When you can’t prove ownership of a boat, Michigan lets you get a bonded title — file a surety bond and the Secretary of State issues the certificate of title. The bond amount is twice the watercraft’s value; we write it at a flat 3% with no credit check on the Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (TR-121).
















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:
Your details, the watercraft, and the bond amount (twice the value) — that is the entire application.
No credit check and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick review.
Take the executed Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (TR-121) to a Secretary of State office to get your bonded watercraft title. The bond must be filed within 30 days of issuance.
Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. Bond amount is twice the watercraft’s value — enter it and the premium updates.
When you buy, inherit, or otherwise come to own a watercraft and the paperwork is missing or insufficient, Michigan lets you establish ownership with a bonded title. You post a surety bond, the Secretary of State issues a certificate of title in your name, and the bond protects anyone with a superior claim to the boat.
The bond is filed on the Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond (form TR-121), and the Secretary of State Vehicle Title Division sets the amount at two times the watercraft’s value. It protects the Secretary of State and any previous or future owner against loss arising from issuing the bonded title.
If someone with a better claim comes forward and is harmed, they can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. The bond must be filed within 30 days of issuance. Michigan’s watercraft titling falls under Part 803 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (MCL 324.80312 et seq.); enter your amount and we issue at a flat 3% with no credit check.
Submit the application with your bond amount (twice the watercraft’s value) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready to take to the Secretary of State.
Start the application →If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
Five-minute application, flat 3%, $275 minimum. Enter your amount and take it to the Secretary of State.