Trailer and Camper Title Bonds

First question: does your state title this trailer?

Many states do not title light trailers, and a trailer that is not titled cannot be bonded; it registers on a bill of sale. The cutoffs: Colorado exempts trailers of 2,000 lbs or less from bonding (Form DR 2908); Washington exempts trailers under 2,000 lbs from the State Patrol inspection; New Hampshire does not title trailers under 3,001 lbs; Maryland registers light trailers of 2,500 lbs GVW or less without a title; Kansas titles trailers of 2,000 lbs or less on a TR-90 affidavit; Alaska uses a certified weight slip for trailers under 500 lbs; New York does not title trailers of model year 1972 and older or 999 lbs and under; Alabama does not title trailers more than 20 model years old. Heavier trailers, horse trailers, car haulers and travel trailers are titled nearly everywhere and are bonded like any vehicle.

How the bond is sized for a trailer

Texas is the one state with fixed trailer values: $4,000 for a trailer under 20 feet and $7,000 for 20 feet and over, times 1.5, so $6,000 and $11,000 bonds. Everywhere else the ordinary rule applies, value times the state multiplier; trailer values come from a dealer appraisal or the DMV's determination because the price guides are thin. Illinois's rule names licensed trailer dealers among the appraisers it accepts, and Alaska waives the valuation printout requirement for RVs and trailers.

Travel trailers, campers and RVs

These are titled everywhere and carry real value, so they are the trailer files most often bonded. Alabama's fixed schedule puts RVs in the truck class ($25,000 to $100,000 by age). Florida excludes RVs from its bonded title procedure along with trucks of 8,000 lbs and over, so a Florida RV without a title has no bond route. Idaho's indemnifying affidavit covers campers that have never been titled. Washington exempts older travel trailers and campers from the State Patrol inspection but still bonds them.

Homebuilt trailers

A trailer you built or bought from someone who built it has no manufacturer's certificate of origin. Most states assign a VIN after an inspection and then title it on an affidavit without a bond; Arizona's bonded title affidavit lists "homebuilt without receipts" as a bond reason, and Nebraska charges $20 for an assigned ID number when a VIN plate is needed. Ask the state before buying a bond.

Cost

Trailer bonds are usually small. A $3,000 utility trailer in a 1.5× state needs a $5,000 bond (after the state's rounding) and costs $185.00; a Texas trailer under 20 feet needs $6,000 and costs $205.00.

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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 →