Bonded Title in Texas: Steps, Forms and Cost

How a Texas bonded title works under TxDMV rules: the value, the forms, the deadline and the fee.

Try a copy first

If the title was ever in your name, a certified copy is far cheaper: $2 by mail or $5.45 in person on form VTR-34 (TxDMV). The bonded title route is for a vehicle that was never titled to you.

How the bond amount is set

Texas requires a bond for "1 ½ times the value of the vehicle". TxDMV uses its Standard Presumptive Value, then a price guide, and if neither applies, an appraisal on form VTR-125.

Steps

Send TxDMV form VTR-130-SOF with your evidence of ownership, such as a bill of sale, a canceled check or the old title, and the $15 fee.
If the vehicle has no Texas record, get a law-enforcement VIN inspection on form VTR-68-A.
TxDMV reviews the file and sends a notice (VTR-130-ND) with the bond amount.
Buy the surety bond within one year of the notice.
Apply for the title on form 130-U with the bond.

When Texas will say no

Texas will not issue a bonded title if a lienholder recorded in the last 10 years will not release its lien. Vehicles that are abandoned, junked or stolen, held under a storage or mechanic's lien, or tied up in a lawsuit do not qualify.

What it costs

The state fee is $15. Bryant Surety prices Texas title bonds from $100 for bonds up to $6,000, so a car worth up to $4,000 typically costs about $115 in bond and fee. Run the calculator for a pricier vehicle.

Sources

Sources: TxDMV, Bought a vehicle with no title; TxDMV, Form VTR-130-SOF (Rev 11/24); TxDMV, Get a copy of your title; Bryant Surety Bonds, Texas title bond; SuretyBonds.com, Texas certificate of title bond. Retrieved Oct 30, 2026.

Rules and fees come from the official state pages and surety pages cited on each guide; anything we calculated is labeled as an estimate. Confirm with your DMV before you buy a bond. Run the calculator for your own range.