KY motor vehicle dealer bonds.
Flat 3%. Soft pull.

When the Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission requires a dealer bond, it sets the amount — up to $100,000 under KRS 190.030 — based on your sales and financial position. Whatever figure the Commission names, we issue it at a flat 3%. One soft credit pull, never affects your score.

Required by the KY Motor Vehicle Commission when it conditions your dealer license on a bond
Amount is set by the Commission, up to $100,000 — from your sales and financials
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuanceFlat 3%of your bond amount
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, the bond amount the Commission set, and an 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 Commission

Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with your Motor Vehicle Commission dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.

The whole pricing page.

Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. A soft credit pull affects approval, never the price. Enter the figure the Commission set and the premium updates.

$15,000 bond
$450
$25,000 bond
$750
$50,000 bond
$1,500
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Kentucky licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Motor Vehicle Commission under KRS Chapter 190. The Commission can condition a license on a surety bond, and under KRS 190.030 it may require a bond up to $100,000 when it has cause to question a dealer’s financial responsibility or compliance.

The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind clear title on the vehicles you sell and your compliance with Kentucky’s motor vehicle sales laws. It’s a three-party arrangement — you (the principal), the surety, and the Commonwealth together with harmed buyers as the protected parties.

The amount is set by the Commission from your prior sales and financial position — dealers who can demonstrate the required liquid assets may avoid a bond, while others are bonded between $15,000 and $100,000. We issue whatever figure the Commission names at a flat 3%, with one soft credit pull that never touches your score. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety.

KRS 190.030 (Motor Vehicle Commission)Under KRS 190.030, the Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission may require a motor vehicle dealer to furnish and maintain a surety bond, in a form and amount it sets up to $100,000, when it has reasonable cause to doubt the applicant’s financial responsibility or compliance. The Commission determines the amount from the dealer’s sales and financial position (commonly $15,000 to $100,000); some dealers may instead demonstrate the required liquid assets. Confirm the amount on your Commission notice.

You need this bond if you're

Applying for a KY dealer license the Motor Vehicle Commission is conditioning on a bond
Renewing your dealer license and your current bond is expiring or non-renewing
Unable to meet the liquid-asset alternative and bonding instead
Moving to Kentucky 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.

How much is the Kentucky motor vehicle dealer bond? +
The premium is a flat 3% of the bond amount, with a $275 minimum. The amount itself is set by the Motor Vehicle Commission — typically between $15,000 and $100,000, based on your sales and financial position. Enter the figure the Commission set and the quote updates.
Do I always need a bond? +
Not necessarily. Under KRS 190.030 the Commission requires a bond when it questions a dealer’s financial responsibility or compliance; some dealers can instead demonstrate the required liquid assets. If the Commission asks you for a bond, we issue whatever amount it set.
What does the bond guarantee? +
That you deliver clear title on the vehicles you sell, handle customer funds properly, and follow Kentucky dealer law. 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.
How fast will I have it? +
Most of these issue within 1–2 business days. If underwriting needs anything beyond the application, an underwriter reaches out within 48 hours.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

The Motor Vehicle Commission is waiting on one document.

Flat 3%, five-minute application, soft pull only, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$1,500
Apply now →