South Carolina motorcycle dealer bonds.
$250 flat.
South Carolina requires every motorcycle dealer and wholesale motorcycle dealer to file a $25,000 surety bond with the SCDMV under Title 56, Chapter 16. Ours is $250 flat — set by our carrier's rate book for this bond, identical for every dealer. One soft credit pull; the bond is issued when you pay.
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How much does a South Carolina motorcycle dealer bond cost?
$250 at the $25,000 amount, the same for every applicant.
Three steps to licensed.
Your motorcycle 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.
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 on the SCDMV-prescribed form, ready to file with your motorcycle 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 regulates motorcycle dealers and wholesalers separately from car dealers — under Title 56, Chapter 16 (Title 56, Chapter 15's motor-vehicle definition excludes motorcycles). The SCDMV conditions the license on a $25,000 surety bond that stands behind your honest dealing in the sale and transfer of motorcycles.
The amount was raised from $15,000 to $25,000 by Act 51 of 2023 (S.549), effective January 1, 2024 — dealers who did not increase their bond by that date risked their license expiring. It is a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety, and the SCDMV together with harmed buyers, who can recover against the bond for fraud or violations of the chapter.
It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a valid claim, you repay the surety. Dealers who deliver clean title and keep good records treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk.
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 $25,000 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 on the SCDMV-prescribed form, ready to file with your motorcycle dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.
What sets the price
The premium is fixed at $250 at the $25,000 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 pull. 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.
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.
$250 flat, short application, bond issued when you pay. Free until issued.