Alabama A $10,000 surety bond is required for all used motor vehicle dealers, rebuilders, reconditioners and wholesalers. A $25,000 surety bond is required for all new motor vehicle dealers. A $10,000 bond is required for all automotive dismantlers and parts recyclers.

Alaska $50,000 bond required; $25,000 for motorcycle dealers.

Arizona Surety bond of no more than $100,000 for each type of license for each county where dealer has established business; required for each location.

Arkansas Franchise dealers must post a $25,000 bond with the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission to obtain a license. Used car dealers must post a $25,000 bond with the State Police.

California $50,000 bond required.

Colorado A $30,000 bond must be posted upon application for license.

Connecticut Required; $5,000 for repairers and limited repairers; $20,000 for new and used vehicle dealers. Submitted in the name of the licensee prior to license issuance.

Delaware There are no bond requirements for dealers.

District of Columbia A $10,000 bond is required; filed with the Department of Consumer Regulatory Affairs.

Florida All motor vehicle and mobile home dealers are required to file a $25,000 Surety Bond. An irrevocable letter of credit may be substituted for a motor vehicle dealer’s bond. Recreational vehicle dealers require a $10,000 bond. For more than four additional lots, MH dealers require $50,000 bond, and RV dealers require $20,000 bond.

Georgia A $20,000 bond is required of all vehicle dealers.

Hawaii Bond not required.

Idaho A $10,000 bond is required for dealers who sell only motorcycles, ATVs and snow machines; $20,000 for all others.

Illinois $20,000 for 36 months.

Indiana Bond not required.

Iowa A $50,000 motor vehicle or mobile/manufactured home retailer Surety Bond must be filed with the Department of Transportation on annual basis. $25,000 Travel Trailer Dealer Surety Bond.

Kansas New and Used Dealer - $30,000 required, all others optional.

Kentucky $15,000 may be required.

Louisiana A $20,000 bond for new vehicle dealers; $10,000 for used vehicle dealers.

Maine Required for all dealers except light trailer and equipment dealers. Bond amount is established by the number of vehicles sold by the dealership:

  Vehicles Sold Bond Limits 
  0-50 $5,000 
  51-100 $10,000 
  101-150 $15,000 
  151-200 $20,000 
  201 and over $25,000 

Maryland Based upon sales volume, surety is required for all dealers.

Massachusetts Class II dealers must post $25,000 bond.

Michigan $10,000 bond required.

Minnesota A $50,000 must be filed by all dealers; $5,000 for boat, snowmobile, trailer and motorized bicycle dealers.

Mississippi A $15,000 Designated Agent’s Surety Bond is required for all licensed dealers. Filed with the application for a dealer’s license.

Missouri A $25,000 Corporate Surety Bond.

Montana Franchised dealers, used car dealers, recreational vehicle dealers, auto auctions, wholesalers and trailer dealers who sell mobile homes, house trailers and commercial trailers are required to post $50,000 bond. Motorcycle dealers must post $15,000 bond.

Nebraska $25,000 bond is required.

Nevada A $50,000 Surety Bond is required.

New Hampshire A $20,000 to $10,000 depreciating bond, or a $100,000 blanket bond through the New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association. The two dealer categories are Bonded and Licensed. Bonded dealers are not issued dealer plates.

New Jersey A $10,000 Surety Bond is required.

New Mexico A $20,000 corporate Surety Bond is required for auto dealers, salvage dealers, manufacturers, mobile home dealers and motorcycle dealers. A $12,500 bond is required for motorcycle dealers; no bond for boat dealers.

New York Dealers selling 200 vehicles or fewer in the previous calendar year require a surety bond in the amount of $10,000. Dealers selling more than 200 vehicles in the previous calendar year require a surety bond in the amount of $25,000. New dealer applications are required to obtain a $50,000 surety bond.

North Carolina A $50,000 indemnity bond.

North Dakota All motor vehicle dealers are required to maintain a $25,000 Surety Bond with the department. All mobile home trailer and motorcycle dealers must maintain $10,000 surety bond.

Ohio Not required of certain new and used motor vehicles. 25,000 for title defect bond statute. Dealers in business 3 years or less are required to have a bond to sell vehicles without title present. After 3 years in business, they may join the OH Title Defect Rescission Fund. Call 800-364-8833 for bonds and/or more information.

Oklahoma $15,000 bond on used car dealer, $10,000 bond is required on new car dealers, $25,000 on wholesale dealers, and $30,000 on manufactured home dealers.

Oregon A $40,000 for each year the certificate is valid.

Pennsylvania A $20,000 bond is required by dealers for most dealer categories.

Rhode Island All dealers must post a $15,000 Surety Bond with the Dealers License Commission.

South Carolina A $30,000 surety bond is required for all dealers except wholesale Auto Auction. Motocycle only and Travel Trailer only.

South Dakota Required. Amounts are: $25,000 bond for new and used vehicle dealers; $5,000 for motorcycle dealer; $10,000 for trailer dealers (required only for dealers who sell trailers weighing over 2,000 lbs.); $25,000 for mobile home dealers; $5,000 for snowmobile dealers.

Tennessee Bond is filed with Motor Vehicle Dealer Commission.

Texas A $25,000 surety is required for motor vehicle, motorcycle and wholesale auction dealers for the licensed period unless the dealer is a franchised dealer or trailer dealer.

Utah Required. A $50,000 corporate surety bond for new or used vehicle dealers. A $1,000 corporate surety bond for new or used motorcycle or small trailer (750 lbs. unladen weight or less) dealers.

Vermont Bond requirements. New and used car dealers must provide bond based on number of sales and must have real estate value of not less than $5,000 or more than $15,000.

Virginia Original licensees are required to furnish $25,000 bond for the first three years in business. Bond required until dealership has three consecutive years without a claim against the bond or fund.

Washington $30,000 for motor vehicle dealers; $30,000 for mobile homes and travel trailer dealers. $5,000 for miscellaneous dealers.

West Virginia A $10,000 bond is required for all dealers. Renewal licenses require a new Dealer Surety Bond (Form MV-126-DS-P).

Wisconsin A $5,000 to $100,000 bond may be required, if there is reason to doubt the financial responsibility or compliance of dealership.

Wyoming A $25,000 Dealer Bond is required at the time of application for a license.