To get a bonded title in Minnesota, you buy a surety bond equal to 1.5 times your vehicle’s value, complete a due diligence affidavit showing you tried to find any prior owner or lienholder, and submit both with a title application in person at a deputy registrar office. The vehicle has to be at least six model years old. Expect total out-of-pocket costs between roughly $300 and $500 for a mid-value vehicle, and expect the “BONDED” brand to stay on the title for three years before you can request a clean one.
Check the Vehicle Age First
Minnesota only allows the bonded title process for vehicles whose model year is more than five years before the year you apply. Applying in 2026 means the vehicle must be a 2020 model or older.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 168A.07 – Conditional Registration
If your vehicle is newer than that, DVS cannot issue a bonded title. The alternative is petitioning a court for an order directing DVS to issue a certificate of title, which costs more and takes longer.
Complete the Due Diligence Affidavit
Before DVS issues a bonded title, you have to show a genuine effort to locate the prior owner or lienholder. The statute requires a signed affidavit stating you used due diligence but couldn’t determine the names or locations of one or more owners, prior owners, or lienholders, or couldn’t successfully contact them.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 168A.07 – Conditional Registration
DVS uses Form PS2026, the Affidavit Regarding Due Diligence. You pick it up at your local deputy registrar office. It must be notarized and must confirm that you are an owner of the vehicle, that you have physical possession of it, and that the vehicle is six model years or older.
At your visit, the deputy registrar runs a vehicle record search using the VIN. If a record exists, you use the PS2026 affidavit. If no record is found at all, you use a Statement of Facts form instead, which requires both your signature and the seller’s signature. That means the Statement of Facts route only works if you can still reach the person who sold you the vehicle.
Gather Documents, Photos, and a Valuation
Pull together the vehicle’s VIN, make, model, year, and current odometer reading. Collect whatever ownership evidence you have: a bill of sale is the strongest informal proof, but previous registration documents, a receipt, or an affidavit of heirship for an inherited vehicle also support your claim.
Take five photos of the vehicle: one from each of the four sides and one clear shot of the VIN plate. Shoot in good lighting with the full vehicle visible.
The valuation matters because it drives the bond amount. Your deputy registrar office handles it, usually referencing NADA Guides or Kelley Blue Book, and you’ll need to provide a printout from one of those sources. In some cases DVS may require a professional appraisal, which can run from about $100 to several hundred dollars. If the vehicle’s condition legitimately puts it below book price, because of mechanical problems, high mileage, or body damage, bring documentation of that. A lower appraisal means a smaller bond and a smaller premium.
Buy the Surety Bond
Minnesota law requires the bond to equal 1.5 times the vehicle’s value as determined by DVS.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 168A.07 – Conditional Registration A $5,000 vehicle needs a $7,500 bond. A $10,000 vehicle needs a $15,000 bond.
You don’t pay the bond amount out of pocket. You pay a premium to a surety company, and the company backs the full amount for the three-year term. Premiums generally start at $100 for bond amounts up to $6,000. Above that, expect to pay roughly $15 per $1,000 of coverage. A vehicle valued at $8,000 needs a $12,000 bond, which runs about $180. Bonds over $50,000 typically require individual underwriting and cost more.
The deputy registrar provides the bond form (Form PS2052). Take it to any surety company authorized to do business in Minnesota, buy the bond, and have it notarized. The surety company returns the completed bond to you for submission with your title application.
Submit the Application In Person
Bonded title applications cannot be mailed. Bring the complete package to a deputy registrar office:
- The completed Application to Title and Register a Motor Vehicle (Form PS2000), signed by you and, if applicable, by the seller in Section C, or accompanied by a bill of sale that includes the VIN, year, make, buyer’s name, and purchase date
- The notarized surety bond (Form PS2052)
- The notarized Affidavit Regarding Due Diligence (Form PS2026), or a Statement of Facts if no vehicle record was found
- Ownership evidence such as a bill of sale, prior registration, or receipts
- Five vehicle photos showing all four sides and the VIN plate
- Valuation proof: a printout from NADA, Kelley Blue Book, or a professional appraisal
Fees You’ll Pay at the Counter
On top of the bond premium, standard title and registration charges apply.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Fees
- Filing fee: $12
- Title fee: $8.25
- Technology surcharge: $2.25
- Deputy registrar surcharge: $1
You’ll also owe sales tax on the vehicle’s purchase price (Minnesota’s general sales tax rate is 6.5%, plus any local taxes) and registration tax based on the vehicle’s value and age. For a vehicle valued at $5,000, total out-of-pocket costs across the bond premium, title fees, sales tax, and registration tax commonly run $300 to $500 or more.
After You Apply
Processing typically takes two to four weeks after the deputy registrar accepts your package. DVS may contact you if anything is missing. When approved, the certificate of title arrives by mail with “BONDED” printed on it. That title works normally for registration and insurance, but anyone checking title history will see that ownership was established through a bond.
The bond stays active for three years from its effective date. During that period, anyone with a legitimate ownership claim or lien can file against the bond.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 168A.07 – Conditional Registration If no claims are filed and no legal action is pending at the end of three years, DVS releases the bond.
What Happens if Someone Files a Claim
This is the risk of the bonded route. If a prior owner or lienholder surfaces during the three-year period and proves a valid interest, the surety company pays the claim up to the bond amount, then comes after you to recover what it paid. The bond protects the claimant, not you.
Claims are uncommon in practice. Most bonded titles involve vehicles where the prior owner truly can’t be found or has no continuing interest. But if you have any reason to suspect the vehicle might be stolen or that a lienholder is still owed money, a bonded title won’t shield you from that liability. DVS also won’t issue a bonded title if it’s been notified of pending legal action related to the vehicle’s ownership.
Removing the Bonded Brand
After three years with no claims, you can apply to remove the “BONDED” brand. It isn’t automatic. Visit a deputy registrar office and request a new certificate of title. Once the brand is removed, the title looks and functions like any standard Minnesota title. If you registered the vehicle in another state during the bond period and surrendered the Minnesota title, the bond can also be released early.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes Section 168A.07 – Conditional Registration