SC 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, 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 check.
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.
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
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 typically issued within 1–2 business days.
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 SCDMV is waiting on one document.
$500 flat, short application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.