Hawaii motor vehicle dealer bonds.
From $100.
Also known as the Hawaii auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
Hawaii licenses motor vehicle dealers through the DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division under HRS chapter 437, and conditions the license on a surety bond sized to your vehicle type and volume. This bond is priced at 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum. A quick soft credit check may apply, never a hard inquiry.
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How much does a Hawaii motor vehicle dealer bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
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, the bond amount your license requires, and an effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
E-sign & file with the DCCA
Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your motor vehicle dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Hawaii licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division, under HRS chapter 437 (read with chapter 436B and the administrative rules). The license is conditioned on a surety bond that backs your compliance with dealer law and the taxes and fees you owe the State.
The amount depends on what you sell and how much. Industry guidance describes tiers along these lines: motorcycle and scooter dealers around $10,000; used-vehicle dealers around $25,000 (higher at larger monthly volumes); and new-vehicle dealers around $50,000 (higher above roughly ten new units a month). Confirm your exact figure on your DCCA application — send it to us and we'll verify it before issuing.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Hawaii together with harmed buyers (the protected parties). If you fail to deliver clear title, mishandle a customer's money, or skip taxes and fees, the harmed party can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety.
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 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.
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 DCCA. Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your motor vehicle dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not 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, 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 Hawaii bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
The DCCA is waiting on one document.
Pricing from $100, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.