Licensing
26 of 50 states require a surety bond before you can legally accept a client. Every state (including bond-free ones) still enforces the federal Credit Repair Organizations Act — no fees before service, written contract, 3-day right to cancel.
Reference material only. Not legal advice — statutes and bond schedules change. Verify with your state Attorney General or a licensed attorney before applying.
15 U.S.C. §1679b bars collecting any fee before promised services are fully performed and requires a written contract with a 3-day right to cancel. Applies in all 50 states.
40+ states require CROs/CSOs to register with the Secretary of State or Attorney General. See the state table for specifics.
$5,000 – $100,000 depending on state. Bond protects consumers against non-performance. Underwritten by carriers like Surety One, JW Surety, and Jet.
Not legally required but required by most B2B lender partners and by AICreditFly for verified-pro status. Typical cost: $400–$1,200/yr for $1M coverage.
Must comply with GLBA Safeguards Rule (16 CFR 314) — a written information security program covering consumer credit data. Encrypted storage, MFA, breach notification.
| State | Bond | Statutory requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $25,000 | Registration + $25k surety bond under Ala. Code §8-19-45. |
| Alaska | Not required | No dedicated CRO license; CROA + UDAP apply. |
| Arizona | $100,000 | Registered under A.R.S. §44-1701; $100k bond. |
| Arkansas | $10,000 | Registration + $10k bond, Ark. Code §4-91-101. |
| California | $100,000 | Credit Services Act (CSOA) — Cal. Civ. §1789.10, $100k bond. |
| Colorado | $100,000 | Registration + $100k bond under C.R.S. §12-14.5-201. |
| Connecticut | $40,000 | Debt Adjuster / CRO license through Dept. of Banking. |
| Delaware | Not required | Follows CROA; no separate state license. |
| Florida | $10,000 | Fla. Stat. §817.7005 — CROs must register & post $10k bond. |
| Georgia | Not required | Debt-adjustment activity restricted; consultative repair permitted. |
| Hawaii | Not required | Follows CROA; DCCA oversight for UDAP. |
| Idaho | $15,000 | Registration + $15k bond, Idaho Code §26-2223. |
| Illinois | $100,000 | Credit Services Organizations Act (815 ILCS 605). |
| Indiana | $25,000 | Ind. Code §24-5-15; $25k bond. |
| Iowa | $50,000 | Iowa Code §538A; $50k bond. |
| Kansas | $25,000 | K.S.A. §50-1116; $25k bond. |
| Kentucky | Not required | Follows CROA; UDAP enforcement by AG. |
| Louisiana | $100,000 | La. R.S. 9:3573; $100k bond. |
| Maine | Not required | Follows CROA; consumer credit protection oversight. |
| Maryland | $10,000 | Md. Com. Law §14-1902; $10k bond. |
| Massachusetts | Not required | Debt-adjuster ban limits fee models; consultative allowed. |
| Michigan | $10,000 | MCL §445.1822; $10k bond + registration. |
| Minnesota | $10,000 | Minn. Stat. §332.54; $10k bond. |
| Mississippi | Not required | Follows CROA; AG UDAP enforcement. |
| Missouri | Not required | Follows CROA; no dedicated CRO license. |
| Montana | Not required | Follows CROA; consumer-protection oversight. |
| Nebraska | $100,000 | Neb. Rev. Stat. §45-802; $100k bond. |
| Nevada | $100,000 | NRS §598.741 — CRO registration + $100k bond. |
| New Hampshire | Not required | Follows CROA + state UDAP. |
| New Jersey | Not required | Debt Adjuster Act limits business models; consultative OK. |
| New Mexico | Not required | Follows CROA; AG enforcement. |
| New York | $10,000 | N.Y. Gen. Bus. §458-b; $10k bond + registration. |
| North Carolina | Not required | N.C. Gen. Stat. §66-220 — no fees before service; strict UDAP. |
| North Dakota | $5,000 | N.D. Cent. Code §13-06; $5k bond. |
| Ohio | $100,000 | ORC §4712.02; $100k bond + registration. |
| Oklahoma | Not required | Follows CROA + state consumer protection. |
| Oregon | $10,000 | ORS §646A.712; $10k bond. |
| Pennsylvania | Not required | Debt-settlement/adjuster tight; consultative repair permitted. |
| Rhode Island | Not required | Follows CROA + state UDAP. |
| South Carolina | Not required | S.C. Code §37-7-101 — no fees before service, disclosure required. |
| South Dakota | Not required | Follows CROA; no dedicated license. |
| Tennessee | $100,000 | Tenn. Code §47-18-1004; $100k bond. |
| Texas | $10,000 | Tex. Fin. Code Ch. 393 — CSO registration + $10k bond. |
| Utah | Not required | Follows CROA + Utah Consumer Sales Practices Act. |
| Vermont | Not required | Follows CROA + state UDAP. |
| Virginia | $5,000 | Va. Code §59.1-335.5; $5k bond. |
| Washington | $5,000 | RCW §19.134; $5k bond + registration. |
| West Virginia | Not required | Follows CROA + state UDAP. |
| Wisconsin | Not required | Follows CROA; Dept. of Financial Institutions oversight. |
| Wyoming | Not required | Follows CROA; no dedicated CRO license. |