IN vehicle dealer bonds.
$750 flat. Soft pull.

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.

Required for your IN dealer license — new, used, salvage, and watercraft dealers
Fixed amount, fixed price — $25,000 bond, $750, no quote theater
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuance1–3 yrterms available
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps to licensed.

Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply once, online

Business details, owner information, effective date. The only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

Reviewed & approved

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.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

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.

The whole pricing page.

$25,000 bond × 3% = $750, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.

1-year term
$750
2-year term
$1,500
3-year term
$2,250
About this bond

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.

IC 9-32-11-2 (State Form 53966)Indiana Code 9-32-11-2 requires a vehicle dealer to file a $25,000 surety bond running in favor of the State with the dealer license application, on State Form 53966 made to the Secretary of State. The bond protects purchasers, sellers, financing agencies, and government agencies from loss from fraud, failure to comply with the licensing law, or failure to pay required taxes and fees. It applies to new, used, salvage, and watercraft dealers.

You need this bond if you're

Applying for an IN dealer license — new, used, wholesale, salvage, or watercraft
Renewing your dealer license and your current bond is expiring or non-renewing
Adding a location the Auto Dealer Services Division ties to a bond filing
Moving to Indiana from another state and getting licensed here

Five minutes. The whole thing.

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 →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

Do I pay the $25,000? +
No. You pay $750 — the flat 3% of the bond amount. The $25,000 is the surety's maximum liability to the state and harmed parties; it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
Who requires this bond? +
The Indiana Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division requires it as a condition of a vehicle dealer license, under IC 9-32-11-2. No active bond, no license.
What does the bond guarantee? +
That you deliver clear title, handle customer funds properly, follow Indiana dealer law, and pay required taxes and fees. If you fail to and someone is harmed, they can claim against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety.
Is there a credit check? +
Yes — one soft credit pull, which never affects your score. It's the only extra step beyond the application, and it informs approval, not price. The rate is a flat 3% either way: credit can affect whether we approve the bond, never what it costs.
When does it renew? +
Terms run 1, 2, or 3 years — your choice at purchase. You'll get renewal notices 60 and 30 days before expiration, with autopay available, and the bond must stay active for your dealer license to stay valid.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

The Auto Dealer Services Division is waiting on one document.

$750 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$750
Apply now →