When you can’t prove ownership of a vehicle or vessel, the Vermont DMV lets you get a bonded title — post a surety bond (DMV form VT-020) and the DMV issues a title in your name. We write it at a flat 3% with no credit check; the bond amount is 1.5× the appraised value, and the term runs three years.
















No underwriting queue for the standard title bond — enter your amount, pay, and take the executed bond to the DMV. Here is the whole thing:
Your details, the vehicle or vessel (year, make, model, serial/VIN, your county), and the bond amount (1.5× appraised 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.
Take the executed bond (form VT-020) and your supporting paperwork to the Vermont DMV to get your bonded title. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. Bond amount is 1.5× the appraised value — enter it and the premium updates.
When you buy, inherit, or build a vehicle or vessel and the paperwork is missing, lost, or defective, Vermont lets you establish ownership with a bonded title. You post a surety bond, the DMV issues a certificate of title in your name, and the bond protects anyone who later proves a superior claim — so you can register, insure, and sell the vehicle or vessel.
The bonded title covers more than cars: it applies to a motor vehicle, trailer, vessel, snowmobile, or all-terrain vehicle. The bond is filed on DMV form VT-020, and the amount is 1.5 times the appraised value — establish value with a reputable valuation guide or a written appraisal, then multiply by 1.5.
If someone with a better ownership claim comes forward and is harmed, they can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. It is not insurance for you. The bond runs a three-year term; if no valid claim is made, it is released and a clean (non-bonded) certificate of title issues.
Submit the application with the vehicle or vessel details and your bond amount (1.5× appraised value) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready to take to the DMV.
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 (1.5× appraised value) and take it to the DMV the same day.