Arkansas motorcycle, ATV & lessor bonds.
$250 flat.
Arkansas requires every new motorcycle, ATV and low speed vehicle dealer and every motor vehicle lessor to file a $25,000 corporate surety bond with the Motor Vehicle Commission under Arkansas Code § 23-112-302. Ours is $250 flat, and the price you see is the checkout price. New auto, truck and RV dealers file a $50,000 bond instead.
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How much does an Arkansas motorcycle, ATV & lessor bond cost?
$250 at the $25,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps to a filed bond.
Your Motor Vehicle Commission license application is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business and owner details, your county and an effective date, plus a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. That is the application.
Approved
Most applications are approved as soon as you apply. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. If the soft credit check needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with the Commission
Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond and power of attorney by email, ready to file with your license application at the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission, 900 W. Capitol Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Arkansas licenses new-vehicle dealers and vehicle lessors through the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission (AMVC), part of the Department of Labor and Licensing. Under Arkansas Code § 23-112-302(c)(1)(A)(ii), an application for a license as a new motorcycle dealer, new all-terrain vehicle dealer, new low speed vehicle dealer or motor vehicle lessor must come with a $25,000 corporate surety bond on a form the Commission approves. A new-vehicle dealer is licensed only once the Commission has a signed copy of its contract with the manufacturer or distributor: a franchise agreement, a dealer sales and service agreement or a letter of intent (23 CAR § 410-501(a) and (b)(1)).
The bond is executed in the name of the State of Arkansas for the benefit of any aggrieved party. It takes effect when you are licensed, is conditioned on your compliance with the Motor Vehicle Commission Act, and indemnifies anyone who suffers a loss from acts that are grounds to suspend or revoke your license. It pays when the Commission receives a final judgment from an Arkansas court against you in favor of the harmed party, and the surety's total liability to all claimants never exceeds $25,000, however many years the bond stays in force.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. The Commission charges its own $100 license fee (§ 23-112-303(c)(2)), and dealer and lessor licenses expire December 31 following the date of issue (§ 23-112-307) and renew through the Commission, so keep the bond in force for as long as you hold the license. The Commission's procedure policy says the bond form in its initial dealer packet is the only one it accepts: if the Commission gives you that form to complete, send it to us and we will match it.
Scooters and side-by-sides fall in this class too. The Commission's procedure policy lists a scooter dealership at the same $25,000 as motorcycle, ATV and lessor licenses, and the Act's all-terrain vehicle definition covers a Class 2 vehicle with a bench seat or bucket seats: the side-by-side utility vehicle. Since Act 233 of 2025, a new ATV or low speed vehicle dealer needs no on-site service department, but it must offer service itself or name a service provider within 40 miles, and line up a warranty service provider within 40 miles.
You need this bond if you're
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the $25,000 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
E-sign & file with the Commission. Pay online and receive the executed $25,000 bond and power of attorney by email, ready to file with your license application at the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission, 900 W. Capitol Avenue, Suite 400, Little Rock, AR 72201. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $250 at the $25,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One application, one soft pull.
These are the actual issuing fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and the bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Arkansas motor vehicle dealer bonds.
Not sure this is the one your license calls for? These are the other motor vehicle dealer bonds we write in Arkansas. Each has its own statute and bond amount.
Other Arkansas bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Finish your Motor Vehicle Commission license packet.
$250 flat, one soft credit pull, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.