Two numbers, two owners
People ask "how much is a title bond" and mean two different things. The bond amount (the penal sum) is set by the state as a multiple of the vehicle's value; it is the maximum the surety would pay a claimant. The premium is what you pay the surety for standing behind you, and it is a small fraction of the bond amount. On this platform the premium is $20 per $1,000 of bond amount with a $100 minimum, charged once for the entire statutory term (three years in most states), plus an $85 administrative fee that you consent to in the application. There are no renewals, no installments and no refunds; the premium is fully earned when the bond is executed.
Worked examples
- $5,000 bond (a $3,300 car in a 1.5× state): premium $100.00, total $185.00
- $9,000 bond ($6,000 car, 1.5×): premium $180.00, total $265.00
- $16,000 bond ($8,000 car in a 2× state): premium $320.00, total $405.00
- $24,000 bond: premium $480.00, total $565.00, the largest bond issued instantly online
- $25,000 and up: quoted by an underwriter after review of a personal financial statement; the same $20 rate applies to clean files
Every state, same $8,500 vehicle
The table shows what an $8,500 vehicle produces in each bonded-title state after the multiplier, the state minimum and rounding to the next $1,000, with the all-in cost.
| State | Multiplier | Minimum | Term | $8,500 vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Fixed schedule | $5,000 to $100,000 | 3 yrs | varies by class |
| Alaska | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Arizona | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Arkansas | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| California | 1× | — | 3 yrs | $9,000 bond · $265.00 |
| Colorado | 2× | — | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Connecticut | 2× | — | 5 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Florida | 2× | — | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Georgia | 2× | $5,000 | 4 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Idaho | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Illinois | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Iowa | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Maine | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Maryland | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Massachusetts | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Michigan | 2× | — | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Minnesota | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Mississippi | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Missouri | 2× | $100 | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Montana | 1× | — | 3 yrs | $9,000 bond · $265.00 |
| Nebraska | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Nevada | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| New Hampshire | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| New Mexico | 2× | — | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| New York | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| North Carolina | 1.5× | $100 | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Rhode Island | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| South Dakota | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Tennessee | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Texas | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Utah | 2× | — | 7 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
| Vermont | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Washington | 1.5× | — | 3 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Wisconsin | 1.5× | $2,500 | 5 yrs | $13,000 bond · $345.00 |
| Wyoming | 2× | — | 3 yrs | $17,000 bond · $425.00 |
Thresholds and caps (Montana, Wyoming, Tennessee, Utah, California, Missouri) are applied on each state page and in the calculator; the table assumes a bond is required.
What is not in the price
State title and registration fees, sales or use tax (Michigan assesses use tax on half the bond amount or the purchase price, whichever is higher), inspection fees, appraisal fees, certified mail and record search charges. Those go to the state, the appraiser or the post office, not to the surety.
Cost questions
Is the title bond premium refundable?
Do I pay every year?
Does the premium depend on my credit?
What is the smallest title bond premium?
Why the administrative fee is separate
The $85 fee covers the work of executing the bond on the state's form, attaching the power of attorney, notarizing where required and shipping the original. It is disclosed on the quote and in the application, and you consent to it before paying. We would rather show it than bury it in the rate.
Where the multipliers come from
- Texas, 1.5× · Florida, 2× · Georgia, 2×, $5,000 minimum · North Carolina, 1.5×, $100 minimum
- Michigan TR-121, 2× · Colorado, not less than 2× · Missouri, 2×, $100 minimum, $3,000 value cap
- California, 1×, $5,000 value threshold · Montana, 1×, $1,000 threshold · Alabama fixed schedule
- Wisconsin, 1.5×, $2,500 minimum, 5 years · Connecticut, 2×, 5 years · Utah TC-824, 2×, 7 years
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 →
Instant 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.