Wisconsin lost title bonds.
From $100.
Also known as the Wisconsin bonded title bond.
When you can't prove ownership of a vehicle, Wisconsin lets you get a bonded title — file a surety bond under Wis. Stat. § 342.12(3)(b) with the Department of Transportation, and WisDOT issues a title in your name. Pricing starts from $100, and your exact price appears at the application; the amount is 1.5× the vehicle's value (minimum $2,500).
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How much does a Wisconsin lost title bond cost?
0.9% of the bond amount, from $100. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.
Apply to bonded title in one sitting.
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:
Apply online
Your details, the vehicle, and the bond amount (1.5× the vehicle’s value) — that is the application.
Issued on the spot
No credit check up to $100,000.
File with WisDOT
Take the executed bond and your bond title application to the Wisconsin DMV to get your bonded title. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
Getting a bonded title in Wisconsin, step by step.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), DMV Vehicle Research Unit, Madison handles it. The bond amount is 1.5 times the value WisDOT sets from price guides, never less than $2,500. The bond lasts 5 years from the title date; the BOND POSTED brand then comes off.
Fill out Forms MV2082 and MV1
Complete Form MV2082, Application for Bonded Certificate of Title for a Vehicle, including the written statement on page 3, and Form MV1, Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application. The statement covers how, when and from whom you got the vehicle, what you did to find a title, and any history you know.
Add photos and ownership papers
Include photos of all 4 sides and the VIN; if the VIN photo is unclear, have law enforcement complete Form MV3623, Public Vehicle Identification Number Certification. Add any old title, registration or bill of sale, plus a check or money order to Registration Fee Trust for the total on the MV1.
Mail the packet, but no bond yet
Send everything to Vehicle Research Unit, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 8070, Madison, WI 53708-8070. Do not buy a bond until WisDOT asks for one in writing.
Wait for WisDOT's valuation letter
WisDOT searches title records, checks that the vehicle meets minimum requirements and sets its value. If it finds a Wisconsin record, you will need Form MV2896, Vehicle/Driver Record Information Request, to get prior-owner details.
Buy the bond in WisDOT's letter
Buy the bond for the amount on WisDOT's letter, which is 1.5 times the vehicle's value. The bond must cite s. 342.12(3)(b), Wis. Stats., and run 5 years from the title date.
Send the bond and get your title
Mail the bond and any items the letter lists to WisDOT. WisDOT issues a Wisconsin title branded BOND POSTED.
Clear the brand after 5 years
After 5 years WisDOT writes to the owner, who can then get a title without the brand. The bond goes back to the surety.
Who qualifies
- For vehicles bought or received with no title, an incomplete chain of ownership, or a title that does not describe the vehicle.
- If you have a title but the seller was not the last titled owner, WisDOT suggests rebuilding the chain with the in-between owners first, and the bond is the fallback.
- The vehicle must include a recognizable part of the body or frame carrying the VIN, plus other parts of the vehicle.
- If you disagree with WisDOT's value, you can get an independent appraisal from an impartial person, which WisDOT also accepts.
- To drive it on the road, the vehicle must meet Wisconsin equipment standards (Chapter 347, Wis. Stats., and Trans 305).
State fees
- Original or transfer titlepaid to WisDOT (check to Registration Fee Trust)
- $214.50
- Lien (security interest) listing, if you have a loanpaid to WisDOT (check to Registration Fee Trust)
- $10
- Sales or use taxpaid to WisDOT, declared on the MV1
- Based on the purchase price, not the bond value
These are the state’s fees. The bond premium is separate and shown in the price card.
After the bond
Send the bond and any missing items from WisDOT's letter to the Vehicle Research Unit, and WisDOT issues a title branded BOND POSTED. Keep the bond in good standing for 5 years, because if the surety cancels it WisDOT will require a new bond or suspend the title and registration.
Checked on 22 October 2026 against WisDOT: Surety bond (bonded title), WisDOT: Form MV2082 (03/2024), WisDOT: FAQ BVS850, Wisconsin's bonded title process (8/2021), Wisconsin Legislature: s. 342.12 and WisDOT: DMV fees. Rules and fees change; the agency’s own page has the final word.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bonded title actually does
When you buy or receive a vehicle and the paperwork is missing or the chain of ownership is incomplete, Wisconsin lets you establish ownership with a bonded title under Wis. Stat. § 342.12(3)(b). You post a surety bond, WisDOT issues a certificate of title in your name, and the bond protects anyone who later proves a superior claim to the vehicle.
The bond amount is one and a half times the vehicle's value, with a $2,500 minimum. The DMV reviews the documentation you submit with the bond title application and sets the value — so confirm the figure on your DMV worksheet before you buy the bond.
If someone with a better claim comes forward and is harmed, they can recover against the bond — and if the surety pays, you repay the surety. The bond runs a 5-year term; after five years with no valid claim, WisDOT removes the bonded brand and a clean title issues.
You need this bond if you are
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 bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.
Renewal and term
The carrier issues this bond for a single 5-year term; the term cannot be changed 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
File with WisDOT. Take the executed bond and your bond title application to the Wisconsin DMV to get your bonded title. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the office insists.
What sets the price
The premium is 0.9% of the bond amount, $100 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.
No credit check up to $100,000. Above that, the carrier may run a soft pull, which never affects your score.
Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.
One application, issued on the spot.
Submit the application with your bond amount (1.5× the vehicle’s value) — the executed title bond is generated instantly, ready to take to the DMV.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Wisconsin bonds.
The same bond in nearby states.
Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .
Bonded title, issued today.
Pricing from $100. Enter your amount and take it to the DMV the same day.