For SBA lenders
Short answer
Failure to remit the upfront guaranty fee within 90 days of loan approval (or disbursement if earlier) will result in the loss of the SBA guaranty.
SBA policy states that the lender's failure to remit the required upfront guaranty fee within 90 calendar days of the loan approval date (or the date of first disbursement, if earlier) will result in the automatic termination of the SBA guaranty. This is a strict requirement with no exceptions.
A lender receives a 7(a) loan approval on January 15th, and the loan is disbursed on February 1st. The lender must remit the upfront guaranty fee by April 15th. If the fee is sent on April 16th, the SBA guaranty on the loan is automatically lost.
13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans
Office of the Federal Register · Federal regulation
SOP 50 10 - Lender and Development Company Loan Programs
7(a) Fees Effective During Fiscal Year 2026
Last checked 2026-06-13. Official sources control — verify before relying on any rule for a live deal.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 · SBA sources checked through 2026-06-13. DealRoom analysis of public SBA 7(a) lending records (FY2020–present). Grounded in the current SBA rulebook; verify against the official sources above before relying on it for a live deal. Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an approval decision.
More on guaranty fees
Terms in this answer
Pre-qualify your SBA 7(a) deal
Tell us the business, the price, and where you are — we'll point you to the lenders most likely to fund a deal like yours and flag anything that trips up approval.
Free · No documents · Usually same-day