Washington Motor Vehicle Title Bond

What a Washington title bond does

When you hold a vehicle but cannot produce a properly assigned certificate of title, Washington will not issue a new title on your word alone. Under RCW 46.12.680, the state accepts a surety bond in place of the missing proof of ownership. The bond, which Washington calls a ownership in doubt, 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 Washington State Department of Licensing (through county auditors and vehicle licensing offices) 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. Washington State Department of Licensing (through county auditors and vehicle licensing offices) 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 Washington?

Washington 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 Department of Licensing using its automated valuing system, a published appraisal guide, a licensed dealer or appraisal company appraisal on letterhead, the insured amount, the purchase price plus documented repairs, or another DOL-approved source.

How to get a bonded title in Washington

1. An applicant without satisfactory ownership evidence may choose a three-year registration without title, a bonded title, or a court judgment.
2. A bond is mandatory if the applicant is a Washington licensed dealer or a lien appears on the Washington record.
3. Requirements: certified letters to the owners of record with return receipts, an affidavit signed by all owners, a Washington State Patrol VIN inspection unless exempt (mopeds, trailers under 2,000 lbs, older travel trailers and campers, mobile homes), VIN verified before the bond is issued, and the title marked BONDED.
4. Excluded: abandoned or unauthorized vehicles, snowmobiles and Washington dealer sales.
5. The vehicle must have been acquired from the owner of record or an interim owner.

Once the bond is in hand, file it with the title application at Washington State Department of Licensing. 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.

Washington 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 →