Utah key facts
- What Utah calls it: Insufficient Evidence of Ownership Bond; Defective Title Bond
- Bond amount: 2.0× vehicle value, rounded up to the next $1,000. No bond is required at or below $3,000
- Valuation source: The Utah DMV (Tax Commission) determines fair market value from photographs, repair orders and the ownership statement; the applicant must prove a value under $3,000 to avoid the bond.
- Term: The TC-824 bond form runs 7 years from the date of execution.
- Authority: Utah Admin. Code R873-22M-2(10); Utah Code Title 41, Ch. 1a
- Bond form: TC-824 Insufficient Evidence of Ownership (Defective Title) Surety Bond; TC-569A Ownership Statement; TC-656 Application for Utah Title; TC-661 Certificate of Inspection
- Agency: Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Compliance Services)
- Premium: $20 per $1,000 of bond ($100 minimum) + $85 administrative fee, paid once for the full term
What a Utah title bond does
When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Utah will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under Utah Admin. Code R873-22M-2(10), the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Utah calls a insufficient evidence of ownership 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 Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Compliance Services) 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. Utah State Tax Commission 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 Utah?
Utah fixes the penal sum at 2.0× 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 $17,000 bond carries a premium of $340.00, plus the $85 administrative fee, for a total of $425.00 covering the full 7-year term. Nothing renews and nothing is refunded; the premium is fully earned when the bond is executed.
Where the value comes from. The Utah DMV (Tax Commission) determines fair market value from photographs, repair orders and the ownership statement; the applicant must prove a value under $3,000 to avoid the bond.
How to get a bonded title in Utah
- The vehicle must be located in Utah.
- Submit photographs of all sides inside and out, the TC-569A ownership statement (why there is no title, how the vehicle was acquired, liens and condition), a VIN inspection (TC-661 unless Utah-registered), bills of sale and the TC-656, by mail or email to Vehicle Compliance.
- The DMV may require a TC-824 bond of twice the fair market value when the value exceeds $3,000, and notifies the applicant.
- Covers cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, watercraft, trailers and unaffixed mobile homes.
- Dealers, storage operators and lienholders must first run the 30-day certified-letter process, and out-of-state vehicles are ineligible.
Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles. 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.
Utah title bond FAQ
How much is a title bond in Utah?
What does Utah call the bond?
Who sets the vehicle value in Utah?
How long does a Utah bonded title bond last?
Which form does Utah use?
Can I get a Utah title bond with bad credit?
Primary sources
- Utah Admin. Code R873-22M-2(10); Utah Code Title 41, Ch. 1a
- Official form: TC-824 Insufficient Evidence of Ownership (Defective Title) Surety Bond
- Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (Vehicle Compliance Services)
- dmv.utah.gov
Statutes, rules and forms change. Content last reviewed November 5, 2026; confirm the current requirement with the agency before buying a bond when the DMV has not yet stated your amount. Confidence in this page's figures: medium-high.
Related state pages
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 →
Utah 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.
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Questions about an unusual file: an out-of-state record, a lien that will not release, a vehicle over $25,000 in bond?
Paper route
Prefer to print? Vehicle Title Bond Application (PDF), Bill of Sale template and, for bonds of $25,000 and greater, the Personal Financial Statement. Email the package to Underwriting@SuretyOne.com.