TN used motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$500 flat. Issued instantly.
Tennessee requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer to file a $50,000 bond with the Motor Vehicle Commission. Ours is $500 flat — the price you see is the checkout price, identical for every dealer. A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry — and the bond e-signs in 1–2 business days.
Trusted by industry leaders
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 Motor Vehicle Commission
Pay online and receive the executed bond (form IN-1316) with its power of attorney, ready to mail to the Motor Vehicle Commission with your dealer license application.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Tennessee licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Motor Vehicle Commission (Department of Commerce and Insurance), and conditions the license on a $50,000 surety bond. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind clear title on the vehicles you sell and your compliance with Tennessee's dealer laws, including delivery of a valid certificate of title and payment of a buyer's prepaid title, registration, and tax fees.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the State of Tennessee together with harmed buyers, sellers, finance companies, and government agencies (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.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. 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 pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Tennessee bonds.
The Motor Vehicle Commission is waiting on one document.
$500 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.