Why you cannot just order a duplicate
Every state issues duplicate titles only to the person named on the record, which is still the seller. Unless the seller will apply for the duplicate and sign it over again, the DMV has an assignment it never saw and an applicant it cannot verify. A certificate of title surety bond (the industry's lost title bond) fills that gap: it guarantees your claim so the state can issue a title in your name without the lost document.
What to try before bonding
- Ask the seller to apply for a duplicate and re-assign it. In most states this is a one-page form and a fee under $30. Many sellers will do it if you pay the fee.
- Check whether your purchase paperwork is enough. California accepts a REG 256 Statement of Facts with a diligent-effort statement when the vehicle is worth under $5,000; Montana needs no bond under $1,000 or for vehicles 30 years and older; Iowa needs none for a vehicle worth $1,000 or less that is 12 model years or older; Tennessee needs none at $3,000 or less or for vehicles 30 years and older; Wyoming needs none under $2,500.
- If neither works, bond it.
The lost title bond file
The surety wants proof you bought the vehicle: a bill of sale, a canceled check, a money order receipt, a photo of the signed-over title if you ever took one, the seller's name and last known address. The DMV wants its own package first: a VIN inspection in most states, an affidavit of facts (North Carolina MVR-92H, Florida HSMV 82026, Arizona 40-1001, Texas VTR-130-SOF), and in some states certified letters to the owner of record. The bond is sized at the state multiplier times the vehicle's value: 1.5× in Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Washington, New York and most others, 2× in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, and 1× in California.
The brand and the term
The title you receive carries a brand (BONDED, BOND POSTED, UNDISCLOSED INTEREST) for the statutory term: three years nearly everywhere, four in Georgia, five in Connecticut and Wisconsin, seven on Utah's form. If the lost title surfaces during the term, surrender both and the state issues a clean title and releases the bond early in most states. If it never surfaces, the brand drops when the term ends with no claim.
Cost
$20 per $1,000 of bond, $100 minimum, plus the $85 administrative fee, charged once. A $7,000 bond costs $225.00 total. Bonds of $25,000 and up are quoted by an underwriter.
Frequently asked
I lost the title but it was already in my name. Do I need a bond?
The seller signed the title but I never signed as buyer. Does that matter?
Can the DMV refuse the bond?
Primary sources
Content last reviewed November 5, 2026.
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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.