 | |
| Twentieth Circuit | Charlotte County 350 E. Marion Avenue Punta Gorda, FL 33950 941-637-2281 |
| Collier County 3315 Tamiami Trail East Naples, FL 34112 239-252-8800 | |
| Glades County Rt 27, 500 Avenue "J" Moore Haven, FL 33471 863-946-6031 | |
| Hendry County 25 E. Hickpochee LaBelle, FL 33935 863-675-5217 | |
| Lee County 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33901 239-533-2878 |
Florida Personal Representative Bond Form Sample
