SuretyScience - Blog #E-Signature

CBP Issues Proposed Rule for Electronic Bond Filing

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:26:38 -0500

In a Federal Register Notice (FRN) published on February 13,2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a proposed rule to require the submission of bonds to be done electronically in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).

This proposed rule aims to improve the bond process by “reducing paper processing, expediting cargo release, expanding bond transmission capabilities beyond regular CBP business hours, and enhancing traceability for audit purposes.”

CBP is accepting comments on this proposed rule until April 14, 2026. Comments must be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/13/2026-02961/electronic-bond-transmission

https://info.expeditors.com/newsflash/cbp-issues-proposed-rule-for-electronic-bond-filing

The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative Honors Surety Industry Leaders With 2025 Collaborator Award for Their Work on Surety X

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:30:00 -0500

MALVERN, Pa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 28, 2026--

The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative ® proudly announces the 2025 recipients of its Collaborator Award, which recognizes organizations that have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing the surety bond process through their contributions to Surety X, RiskStream’s blockchain-powered platform designed to modernize the surety bond workflow.

The 2025 winners played a key role in defining functional requirements and guiding the development of Surety X, a digital platform that manages the surety bond workflow from request to issuance and delivery, featuring electronic document exchange and built-in status tracking.

Participants partnered with RiskStream by providing feedback through testing and early validation activities, helping identify pilot cohorts, and engaging in early real-world use cases, including executing the Surety X workflow with a cohort in which an actual bond was successfully exchanged on the platform. These efforts validated core capabilities such as electronic document exchange, permissioned real-time access and status updates, and built-in audit trail and version control. Such capabilities ensure that Surety X was built with practical, market-ready functionality informed directly by the needs of the surety ecosystem, and they establish a foundational framework for a fully digital, paperless surety experience.

Winners of the 2025 Collaborator Award are:

American Global

Arch Insurance

Berkley

Chubb

Intact

IMA Financial Group

Liberty Mutual

Markel

Marsh

Merchants Bonding Company

National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP)

Nationwide

Scott Insurance

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies

The Hartford

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA)

Travelers

“We’re honored to receive the Collaborator Award from RiskStream. And, we’re proud to be a part of a group helping to shape the future of the surety marketplace,” said Scott Boden, vice president – Surety, The Cincinnati Insurance Companies.

Lindey Jennings, chief underwriting officer, core surety at Markel, said, “We are honored to receive this award and very excited to be part of a technology initiative that has the potential to transform the surety industry and the delivery of our product.”

Krystal Stravato, head of surety operations at American Global, added, “This award is a tribute to the dedication of our team and our commitment to work together, not only within our firm but across organizations to help move the surety industry forward. We appreciate RiskStream’s partnership, and we value the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that support positive change.”

Surety X, built in collaboration with sureties representing nearly 70% of market share, provides a secure, permissioned environment for data sharing and document exchange among principals, brokers, obligees and sureties. By replacing paper-based workflows with standardized digital processes, Surety X aims to reduce costs, shorten bond turnaround times and improve transparency throughout the surety bond life cycle.

The 2025 Collaborator Award honors the organizations and individuals who have helped establish the foundation for a more connected and efficient surety ecosystem that embraces digitization while preserving the trust that defines the industry. RiskStream looks forward to expanding the pilot in 2026, building on this momentum to further advance the digital surety-bond workflow.

https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/business/the-institutes-riskstream-collaborative-honors-surety-industry-leaders-with-2025-collaborator-award-for-their-work/article_85eab18d-6ffc-5967-8d83-ceb4f7395fa6.html

NeSL in talks with insurers to launch surety bonds in digital format

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:17:00 -0400

By Aathira Varier

NeSL in talks with insurers to launch surety bonds in digital format

National e-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL) is in talks with insurance companies to issue surety bonds in digital format, according toindustry insiders.

Although the volumes for surety bonds continue to be low, non-paper issues will ease administrative work for insurers and could also help in increasing volumes, experts said. Surety bonds are legally enforceable tripartite contracts that provide a hedge against risks associated with infrastructure projects.

