OH dealer title defect bonds.
$2,250 flat. Soft pull.
Ohio motor vehicle dealers file a title defect surety bond with the BMV, and the required amount rose to $75,000 effective April 1, 2026 (up from $25,000). Ours is $2,250 flat — 3% of the bond amount, identical for every dealer. One soft credit pull, 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 — the only extra step is a one-time consent to a soft credit pull.
Reviewed & approved
Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.
E-sign & file with the BMV
Pay online and receive the executed title defect bond, ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
The whole pricing page.
$75,000 bond × 3% = $2,250, one-time per term. New limit effective 4-1-2026 — fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
Ohio licenses motor vehicle dealers through the BMV, and conditions the license on a title defect surety bond. The bond backs the Ohio Attorney General's Title Defect Rescission (TDR) Fund — the fund that reimburses consumers when a dealer fails to deliver a clear title within the statutory window, sells an undisclosed rebuilt-salvage or buy-back vehicle, tampers with an odometer, or otherwise leaves a buyer with a defective title.
The required amount increased to $75,000 effective April 1, 2026, up from the prior $25,000. New dealers need the $75,000 bond to get licensed, and existing dealers move to the higher amount on their renewal. It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety, and the State of Ohio / harmed buyers as the protected parties.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety or the TDR Fund pays a claim, you repay the surety. Dealers who deliver clean title and disclose vehicle history treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk.
You need this bond if you're
Five minutes. The whole thing.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.
Start the application →Common questions.
If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
Why did the bond amount change to $75,000? +
Do I pay the $75,000? +
What does the bond guarantee? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
The BMV is waiting on one document.
$2,250 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.