Rhode Island motor fuel distributor bonds.
From $1,875.
Rhode Island licenses motor fuel distributors through the Division of Taxation, and R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-3 conditions the registration on a bond running to the general treasurer for the fuel tax you collect. The amount is set by a statutory table that starts at $250,000. Pricing is 0.75% of the bond amount.
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How much does a Rhode Island motor fuel distributor bond cost?
0.75% of the bond amount, from $1,875 at the $250,000 minimum. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Three steps to registered.
Your distributor registration is waiting on this bond. Because the amounts here are large, there is a quick underwriting step — here is the whole thing:
Apply once, online
Business details, owner information, the bond amount the Division of Taxation set, and the effective date.
Reviewed & approved
These are large bonds, so an underwriter reviews the file — most clear quickly, and you hear back within 48 hours if anything else is needed.
E-sign & file with the Division of Taxation
Pay online and receive the executed bond (form MFT-EB) ready to file with your distributor registration (form MFT-APP). Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What it is and who needs it.
What the motor fuel bond actually covers
Rhode Island taxes motor fuel through the Division of Taxation, and R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-36-3 conditions a distributor's registration on a surety bond. The bond runs to the general treasurer and is conditioned to pay any final judgment against the distributor for failure to pay the motor fuel taxes assessed under Chapter 31-36. It is filed on the Division's bond form (MFT-EB) alongside the distributor registration (MFT-APP).
The amount is not a single fixed figure — it is set by a statutory table tied to your average estimated annual tax, beginning at a $250,000 minimum for distributors estimating up to $1,000,000 in annual tax, and rising in steps. By statute, the bond can never exceed $5,000,000. The Division of Taxation tells you which figure applies; enter that on your application.
Rhode Island's motor fuel tax is a per-gallon excise the distributor collects and remits — $0.40 per gallon as of July 1, 2025, with biannual CPI adjustments scheduled to begin in 2027. Because these bond amounts are large, surety underwriting reviews the file; pricing is 0.75% of the bond amount required.
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
E-sign & file with the Division of Taxation. Pay online and receive the executed bond (form MFT-EB) ready to file with your distributor registration (form MFT-APP). Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.75% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $10,000. 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, no credit check up to $10,000.
These are the actual underwriting fields. Because these are large bonds, an underwriter reviews the file before issuing — usually within 48 hours.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Rhode Island bonds.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
The Division of Taxation is waiting on one document.
Enter the amount the state set and e-sign once underwriting clears — usually within 48 hours.