When you can’t prove ownership of a vehicle, Tennessee lets you get a bonded title — file a surety bond under T.C.A. 55-3-103 and the county clerk titles the vehicle in your name. Premiums start from $100, and the application collects no credit information; the bond amount is 1.5× the vehicle’s value.
















No underwriting queue for the standard title bond — enter your amount, pay, and take the executed bond through the state’s process. Here is the whole thing:
Your details, the vehicle, and the bond amount (1.5× the vehicle’s value) — that is the entire application.
The application collects no credit information, so most bonds generate as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick underwriter review.
Submit the executed bond through the Department of Revenue’s Special Investigations process; once approved, the county clerk titles the vehicle. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
When you buy or inherit a vehicle in Tennessee and the paperwork is missing or insufficient, you can establish ownership with a bonded title under T.C.A. 55-3-103. You post a surety bond, the state approves it, and the county clerk issues a certificate of title in your name. The bond protects anyone who later proves a superior claim to the vehicle.
The bond amount is one and one-half (1.5) times the vehicle’s fair market value. You establish value with a NADA or Kelley Blue Book valuation, or a written appraisal from a licensed dealer. Tennessee generally does not require a title bond for vehicles valued under $3,000 or more than 30 years old — so this path is for newer, more valuable vehicles.
The process runs through the Department of Revenue’s Special Investigations Section, which issues a bond-approval letter the county clerk needs to process the title. If a valid superior claim is later paid, you repay the surety. The bond is returned after three years, after which a clean title issues.
Submit the application with your bond amount (1.5× the vehicle’s value) — most title bonds are generated instantly, ready for the state’s approval process.
Start the application →Premiums from $100. Enter your amount and start the state’s process the same day.