Tennessee Administrator & Executor Bond

Probate Bonds From $100 – Set by the Court

Click for a No Obligation Quote

A Tennessee executor bond or Tennessee administrator bond — together known as a probate bond or fiduciary bond — is required before a Tennessee court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration, unless a statutory exception applies. Under T.C.A. § 30-1-201, the clerk takes a bond payable to the state, with corporate or personal sureties, in an amount the court sets between the value of the estate and double that value. Premiums start at $100 and are paid from estate funds.

Tennessee Probate Bond Pricing

Premiums are a small percentage of the required bond amount and are paid from estate funds. Sample pricing for qualified applicants:

Learn More

Prices displayed here are an indicator and an estimate of the price we can obtain for qualified applicants. Applications must be reviewed to determine your specific quote.

Executor, Administrator, or Trustee — Which Tennessee Probate Bond You Need

All three cover a fiduciary who manages estate or trust assets. Tennessee uses “personal representative” for executors and administrators, and in most counties the Clerk & Master of the Chancery Court receives the filing and takes the bond. Which one applies — and whether a bond is required — depends on how you were appointed:

Why Do Tennessee Courts Require a Bond?

Estate administration in Tennessee is governed by Title 30 of the Tennessee Code. In the vast majority of the 95 counties, probate is vested in the Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, handled day-to-day by the Clerk & Master; dedicated Probate Courts serve Shelby and Davidson counties, and a handful of counties place probate elsewhere by private act. When a person dies, someone must be appointed to pay the estate's debts and distribute what remains. That personal representative controls assets that belong to other people, and under § 30-1-201 the clerk takes a bond payable to the state — with two or more personal sureties or one corporate surety — before letters issue.

The exceptions are specific: the will excuses the personal representative from bond; the representative is also the estate's sole beneficiary (with court approval); all beneficiaries are adults under no disability and consent by sworn statement (with court approval); or the representative is a bank excused under § 45-2-1005. Even then, § 30-1-201(b) lets the court require bond on a showing that the representative is wasting or likely to waste the estate, and § 30-1-202 requires the court to increase an insufficient bond. If the representative causes a loss, valid claims are paid from the bond, and the representative must reimburse the surety. The bond protects the estate, not the representative.

How the Court Sets Your Bond Amount — and How It Can Change

Tennessee's range is statutory: under T.C.A. § 30-1-201(a)(2), the bond is set at not less than the value of the estate subject to administration and not more than double that value — in practice, courts key the figure to the personal property passing through administration. The court provides the number with your appointment paperwork; wait for it before purchasing.

The figure can move in either direction during administration: the court may increase or decrease the amount at any time by order — commonly decreasing it as assets are distributed or placed under court restriction — and on a showing that the bond is insufficient in amount or surety solvency, § 30-1-202 requires the court to increase it or require additional sureties. A single corporate surety satisfies the statute, avoiding the burden of finding two personal sureties.

Which Tennessee Court Handles Your Probate

Probate runs through the Chancery Court — via the Clerk & Master — in most of Tennessee's 95 counties. Shelby County (Memphis) and Davidson County (Nashville, the Seventh Circuit's Probate Division) have dedicated Probate Courts, and a few counties assign probate to General Sessions or a private-act court. The bond is filed with the clerk of whichever court handles probate in the county where the decedent resided — the directory below names the court for every county along with its website, phone, and mailing address.

How To Get Your Tennessee Probate Bond

1. Get appointed and receive your bond amount. The court determines whether an exception under T.C.A. § 30-1-201 applies and, if not, sets the bond between one and two times the value of the estate subject to administration. Wait for this figure before purchasing.
2. Request your quote. Apply online or call with your court documentation. For most standard estates we can quote from the bond amount alone; larger or more complex estates may involve a review of the will and the applicant's credit.
3. Complete the short application. Provide the personal representative's information and the estate details.
4. File your bond and receive your letters. We execute the bond with the surety's Power of Attorney attached so you can file it with the Clerk & Master or probate clerk. The court then issues your letters testamentary or letters of administration, and you can begin settling the estate.

Bond Details at a Glance

• Bond Name: Tennessee Executor Bond / Tennessee Administrator Bond (Probate Bond)
• Also Known As: Personal representative bond, fiduciary bond, estate bond
• Bond Amount: Not less than the value of the estate subject to administration and not more than double that value; adjustable at any time by court order (T.C.A. § 30-1-201)
• Starting Premium: $100 for a $10,000 bond; paid from estate funds
• Obligee: The State of Tennessee, for the protection of all interested persons
• Governing Law: T.C.A. § 30-1-201 (bond and exceptions), § 30-1-202 (increase), § 16-16-201 (Chancery Court probate jurisdiction)
• Waiver: Will excuses bond; sole-beneficiary representative (court approval); sworn consent of all adult beneficiaries (court approval); exempt banks — court may still require bond on a showing of waste
• Court: Chancery Court (Clerk & Master) in most counties; Probate Courts in Shelby and Davidson; General Sessions or private-act courts in a few
• Attorney Required: No

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Tennessee administrator or executor bond?
A probate bond required by a Tennessee court under T.C.A. § 30-1-201 before letters testamentary or of administration issue. Payable to the state with corporate or personal sureties, it guarantees faithful administration and protects the estate's beneficiaries and creditors.

Can the bond be waived?
Yes, in four cases: the will excuses it; the personal representative is the estate's sole beneficiary (with court approval); all beneficiaries are adults under no disability and consent by sworn statement (with court approval); or an exempt bank serves. Even then, the court can require bond if an interested person shows the estate is being wasted.

Do administrators need a bond in Tennessee?
Almost always. With no will to excuse it, an administrator must post bond before letters of administration issue unless the sole-beneficiary or unanimous-adult-consent exception applies with court approval.

How much does a Tennessee probate bond cost?
Premiums start at $100 for a $10,000 bond and scale with the court-set amount — $135 at $25,000, $260 at $50,000, $460 at $100,000, and up. The premium is paid from estate funds.

How is the bond amount determined?
The court sets it between the value of the estate subject to administration and double that value under § 30-1-201(a)(2). The court provides the figure; you don't calculate it yourself.

Can the amount be reduced?
Yes. The court may decrease the amount at any time by order — commonly as assets are distributed or restricted — just as it can increase an insufficient bond under § 30-1-202.

Which Tennessee court handles probate?
The Chancery Court, through the Clerk & Master, in most of the 95 counties — with dedicated Probate Courts in Shelby and Davidson counties and a few private-act arrangements elsewhere. The directory below names the court for each county.

What happens if a claim is filed against the bond?
The surety pays valid claims — from mismanagement, fraud, or failure to follow the will or Tennessee law — up to the bond amount, and the personal representative must reimburse the surety in full. The bond protects the estate, not the representative.

Tennessee Probate Court Directory

Probate in Tennessee is handled by the Chancery Court in most of the state's 95 counties, with dedicated Probate Courts in Shelby and Davidson. Find your county below for the court, its website, phone number, and mailing address.

Click for a No Obligation Quote