{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/required-guarantor","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/required-guarantor","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"required-guarantor","term":"Required guarantor","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"Anyone owning 20% or more of the borrowing entity must personally guarantee the SBA loan. This ensures that significant owners are personally on the hook for the debt.","what_it_means":"Every individual with a 20% or greater ownership stake in the business must sign a full personal guarantee. This is a non-negotiable SBA requirement, extending to trusts or other entities with beneficial owners. Even those with less than 20% ownership may be required to guarantee if their expertise is critical to the business.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/required-guarantor","official_sources":[{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"},{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"}],"related":[{"slug":"personal-guarantee","term":"Personal guarantee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-guarantee"},{"slug":"sba","term":"SBA","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba"},{"slug":"key-principal","term":"Key principal","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/key-principal"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"What happens if a required personal guarantor lacks sufficient personal assets for an effective guaranty?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-happens-if-a-required-personal-guarantor-lacks-sufficient-personal-assets-for-an-effe"},{"question":"When is an SBA Form 912 (Statement of Personal History) required for a non-owner guarantor?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/when-is-an-sba-form-912-statement-of-personal-history-required-for-a-non-owner-guarantor"},{"question":"When is an SBA Form 912 (Statement of Personal History) specifically required for a non-owner guarantor?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/when-is-an-sba-form-912-statement-of-personal-history-specifically-required-for-a-non-owne"},{"question":"When is a personal financial statement (SBA Form 413) required for non-owner guarantors of a 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/when-is-a-personal-financial-statement-sba-form-413-required-for-non-owner-guarantors-of-a"},{"question":"What happens to an SBA loan if a principal owner or guarantor dies unexpectedly?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-happens-to-an-sba-loan-if-a-principal-owner-or-guarantor-dies-unexpectedly"},{"question":"What happens if a guarantor moves out of the country during the loan term?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-happens-if-a-guarantor-moves-out-of-the-country-during-the-loan-term"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Required guarantor","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/required-guarantor","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}