South Carolina motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$500 flat.
Also known as the South Carolina auto dealer bond or car dealer bond.
South Carolina requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer and wholesaler to file a $50,000 bond with the SCDMV. Ours is $500 flat — set by our carrier’s rate book, identical for every dealer. One soft credit check; the bond is issued when you pay.
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How much does a South Carolina motor vehicle dealer bond cost?
$500 at the $50,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
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 check.
Approved
Most are approved as soon as you apply. One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score. If it needs a second look, one to two business days at most.
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.
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
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 $50,000 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; a longer term is the same price per year, chosen at checkout.
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 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.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $500 at the $50,000 amount for every applicant: the carrier’s rate book prices this bond by the form, not by your credit or your business profile.
One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit check. Submit once and your bond is issued when you pay.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other South Carolina motor vehicle dealer bonds.
Not sure this is the one your license calls for? These are the other motor vehicle dealer bonds we write in South Carolina. Each has its own statute and bond amount.
Other South Carolina bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Been told you need a different amount?
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
The SCDMV is waiting on one document.
$500 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.