Arkansas key facts
- What Arkansas calls it: Bonded Title
- Bond amount: 1.5× vehicle value, rounded up to the next $1,000
- Valuation source: Value as determined by the Commissioner. The Office of Motor Vehicle's Bonded Title unit sets the bond amount in its Letter of Approval after reviewing the Statement of Fact application.
- Term: 3 years, irrevocable; released after 3 years unless an action on the bond is pending.
- Authority: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-409; Ark. DFA Regulation 1993-3 (Bonded Title Regulation)
- Bond form: Form 10-345 Issuance of Bonded Title (Statement of Fact), mailed to OMV Bonded Titles, P.O. Box 1272, Little Rock, AR 72203; the bond form is issued by OMV with the Letter of Approval
- Agency: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle
- Premium: $20 per $1,000 of bond ($100 minimum) + $85 administrative fee, paid once for the full term
What a Arkansas title bond does
When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Arkansas will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-409, the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Arkansas calls a bonded title, 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 Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle 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. Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration 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 Arkansas?
Arkansas 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. Value as determined by the Commissioner. The Office of Motor Vehicle's Bonded Title unit sets the bond amount in its Letter of Approval after reviewing the Statement of Fact application.
How to get a bonded title in Arkansas
- Submit the Statement of Fact with a bill of sale and a VIN verification by Arkansas law enforcement or the State Police.
- OMV checks its records and issues a Letter of Approval (typically 10 to 25 business days) stating the bond amount.
- The bond must be filed and the title and registration applied for within 30 days of the bond's effective date; late applications are not accepted.
- The vehicle must be in the applicant's possession or legal control.
- Excluded: junked or branded titles, storage or mechanic's lien vehicles, stolen vehicles and vehicles in ownership litigation.
- Covers motor vehicles, mobile homes and ATVs (separate regulation).
Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle. 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.
Arkansas title bond FAQ
How much is a title bond in Arkansas?
What does Arkansas call the bond?
Who sets the vehicle value in Arkansas?
How long does a Arkansas bonded title bond last?
Which form does Arkansas use?
Can I get a Arkansas title bond with bad credit?
Primary sources
- Ark. Code Ann. § 27-14-409; Ark. DFA Regulation 1993-3 (Bonded Title Regulation)
- Official form: Form 10-345 Issuance of Bonded Title (Statement of Fact), mailed to OMV Bonded Titles, P.O. Box 1272, Little Rock, AR 72203
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle
- dfa.arkansas.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 →
Arkansas 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.
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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.