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MMBONDING
California DMV

California Bonded Title (DMV Title Bond)

Cannot prove ownership of a vehicle? A DMV title bond, also called a bonded title, lets you register and title it. It is written on form REG 5057 for the vehicle's fair market value. We issue them fast and inexpensively.

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Key facts
Bond amount
The vehicle's fair market value
Authority
California DMV
Statute
California DMV form REG 5057

The premium is a percentage of the bond amount, set by underwriting. The figures above are the bond amounts, not what you pay.

Illustration for the California Bonded Title (DMV Title Bond)

What it is

A title bond lets you obtain a California title when you cannot produce the normal evidence of ownership. It protects previous owners and lienholders if a valid claim arises. The DMV requires it on form REG 5057, the Motor Vehicle Ownership Surety Bond, when the vehicle is worth $5,000 or more, and the penal sum is the vehicle's fair market value rather than a figure from a schedule.

Who needs it

  • Vehicle owners with a missing, lost, or defective title
  • Buyers who received a vehicle without a proper title

Bond amounts and requirements are general guidance and can change. Confirm the current requirement with the listed agency before you file. We will quote your exact bond.

Tough credit or a prior claim? It's welcome here. See how we place hard-to-place surety bonds, or get a quote and we'll place your exact bond.

Questions

Bonded Title FAQs

How much does a bonded title cost in California?
The bond amount equals the vehicle's fair market value, and you pay only a small premium on that amount rather than the amount itself. On an ordinary passenger car that premium is modest, which makes this one of the cheaper bonds we place. Tell us the DMV's value figure and we will quote it.
When does the DMV require a bonded title?
When you cannot produce the normal evidence of ownership and the vehicle is worth $5,000 or more. Below that threshold the DMV has other routes. The bond is the path for a missing, lost, or defective title where the paper trail cannot be rebuilt.
What is form REG 5057?
The Motor Vehicle Ownership Surety Bond, the DMV's own bond form for a bonded title. The bond has to be written on it; a surety's generic form will be rejected. The surety must also be admitted in California, which is a real constraint rather than a formality.
How is the bond amount decided?
It is the vehicle's fair market value, not a fixed schedule and not what you paid. The DMV establishes the value, so get that figure from them before ordering the bond. A bond written for the wrong penal sum gets rejected and you pay to do it again.
How long does a California bonded title last?
The vehicle carries the bonded status for three years from the date the bonded title was issued. After that, with no valid claim, the owner applies to the DMV for a clean title. The clock does not restart if the vehicle is sold, so a buyer inherits the remaining time rather than a fresh term.
Can I sell a vehicle with a bonded title?
Yes. The bonded status transfers with the vehicle and the remaining part of the three-year period carries over rather than starting again. Expect to disclose it and expect it to affect price, because a buyer is taking on a title that is not yet clean.
Why was my title bond rejected?
The most common cause is signatures. The DMV requires the surety's signature to be original and notarized, and rejects preprinted surety signatures and preprinted notary acknowledgments. The other frequent cause is a penal sum that does not match the DMV's value figure.
What does a title bond protect against?
A prior owner or a lienholder who turns up with a legitimate claim to the vehicle. It protects them, not you. If the surety pays such a claim, you reimburse it, so the bond makes registration possible without extinguishing anyone else's rights.
How fast can I get a title bond?
Often the same day once you have the DMV's required amount. It is a fixed-amount bond with no financial review. Because the form needs an original notarized surety signature, allow for delivery of the physical bond rather than assuming an emailed copy will do.
Can I get a title bond with bad credit?
Usually, yes. Title bonds are small and rarely credit-sensitive, so a thin file or past credit trouble is not normally an obstacle. On a high-value vehicle the penal sum rises and underwriting tightens accordingly, but ordinary vehicles are routine.
Do I need a bonded title for an abandoned vehicle on my property?
Possibly not. California has separate lien-sale procedures for vehicles left on private property, and that route may fit better than a bonded title. Confirm which applies with the DMV before buying a bond, because the wrong instrument does not get you a title.
Is a bonded title the same as a clean title?
No. A bonded title lets you register, insure, and sell the vehicle, but it is marked and carries the three-year bond period. It becomes a clean title only after that period passes without a valid claim and the owner applies to the DMV for one.

Doing this for the first time? This page covers the bond. For the rest of the process, read the full bonded-title process at the DMV.

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