OH dealer title defect bonds.
$250 flat.
Ohio requires a motor vehicle dealer to file a title defect surety bond with the Attorney General's office — security that backs your compliance with the state's certificate-of-title law. On the $25,000 amount shown here it is $250 flat, set by our carrier for this bond. A soft credit check may apply, e-signed in 1–2 business days.
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Three steps to licensed.
Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, effective date. That is the application — a quick soft credit check may run as part of approval.
Reviewed & approved
Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. Any credit check that runs is a soft pull that never affects your score.
E-sign & file with the Attorney General
Pay online and receive the executed bond ready to file with the Attorney General's office and your dealer license. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Ohio licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and conditions the license on a title defect surety bond under ORC 4505.181, filed with the Attorney General. The bond backs a dealer's compliance with Ohio's certificate-of-title law.
The bond is used solely to compensate retail purchasers of motor vehicles, manufactured homes, or mobile homes who suffer damages because the dealer (or someone acting for the dealer) failed to comply with title requirements. The Attorney General administers a title defect rescission fund that pays harmed buyers; the bond reimburses that fund.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Dealers who deliver clean title and keep good records treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk. Note that Ohio has been moving the required dealer bond amount upward, so confirm your current figure before you file.
You need this bond if you're
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields. A quick soft credit check may run as part of approval — never a hard inquiry. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Ohio bonds.
The BMV is waiting on one document.
$250 flat on the $25,000 amount, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.