Not in Delaware? Motor vehicle dealer bonds in other states
Delaware motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$250 flat.
Also known as the Delaware auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
Delaware requires a $25,000 surety bond, payable to the State, in connection with motor vehicle dealer licensing under 30 Del. C. § 3005. Ours is $250 flat — the price you'll see at checkout, identical for every dealer. A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry; the bond is issued when you pay.
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Three steps to licensed.
Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, your DE license number, and effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with your dealer license
Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond, payable to the State, ready to file in connection with your dealer license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Delaware licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Division of Motor Vehicles, and Title 30 of the Delaware Code ties dealer licensing to a $25,000 surety bond payable to the State. The bond is a consumer-and-state-protection guarantee: it stands behind your compliance with Delaware's motor vehicle dealer laws and the taxes and fees you owe the State.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the State of Delaware together with harmed consumers (the protected parties). If a dealer's fraud, default, misrepresentation, or other wrongful act injures a buyer, the harmed party can recover against the bond — valid claims are paid up to the $25,000 face amount.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The bond term runs continuous or commensurate with the license period. Dealers who keep clean records treat it as a license formality, not a risk.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Delaware bonds.
Your dealer license is waiting on one document.
$250 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.