Michigan certificate of title bonds.
From $100.
Also known as the Michigan bonded title bond.
When you can't prove ownership of a vehicle, Michigan lets you get a bonded title — file a surety bond under MCL 257.217 (form TR-121) and the Secretary of State issues the title. The price is 0.9% of the bond amount, $100 minimum, with no credit check up to $100,000 in the application; the amount is twice the vehicle's value.
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How much does a Michigan certificate of 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 Secretary of State. Here is the whole thing:
Apply online
Your details, the vehicle, and the bond amount (twice 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 Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (form TR-121) to a Secretary of State office to get your bonded title. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
Getting a bonded title in Michigan, step by step.
Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State), at any Secretary of State office handles it. The bond amount is 2 times the vehicle's fair market value. The bond lasts Issued for 3 years, per the state bond form.
Try to reach the seller first
Contact the seller or owner of record and ask them to get a duplicate title and assign it to you. The bond route is for when you cannot reach them and do not have a court order awarding you ownership.
Check whether self-certification applies instead
If the vehicle is 10 or more years old, worth $2,500 or less and was bought in Michigan, you can use Form TR-205 (Self-Certification of Vehicle Ownership) with an appraisal and skip the bond. Other vehicles need a surety bond or a court order.
Set the vehicle's fair market value
Get an appraisal from a dealer or a page from a recognized vehicle appraisal guide. The bond must equal 2 times that value.
Get a VIN inspection if needed
If Michigan has no record of the vehicle, have a Michigan law enforcement agency complete a TR-54 VIN/HIN inspection to file with the bond.
Buy the bond for the required amount
Buy Form TR-121 (Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond) from a surety company licensed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, with an effective date no later than the day you apply. Sign it as the Principal with your full address.
Apply at a Secretary of State office
Bring the TR-121, the bond company's proof of authorization, a completed Form TR-205, the VIN inspection if needed and any other papers you have. Pay the $15 title fee and the 6% use tax, and show Michigan no-fault insurance if you register the vehicle.
Who qualifies
- The state may require a bond when it is not satisfied about ownership of a vehicle worth more than $2,500 or less than 10 years old.
- A vehicle 10 or more years old and worth $2,500 or less uses self-certification on Form TR-205 instead of a bond.
- Self-certification cannot be used for vehicles titled in another state or by nonresidents, so those owners need a bond or court order.
- You must have tried every available way to contact the owner of record.
- The same bond form also covers trailers, trailer coaches, mopeds, ORVs, watercraft and snowmobiles.
State fees
- Title feepaid to Michigan Department of State
- $15
- Instant (same-day) title, optionalpaid to Michigan Department of State
- $5 extra
- Use taxpaid to Michigan Department of State
- 6% of the higher of the purchase price or half the bond amount
These are the state’s fees. The bond premium is separate and shown in the price card.
After the bond
File the bond with your title application at a Secretary of State office; its effective date must be on or before the day you apply. The bond is issued for 3 years, and you can ask for a same-day title at the office for an extra $5.
Checked on 22 October 2026 against Michigan SOS Form TR-121 Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (09/2025), Michigan SOS Form TR-205 Self-Certification of Vehicle Ownership (01/2026), Michigan SOS: Title FAQs and Michigan Vehicle Code, MCL 257.217. 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, lost, or defective, Michigan lets you establish ownership with a bonded title under MCL 257.217. 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 Secretary of State requires a bond when it is not satisfied as to ownership of a vehicle worth more than $2,500 or less than 10 years old. The bond amount is two times the vehicle's current value, and it must be valid for at least three years from its date of issue.
The bond guarantees reimbursement of the Secretary of State, any prior owner, and any subsequent purchaser or lessee — including reasonable attorney's fees — against loss from the issuance of the bonded title. If a valid superior claim is paid, you repay the surety; it is not insurance for you. It is filed on form TR-121.
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 Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (form TR-121) to a Secretary of State office 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 (twice the vehicle's value) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready to take to the Secretary of State.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Michigan bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
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 Secretary of State the same day.