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. We write it at a flat 3% with no credit check; the 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.
No credit check and no waiting — the executed bond is generated as soon as you pay. Larger amounts may get a quick 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.
Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. Bond amount is 1.5× the vehicle’s value — enter it and the premium updates.
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) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready for the state’s approval process.
Start the application →If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.
Five-minute application, flat 3%, $275 minimum. Enter your amount and start the state’s process the same day.