Maryland Motor Vehicle Title Bond

What a Maryland title bond does

When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Maryland will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under Md. Code, Transportation § 13-109(a), the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Maryland calls a issuance of title 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 Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA), Vehicle Services, Glen Burnie 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. Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) 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 Maryland?

Maryland 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. The value of the vehicle as determined by the Motor Vehicle Administration, which supplies the figure to the applicant.

How to get a bonded title in Maryland

1. Under § 13-109 the MVA may register the vehicle and either withhold the title until proof is furnished or require a bond of 1.5 times the value.
2. In practice the applicant confirms with an MVA branch that a bond is required and obtains the MVA's value, has a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate issued within 90 days, and files the VR-005, proof of ownership (bill of sale or canceled check), proof of purchase price, odometer statement, lien information and the executed bond with the power of attorney.
3. Light trailers of 2,500 lbs GVW or less may be registered without a title.

Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. 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.

Maryland title bond FAQ

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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 →