{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/surety","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/surety","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":"surety","term":"Surety","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"A surety is a third party who guarantees that someone else's obligation will be fulfilled. In the context of an SBA loan, it's typically the government backing a portion of the loan.","what_it_means":"For an SBA 7(a) loan, the SBA acts as a surety, guaranteeing a percentage of the loan to the lender. This reduces the lender's risk, making it more likely they'll approve financing for your acquisition. You, as the buyer, will also provide personal guarantees.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/surety","official_sources":[{"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"},{"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"}],"related":[{"slug":"guaranty","term":"Guaranty","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/guaranty"},{"slug":"personal-guarantee","term":"Personal guarantee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-guarantee"},{"slug":"sba-guaranty","term":"SBA guaranty","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/sba-guaranty"},{"slug":"7a-loan","term":"7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/7a-loan"}],"related_questions":[]},"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 — Surety","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/surety","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}