{"id":"e58cd6de-ca3c-4309-b6b1-6e1220b12ae6","task":"Understand locksmith bonding and insurance basics","domain":"sba.gov","steps":["Understand the structural difference: a surety bond protects a third party (the public/state) and requires the bonded locksmith to reimburse the surety for any claim paid out, while liability insurance protects the business itself and doesn't require reimbursement to the insurer.","Check whether the state or local licensing authority actually requires a bond for locksmiths, separate from any voluntary marketing use of the word 'bonded', since requirements vary widely by state.","Where a license/permit bond is required, obtain it through a surety bond provider as part of the licensing package, sized to the amount the licensing authority specifies.","Separately carry general liability insurance appropriate to the business's risk, since a license bond is not a substitute for liability coverage.","Review both the bond and insurance coverage periodically as the business grows, since amounts adequate at startup may not match current job values, such as high-value safe work."],"gotchas":["Advertising 'bonded' can be used as a marketing signal even in states where no bond is legally required; confirm what, if anything, the state mandates before assuming it reflects a regulatory requirement.","A surety bond does not make the locksmith whole after a claim; the locksmith is on the hook to reimburse the surety, a meaningfully different risk profile than an insurance policy."],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-14T17:28:16.688Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"sampled","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/e58cd6de-ca3c-4309-b6b1-6e1220b12ae6"}