When you can't fully prove ownership of a vehicle, Maine lets you get a bonded title — file a surety bond under 29-A M.R.S. §659 and the Secretary of State issues the title. The premium is 0.9% of the bond amount, $100 minimum — your exact price appears at the application. The amount is 1.5× the vehicle's value as set by the Secretary of State.
















No underwriting queue for the standard title bond — enter your amount, pay, and take the executed bond to the BMV. Here is the whole thing:
Your details, the vehicle (year, make, VIN), and the bond amount (1.5× the vehicle's value) — that is the entire application.
No credit section and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.
Take the executed title bond to the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get your bonded title. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
When you buy or inherit a vehicle and the paperwork is missing or insufficient, Maine lets you establish ownership with a bonded title under 29-A M.R.S. §659. You post a surety bond, the Secretary of State issues a certificate of title in your name, and the bond protects anyone who later proves a superior claim to the vehicle.
The bond amount is one-and-a-half times the vehicle's value, as determined by the Secretary of State. Any interested person has a right of action to recover on the bond for a breach of its conditions, though the surety's aggregate liability cannot exceed the bond amount.
The bond generally remains in effect for three years unless terminated earlier by full compliance under §654 or by surrender of the title under §659. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety — it is not insurance for you.
Submit the application with your bond amount (1.5× the vehicle's value) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready to take to the BMV.
Start the application →Premiums from $100. Enter your amount and take it to the BMV the same day.