OH dealer title defect bonds.
$750.
Ohio motor vehicle dealers file a title defect surety bond with the BMV, and the required amount rose to $75,000 effective April 1, 2026 (up from $25,000). The premium is a fixed $750 — the price you see at checkout. A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry — with e-signing in 1–2 business days.
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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 pull.
Reviewed & approved
Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.
E-sign & file with the BMV
Pay online and receive the executed title defect bond, ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Ohio licenses motor vehicle dealers through the BMV, and conditions the license on a title defect surety bond. The bond backs the Ohio Attorney General's Title Defect Rescission (TDR) Fund — the fund that reimburses consumers when a dealer fails to deliver a clear title within the statutory window, sells an undisclosed rebuilt-salvage or buy-back vehicle, tampers with an odometer, or otherwise leaves a buyer with a defective title.
The required amount increased to $75,000 effective April 1, 2026, up from the prior $25,000. New dealers need the $75,000 bond to get licensed, and existing dealers move to the higher amount on their renewal. It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety, and the State of Ohio / harmed buyers as the protected parties.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety or the TDR Fund pays a claim, you repay the surety. Dealers who deliver clean title and disclose vehicle history 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 pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Ohio bonds.
The BMV is waiting on one document.
$750, issued instantly. E-signed bond in 1–2 business days.