Nebraska Motor Vehicle Title Bond

What a Nebraska title bond does

When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Nebraska will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-167, the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Nebraska calls a bonded certificate of 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 Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, Driver and Vehicle Records Division, Lincoln 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. Nebraska Department 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 Nebraska?

Nebraska 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 as determined by the Nebraska DMV using reasonable appraisal methods.

How to get a bonded title in Nebraska

1. A Nebraska record search and prior-state search come first; if a titled owner or lienholder exists, certified letters with return receipt demanding a duplicate or assignment or a lien release, with a 30-day response window.
2. A sheriff's Vehicle Inspection Certificate (valid 90 days), a photo of the vehicle, the original acquisition documents or an affidavit, an assigned ID number if a VIN plate is required, and the $50 application and title fee complete the package.
3. The bond must be issued within 30 days before title issuance and the whole application filed within 30 days of the bond date; the bond needs a Nebraska resident agent signature.
4. The title carries an UNDISCLOSED INTEREST notice with the bond number.
5. A separate form exists for motorboats.

Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, Driver and Vehicle Records Division, Lincoln. 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.

Nebraska 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 →