Indiana requires every licensed vehicle dealer to file a $25,000 bond with the Secretary of State, Auto Dealer Services Division. Ours is $750 flat — 3% of the bond amount, identical for every dealer. One soft credit pull, e-signed in 1–2 business days.
















Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Business details, owner information, effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
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.
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.
$25,000 bond × 3% = $750, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.
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.
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 →If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
$750 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.