WI motor vehicle dealer bonds.
$1,500 flat. Soft pull.

Wisconsin requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer to maintain a $50,000 bond with the Department of Transportation. Ours is $1,500 flat — 3% of the bond amount, identical for every dealer. One soft credit pull, e-signed on form MV2511 in 1–2 business days.

Required for your WI dealer license — new applicants and renewals through WisDOT
Fixed amount, fixed price — $50,000 bond, $1,500, no quote theater
Soft credit pull only — never affects your score, and the rate stays 3% either way
A-ratedA.M. Best carriers1–2 daystypical issuance1–3 yrterms available
Trusted by industry leaders
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
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Triple Five
Georgetown
NYCEDC
BDG
Capital
McKinney
Terra
JLL
Triple Five
Georgetown
How it works

Three steps to licensed.

Your dealer license is waiting on this bond. Here's the entire process — no broker phone tag:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

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.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

Reviewed & approved

Most of these clear quickly; if underwriting needs anything, you hear from an underwriter within 48 hours. The credit check is a soft pull that never affects your score.

1–2 BUSINESS DAYS

E-sign & file with WisDOT

Pay online and receive the executed bond (form MV2511) ready to file with your dealer license application. Wet-ink originals mailed whenever the state insists.

The whole pricing page.

$50,000 bond × 3% = $1,500, one-time per term. Fixed amount, fixed price, multi-year if you want it.

1-year term
$1,500
2-year term
$3,000
3-year term
$4,500
About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the bond actually guarantees

Wisconsin licenses motor vehicle dealers through the Department of Transportation and conditions the license on a $50,000 surety bond (or irrevocable letter of credit). The bond is a consumer-and-public-protection guarantee: it stands behind clear title on the vehicles you sell, the taxes and fees you owe the state, and your compliance with Wisconsin dealer law.

It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation together with harmed buyers (the protected parties). If a dealer fails to deliver clear title, misapplies a customer's money, or otherwise causes a loss that constitutes grounds to suspend or revoke the license, the harmed party can recover against the bond.

It is not insurance for you — if the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Dealers who deliver clean title and keep good records treat the bond as a license formality, not a risk. A reduced $5,000 bond applies to dealers who sell only motorcycles.

Wis. Stat. § 218.0114(7)(d) (form MV2511)Wisconsin Statutes § 218.0114(7)(d) requires a motor vehicle dealer to provide and maintain a bond or irrevocable letter of credit of not less than $50,000 — or not less than $5,000 if the dealer sells only motorcycles — executed in the name of the Department of Transportation for the benefit of any person who sustains a loss because of a dealer act that is grounds to suspend or revoke the license. The bond is filed on WisDOT form MV2511.

You need this bond if you're

Applying for a WI dealer license — new, used, or wholesale motor vehicle dealer
Renewing your dealer license and your current bond is expiring or non-renewing
A motorcycle-only dealer — a reduced $5,000 bond may apply; send us your application
Moving to Wisconsin from another state and getting licensed here

Five minutes. The whole thing.

These are the actual underwriting fields, including a one-time consent to a soft credit pull. Submit once and your bond is typically issued within 1–2 business days.

Start the application →
FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

Do I pay the $50,000? +
No. You pay $1,500 — the flat 3% of the bond amount. The $50,000 is the surety's maximum liability to the state and harmed buyers; it's not a deposit, and nobody holds your money.
Who requires this bond? +
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation requires it as a condition of a motor vehicle dealer license, under Wis. Stat. § 218.0114(7)(d). No active bond, no license.
I only sell motorcycles — is it still $50,000? +
No. Wisconsin sets a reduced $5,000 bond for dealers who sell only motorcycles and no other types of motor vehicles. Send us your application and we'll confirm which amount applies and price it at the flat 3%, $275 minimum.
Is there a credit check? +
Yes — one soft credit pull, which never affects your score. It's the only extra step beyond the application, and it informs approval, not price. The rate is a flat 3% either way: credit can affect whether we approve the bond, never what it costs.
When does it renew? +
Terms run 1, 2, or 3 years — your choice at purchase. You'll get renewal notices 60 and 30 days before expiration, with autopay available, and the bond must stay active for your dealer license to stay valid.
Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

WisDOT is waiting on one document.

$1,500 flat, five-minute application, e-signed bond in 1–2 business days. Free until issued.

Your premium @ 3%$1,500
Apply now →