Maryland boat dealer bonds.
From $200.
Maryland licenses boat dealers through the Department of Natural Resources, and the license is conditioned on a surety bond. New dealers post $20,000 the first year; after that DNR sizes the bond to your prior-year sales. The premium is 1% of the bond amount — your exact price appears in the on-page calculator.
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How much does a Maryland boat dealer bond cost?
1% of the bond amount, from $200 at the $20,000 minimum. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps. One sitting.
No underwriting queue for the standard boat dealer bond — enter your amount, pay, and file with DNR. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your business details, the bond amount ($20,000 for new dealers, or DNR's figure on renewal), your DNR account number, and the effective date.
Issued on the spot
No waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay for most applicants. Above $25,000, a soft pull may add a short review.
File with DNR
Submit the executed bond with your boat dealer license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DNR insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the boat dealer bond covers
Maryland boat dealers are licensed by the Department of Natural Resources under the State Boat Act. Dealers collect the 5% vessel excise tax on the boats they sell and remit it to DNR — so the license is conditioned on a surety bond that guarantees those collected taxes and fees actually reach the State.
First-year dealers post a $20,000 bond. On renewal, DNR reviews your prior twelve months of sales and sets the bond amount accordingly — higher sales, higher bond. The figure is on your renewal paperwork.
The bond stands behind the excise tax and titling fees you collect — if you fail to remit, DNR can recover against it, and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. It's not insurance for you; it's the State's assurance that the tax it's owed on every vessel you sell is backed.
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 premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.
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 DNR. Submit the executed bond with your boat dealer license application or renewal. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever DNR insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 1% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $25,000. 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 and DNR account number — the executed bond is generated instantly, ready to file.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Maryland bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Boat dealer bond, issued today.
Pricing from $200. New dealers start at $20,000 — file with DNR the same day.