Not in the District of Columbia? Motor vehicle dealer bonds in other states
District of Columbia motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$500 flat.
Also known as the District of Columbia auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
The District of Columbia requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer to maintain a $25,000 bond under D.C. Code § 50-603. Ours is $500 flat — set by our carrier's rate book, identical for every dealer. A quick soft credit check may apply; 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, effective date. That is the application — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit check.
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 the DMV
Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond, ready to file with your DC dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the District insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
The District of Columbia licenses motor vehicle dealers and conditions the license on a $25,000 surety bond under D.C. Code § 50-603. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind clear title on the vehicles you sell and your compliance with DC's motor vehicle sales laws.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the District of Columbia together with harmed buyers (the protected parties). If a dealer fails to deliver clear title, misapplies a customer's money, or otherwise violates dealer law, the harmed party can recover against the bond — and § 50-603 designates the Mayor as agent for service of process on the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The statute runs these bonds on a two-year cycle; dealers who deliver clean title and keep good records treat the bond 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 check. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other District of Columbia bonds.
The DMV is waiting on one document.
$500 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.