IN vehicle dealer bonds.
$250 flat.
Indiana requires every licensed vehicle dealer to file a $25,000 bond with the Secretary of State, Auto Dealer Services Division. Ours is $250 flat, the checkout price, identical for every dealer. A quick soft credit check may apply — never a hard inquiry — e-signed 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. A quick soft credit check may run to confirm approval — never a hard inquiry.
Reviewed & approved
Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, 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 Auto Dealer Services Division
Pay online and receive the executed bond (State Form 53966) 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
Indiana licenses vehicle dealers through the Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division, and conditions the license on a $25,000 surety bond running in favor of the State. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee standing behind clear title and your compliance with the dealer licensing law.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the State of Indiana together with harmed buyers, sellers, financing agencies, and government agencies (the protected parties). If a dealer commits fraud, fails to deliver clear title, or fails to pay required taxes and fees, 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. A quick soft credit check may run to confirm approval — never a hard inquiry. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Indiana bonds.
The Auto Dealer Services Division is waiting on one document.
$250 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.