Proposed Changes to Bond Filing That May Affect legal document assistantS, unlawful detainer assistants, process servers, AND professional copiers

On February 11, 2026, Assembly Member Chen introduced Assembly Bill 1828, which includes a procedural update that may affect how Legal Document Assistants (LDAs) file their required surety bond. This proposal does not change the $25,000 bond requirement. Instead, it adjusts how the bond is processed at the county level.

What Currently Happens
Under existing law:

• LDAs must obtain a $25,000 surety bond.
• The bond is recorded with the County Recorder.
• A fixed $7 recording fee applies.
• Any cancellation, revocation, or withdrawal of the bond must also be recorded.

Recording places the bond into the county’s official public records system, similar to deeds and liens.

What AB 1828 Would Change
If enacted, AB 1828 would make three administrative adjustments:

1. Filing with the County Clerk Instead of the Recorder: Rather than recording the bond with the County Recorder, LDAs would file the bond with the County Clerk. This shifts the bond from a property-recording system to an administrative filing system, aligning it with other professional registration documents.
2. Removal of the Fixed $7 Fee: The bill eliminates the statutory $7 recording fee.
   Instead, filing fees would be determined under the County Clerk’s existing authority to set fees. This means costs may vary by county.
3. Six-Year Retention Requirement: The County Clerk would be required to retain the bond for at least six years from the filing date.

Why the Clerk vs. Recorder Distinction Matters
You may need to register at a different office depending on your county’s structure. In some counties, they operate from completely separate offices or buildings, sometimes even in different government complexes. In others, the roles are combined under a “Clerk-Recorder” department, meaning the same elected official oversees both functions, often within the same building. Even when housed together, however, the Clerk and Recorder perform legally distinct functions and may operate from different service counters or internal divisions within the same location.​

The County Recorder handles property-related documents, including deeds, liens, and notices affecting title.
The County Clerk handles administrative filings such as LDA registrations, notary bonds, and fictitious business names.
AB 1828 moves LDA bonds into the same administrative framework used for other regulated professionals.

What Does Not Change

• The $25,000 bond requirement remains.
• Continuous bond coverage is still mandatory.
• Registration in the county of your principal place of business remains required.

Bottom Line
​Assembly Bill 1828 proposes a procedural update, not a substantive change to LDA law. If passed, LDAs would file their bond with the County Clerk instead of recording it with the Recorder, and filing fees would be set locally rather than fixed at $7. The core compliance obligations remain the same.