The insurance regulator in April 2022 had permitted general insurers to issue surety insurance bonds. NeSL facilitates the issuance, management, and verification of electronic bank guarantees (eBGs) and is in discussion to add surety bonds also to it.

https://www.business-standard.com/markets/news/nesl-in-talks-with-insurers-to-launch-surety-bonds-digitally-for-paperless-125092800442_1.html

Maine Transitions to Electronic Surety Bonds via NMLS Starting Sept. 1

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:09:00 -0400

The state has mandated digital bond conversion for financial service licensees by January 2026.

The Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection will implement a significant change to its bonding requirements, effective Sept. 1, 2025. The bureau will exclusively accept Electronic Surety Bonds (ESB) through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) for both existing licensees and new applicants.

The following license categories must comply with the new ESB requirement:

Money Transmitter License

Supervised Lender License

Loan Broker License

Debt Collector

Full and Limited-Service Payroll Processor

Debt Management Service Provider Registration

Non-Profit Lender License (same bond form as the supervised lender license)

The Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection has established clear deadlines for the transition:

Sept. 1, 2025: ESB system goes live.

Nov. 1, 2025: Recommended conversion deadline to ensure smooth renewal processing.

Dec. 31, 2025: Final deadline to avoid renewal holds.

Jan. 31, 2026: Mandatory conversion deadline.

According to a statement from the bureau, “The bureau suggests converting to an ESB before Nov. 1, 2025, to expedite the renewal process. Conversion must be complete no later than Jan. 31, 2026. Any company requesting renewal that has not transitioned/converted to the ESB before Dec. 31, 2025, will be placed ‘on hold’ and will only be renewed once the conversion to the ESB is complete.”

https://www.acainternational.org/news/maine-transitions-to-electronic-surety-bonds-via-nmls-starting-sept-1/

SuretyDIGIT Coalition Launches to Propel Digitization Efforts in the Surety Bond Industry

Fri, 10 May 2024 20:22:20 -0400

MALVERN, Pa., May 09, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The SuretyDIGIT Coalition announced their launch today. The goal of the coalition is to bring stakeholders together to modernize and digitize surety bond operations. Due to the innate multi-party nature of the surety bond industry and the bonding process, insurance carriers (sureties), brokers, agents, solution providers, government agencies, obligees, (and others) need to work together to reinvent processes with a digital focus.

The coalition is committed to paving the path toward digital adoption and bringing together thought leaders and solution providers to impact the industry through digital transformation. SuretyDIGIT’s mission is to bring the industry together to demonstrate the support for saving the industry time and money by wide-spread digital adoption of the entire surety bond process.

"By joining the SuretyDIGIT coalition, NASBP and its members can stay at the forefront of surety bonding digital transformation and innovation with other interested parties. This critical, collective endeavor offers the promise of unlocking a digital future for surety bond processing and bringing needed efficiencies and added security to surety transactions," said Mark McCallum, CEO of National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP).

"At its core, the journey toward digitizing the surety bond industry is uniting all stakeholders and gaining alignment and uniformity. As the Surety Digit Coalition expands, so does the knowledge, expertise, and perspectives. Together, we are able to unite all stakeholders on a common path toward digital adoption," said Peter Miller, President and CEO of The Institutes.

The coalition aims to bring all parties together to strategically align on a digitally focused future for the surety bond process, with an initial focus on:

Digital signatures, seals and power of attorneys
Digital signatures, seals and surety bonds
Electronic delivery and authentication

The SuretyDIGIT Coalition welcomes prospective members and encourages organizations, individuals, solution providers, insurance organizations, and associations to join. The list of 20+ initial business members is available on the coalition’s website.

For more information about the coalition or to join, please visit https://www.suretydigit.org/ or contact information@suretydigit.org.

About SuretyDIGIT Coalition

The Surety Digitization, Innovation, and Transformation Coalition (SuretyDIGIT) is a group of aligned stakeholders – welcoming to government, surety industry partners, associations, and others – fostering a belief in the value of sharing conversations about driving the digital bond process. The coalition’s objective is to digitize key components of the surety bond process such as digital signatures, seals, POAs, bonds and their electronic delivery and authentication. For more information, please visit https://www.suretydigit.org/.