Privacy Policy

SuretyForge Inc. is a technology company based in Salem, Oregon. We build and operate software that insurance agencies use to originate, underwrite, issue, and service surety bonds in partnership with licensed surety carriers. We are not an insurance carrier and do not ourselves underwrite bonds — we provide the system of record that agencies, carriers, and their clients use to manage the bond lifecycle.

This policy covers:

• www.suretyforge.com and related subdomains (the “Site”), and
• the authenticated SuretyForge agency-management application used by registered agency and carrier personnel and their clients (the “Platform”).

Much of the personal information handled by the Platform belongs to the clients of an independent insurance agency that has chosen to use SuretyForge. In that relationship, the agency is responsible for its own privacy practices toward its clients, and SuretyForge acts as the agency’s service provider with respect to that data. Where we collect information directly through this Site — for example, when you submit our contact form — we are the party responsible for that information.

• Account and contact information — name, work email, phone number, company or agency name, job title, login credentials, and role (agent, carrier user, or client) for anyone who registers for or is invited to the Platform.
• Bond and business data — information agencies and their clients enter to originate and service a bond, including business name and address, ownership and license information, financial information relevant to underwriting, indemnity agreements, bond numbers, carrier and premium details, and invoice and payment history. Where a Social Security Number is collected for identity verification, we store only the last four digits — we do not store full Social Security Numbers.
• Communications — messages sent through the Platform’s messaging and notification tools, support requests submitted by email or through our contact form, and records of SMS opt-in consent (see “Text Messaging” below).
• Usage and device data — pages visited, browser and device type, approximate location derived from IP address, referring pages, and similar diagnostic data, collected through server logs and Vercel Analytics, a privacy-oriented analytics service that does not use third-party advertising cookies or track you across other websites.
• Cookies — this Site uses only the cookies necessary for it to function, such as keeping an authenticated Platform session active. We do not use third-party advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

We use the information described above to:

• operate, maintain, and secure the Site and Platform;
• authenticate users and control access to bond and account data on a per-agency (and per-carrier) basis;
• process the bond-related transactions an agency, carrier, or client directs us to process;
• send transactional communications, including the SMS messages described in our SMS Terms & Messaging Consent page;
• respond to support inquiries and requests submitted through this Site;
• monitor, troubleshoot, and improve the reliability and security of our systems;
• detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents; and
• comply with applicable law, regulation, and legal process, including insurance and surety recordkeeping requirements.

We do not sell personal information. We share information only as follows:

• Service providers — companies that host our infrastructure, store our data, deliver email and SMS, process payments, or provide document-intelligence and OCR services on our behalf, under contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
• Carriers and agencies in the bond workflow — SuretyForge’s core function is a shared bond record. Where a bond, quote, or application involves a specific agency and carrier, the relevant bond, principal, and account information is visible to the parties actually underwriting, issuing, or servicing that bond, as necessary to provide the service.
• Legal and safety — where required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SuretyForge, our users, or the public.
• Business transfers — if SuretyForge is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the protections described in this policy.

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encryption of data in transit, role-based access controls, tenant-level data isolation between agencies, and audit logging of access to sensitive records. No system can be guaranteed 100% secure, and we cannot promise that unauthorized access, loss, or misuse will never occur.

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to provide the Site and Platform, fulfill the purposes described in this policy, and satisfy the legal, regulatory, and recordkeeping obligations that apply to surety bonds and insurance transactions — which in many jurisdictions require multi-year retention of bond and underwriting records. Where an agency directs us to delete a client’s information, we will do so unless we are required to retain it for these purposes.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal information, or to opt out of certain uses. Because much of the information in the Platform is submitted on behalf of an insurance agency, requests concerning a principal’s or client’s data are generally handled by that agency as the party with the direct relationship, and we support agencies in fulfilling those requests. You may also contact us directly at the email below and we will route your request appropriately.

You can opt out of SMS messages at any time by replying STOP to any message, and out of non-essential email using the unsubscribe link included in that email.

SuretyForge sends transactional text messages — never marketing or promotional messages — on behalf of the insurance agency servicing your bond. Texts may include sign-in and identity-verification codes, bond renewal reminders, and invoice or payment notifications. SMS is strictly opt-in: you enroll a mobile number yourself inside your secure client portal, verify it with a one-time code, and check an explicit consent checkbox before your number is enrolled.

Full program details, the exact consent language used, sample messages, and opt-out instructions are published at our SMS Terms & Messaging Consent page.

This Site and the Platform are intended for business use by adults and are not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18, and if we learn that we have done so, we will delete it.

SuretyForge is a U.S. company, and our Site and Platform are intended for use in the United States. Personal information is processed and stored in the United States, and by using the Site or Platform you consent to that processing.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal or operational reasons. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision, and material changes will be posted on this page.

Privacy questions: privacy@suretyforge.com

SuretyForge Inc. · Salem, Oregon

For general questions, visit our Contact page. For our messaging program, see SMS Terms & Messaging Consent and our Terms of Use.