Maine motor vehicle title bonds.
From $100.
Also known as the Maine bonded title bond.
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.
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How much does a Maine motor vehicle title bond cost?
0.9% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Apply to bonded title in one sitting.
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:
Apply online
Your details, the vehicle (year, make, VIN), and the bond amount (1.5× the vehicle's value) — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $100,000.
File with the Secretary of State
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.
Getting a bonded title in Maine, step by step.
Maine Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Division of Title Services; Enforcement Services Division for private-sale complaints) handles it. The bond amount is 1.5 times the vehicle's value as the Secretary of State determines it. The bond lasts 3 years; ends sooner if title papers are later completed, or the vehicle leaves Maine and the title is surrendered, unless a claim is pending.
Try to reach the prior owner first
Ask the seller or titled owner to sign over the title, and keep copies of your letters, emails or messages. BMV asks for proof of these attempts.
Get the VIN inspected
Have a licensed Maine inspection station or a law enforcement officer complete the VIN inspection form (MVT-10).
Sign the ownership affidavit before a notary
Complete the notarized Affidavit (MVT-55), stating that you own the vehicle, that there are no outstanding liens, and that the prior owner cannot be found, ignored you or refused to sign.
File a private sale complaint with BMV
Send the Private Sale Complaint Form (MVI-27) with your bill of sale, the prior title if you have it, a title application (MVT-2, available only at a BMV branch or town office) and the $33 title fee. Do not pay the $10 rush fee, because BMV cannot rush the investigation.
Let BMV decide how to title it
A BMV detective investigates, and the Secretary of State may notify the prior owner and issue a title that may be subject to the prior owner's rights. If it requires a bond instead, it sets the vehicle's value.
Buy the bond for the amount set
Buy the bond on Form MVT-18 (Motor Vehicle Title Surety Bond) for 1.5 times the value the Secretary of State set, from a surety authorized in Maine. File the signed bond with BMV so the title can issue.
Who qualifies
- Maine titles only vehicles from the last 25 model years: model year 2001 or newer as of 1 January 2026, and 2002 or newer as of 1 January 2027.
- The bond is the Secretary of State's call: it is required only when ownership or the absence of liens is not shown, and the state may instead hold the title until you produce papers.
- The private sale complaint service is for Maine residents only, and the vehicle must be in Maine and available for a BMV detective to inspect.
- You must be able to show there are no outstanding liens and that the prior owner cannot be located, ignored your request or refused to sign.
- BMV does not guarantee a title at the end of the investigation; it names small claims court as the alternative.
State fees
- Application for certificate of title (MVT-2)paid to Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles
- $33
- Penalty if a title application or required document reaches the Secretary of State after 30 dayspaid to Maine Secretary of State
- $50
These are the state’s fees. The bond premium is separate and shown in the price card.
After the bond
The signed MVT-18 is filed with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (101 Hospital Street, 29 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0029), and the certificate of title then issues. The bond stays in force 3 years and does not end while a claim reported to the Secretary of State is pending.
Checked on 22 October 2026 against 29-A M.R.S. section 659: Withholding of certificate; bond required, 29-A M.R.S. section 655: Missing ownership documents or assignments, Maine BMV Form MVT-18: Motor Vehicle Title Surety Bond (Rev 1-2013), Maine BMV Form MVI-27: Private Sale Complaint Form (Rev 03/2025), with MVT-55 and MVT-10, Maine BMV Form MVT-29: Title fee schedule (Rev. 08-2024), Maine BMV: Titles (title requirements), Maine BMV: Frequently Asked Questions - Titles and Maine BMV: Forms and Applications. Rules and fees change; the agency’s own page has the final word.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bonded title actually does
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.
You need this bond if you are
Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.
If a claim is made
A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.
The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The carrier issues this bond for a single three-year term; the term cannot be changed at checkout.
Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.
How to file it
File with the Secretary of State. 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.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.9% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $100,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
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 →Common questions.
Other Maine bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Bonded title, issued today.
Premiums from $100. Enter your amount and take it to the BMV the same day.