Connecticut motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$2,500 flat.
Also known as the Connecticut auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
Connecticut licenses motor vehicle dealers through the DMV and conditions the license on a surety bond under CGS 14-52. This page is set for a $250,000 bond — ours is $2,500 flat, issued instantly for most. A quick soft credit check may apply, e-signed in 1–2 business days.
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How much does a Connecticut motor vehicle dealer bond cost?
$2,500 at the $250,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
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 application collects SSN and credit fields, so a quick soft credit check may run.
Reviewed & approved
Larger dealer bonds get a quick underwriting look; if anything is needed, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. Any credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.
E-sign & file with the DMV
Pay online and receive the executed 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
Connecticut licenses new car dealers, used car dealers, repairers and related businesses through the Department of Motor Vehicles under CGS 14-52, and conditions each license on a surety bond. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee — it stands behind clear title and your compliance with the state and federal laws governing the sale of motor vehicles.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Connecticut together with harmed customers (the protected parties). The bond is indemnity for any loss sustained by any customer by reason of the dealer's failure to comply with the law — if a dealer fails to deliver clear title or misapplies a customer's money, the harmed party can recover against the bond.
One honest note on the amount. Connecticut's standard dealer bond was raised to $60,000 by Public Act 22-44 (effective July 1, 2022). This page is set for a $250,000 bond, which is well above the standard figure — it may reflect a specific dealer classification or an individual DMV requirement. If your DMV paperwork asks for a different amount, tell us and we'll re-issue at the right figure. We won't imply a mandate that doesn't match your license.
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 $250,000 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 DMV. Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $2,500 at the $250,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application: approved instantly, or after a quick credit check.
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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut. Each has its own statute and bond amount.
Other Connecticut bonds.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
The DMV is waiting on one document.
$2,500 flat for the $250,000 bond, short application, e-signed in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.