Alaska key facts
- What Alaska calls it: Vehicle Title Surety Bond; No Proof of Ownership (Surety Bond)
- Bond amount: 1.5× vehicle value, rounded up to the next $1,000
- Valuation source: A bona fide appraisal of fair market retail value on DMV Form 825 by a licensed dealer, insurance appraiser or bank. The appraiser must physically inspect the vehicle in Alaska, the appraisal can be no older than 90 days, and a KBB, NADA or similar valuation printout must be attached (except for RVs and trailers). The appraiser cannot be the applicant or the seller.
- Term: 3 years, non-cancelable; released at 3 years or earlier if the vehicle is no longer registered in Alaska and the title is surrendered, extended 45 days past a final decision if an action on the bond is pending.
- Authority: Alaska Stat. § 28.10.216; 2 AAC 92.010(b)
- Bond form: Form 824 No Proof or Inadequate Proof of Ownership packet (Vehicle Title Surety Bond, 3 Year Non-Cancelable, and Affidavit of Ownership); Form 825 Vehicle Appraisal Form for Surety Bond; Form 811 Vehicle Inspection; Form 870 Manufactured Home Surety Bond
- Agency: Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles
- Premium: $20 per $1,000 of bond ($100 minimum) + $85 administrative fee, paid once for the full term
What a Alaska title bond does
When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Alaska will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under Alaska Stat. § 28.10.216, the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Alaska calls a vehicle title surety bond, promises that anyone who later proves a better claim to the vehicle (a prior owner, a lienholder, a subsequent purchaser) will be paid their loss up to the bond amount. On the strength of that promise Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles issues a title in your name. It is a real title: you can register, insure, drive and sell the vehicle. The only difference is a brand on the face of the title that lapses when the bond term runs without a claim.
Three parties sign on. You are the principal. Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles and every potential claimant are the obligees. Surety One, Inc. is the surety that guarantees your claim. If the surety ever pays, it looks to you under the indemnity agreement in the application, which is why we ask for evidence of how you came to possess the vehicle before issuing.
How much bond do you need in Alaska?
Alaska fixes the penal sum at 1.5× vehicle value. We round up to the next $1,000 because sureties issue in whole thousands and the DMV never objects to a bond that exceeds the requirement.
At $20 per $1,000 that $13,000 bond carries a premium of $260.00, plus the $85 administrative fee, for a total of $345.00 covering the full 3-year term. Nothing renews and nothing is refunded; the premium is fully earned when the bond is executed.
Where the value comes from. A bona fide appraisal of fair market retail value on DMV Form 825 by a licensed dealer, insurance appraiser or bank. The appraiser must physically inspect the vehicle in Alaska, the appraisal can be no older than 90 days, and a KBB, NADA or similar valuation printout must be attached (except for RVs and trailers). The appraiser cannot be the applicant or the seller.
How to get a bonded title in Alaska
- The vehicle must be physically in Alaska and inspected by a DMV representative or peace officer (Form 811), and must be complete, operational and street legal.
- Applies to all vehicles and trailers over 500 lbs.
- Not available for abandoned vehicles, tow, storage or mechanic lien vehicles, or foreign vehicles without customs documents.
- ATVs and snowmachines are not titled.
- Manufactured homes use Form 870 on the same 1.5x, 3-year basis.
- Appraisal rules were tightened effective May 7, 2025 (Form 825 is now mandatory).
Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. The executed bond carries the surety's power of attorney, is signed and witnessed as the state requires, and matches the vehicle description on your application exactly. Any discrepancy between the bond and the application (a transposed VIN digit, a name that does not match your ID) is the most common reason a bonded title is rejected.
Alaska title bond FAQ
How much is a title bond in Alaska?
What does Alaska call the bond?
Who sets the vehicle value in Alaska?
How long does a Alaska bonded title bond last?
Which form does Alaska use?
Can I get a Alaska title bond with bad credit?
Primary sources
- Alaska Stat. § 28.10.216; 2 AAC 92.010(b)
- Official form: Form 824 No Proof or Inadequate Proof of Ownership packet (Vehicle Title Surety Bond, 3 Year Non-Cancelable, and Affidavit of Ownership)
- Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles
- dmv.alaska.gov
Statutes, rules and forms change. Content last reviewed November 5, 2026; confirm the current requirement with the agency before buying a bond when the DMV has not yet stated your amount. Confidence in this page's figures: high.
Related state pages
Written and reviewed by C. Constantin Poindexter, MA, JD, CPCU, AFSB, ASLI, ARe, AINS, AIS, CPLP, founder of Surety One, Inc. and CEO of Janus Assurance Re, with more than thirty years of surety and reinsurance underwriting experience. Author of The Contractor's Guide to Surety Bonds. Reflects state law and DMV practice as of November 5, 2026. More about the author →
Alaska title bond quote
Pick the state, enter the vehicle's value, and the statutory multiplier does the rest. Rounded up to the next $1,000.
Talk to an underwriter
Questions about an unusual file: an out-of-state record, a lien that will not release, a vehicle over $25,000 in bond?
Paper route
Prefer to print? Vehicle Title Bond Application (PDF), Bill of Sale template and, for bonds of $25,000 and greater, the Personal Financial Statement. Email the package to Underwriting@SuretyOne.com.