SC motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$1,500 flat. Soft pull.
South Carolina requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer and wholesaler to file a $50,000 bond with the SCDMV. Ours is $1,500 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 SCDMV
Pay online and receive the executed bond (form DLA-1B) with power of attorney, ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
The whole pricing page.
$50,000 bond × 3% = $1,500, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
South Carolina licenses motor vehicle dealers and wholesalers through the SCDMV under S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 15, and conditions the license on a $50,000 surety bond. The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind clear title, proper tax submission, and your compliance with South Carolina’s motor vehicle dealer law.
It’s a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier standing behind you, and the State of South Carolina together with harmed buyers (the protected parties). If a dealer commits fraud, fails to deliver clear title, or otherwise violates Title 56 in the sale or transfer of a vehicle, the harmed party can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Effective January 1, 2024 the SCDMV set $50,000 for most dealers and wholesalers, with reduced amounts for a wholesale auto auction ($15,000) or a motorcycle-only dealer ($25,000) — confirm your amount on your application or send it to us and we’ll match it.
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.
Do I pay the $50,000? +
Who requires this bond? +
What does the bond guarantee? +
Is there a credit check? +
When does it renew? +
Other New York bonds.
The SCDMV is waiting on one document.
$1,500 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.