If you want to register a vehicle you have purchased or been given but do not have a title for it, there is a process that will enable you to obtain a bonded title. A bonded title is a title with a surety bond attached to protect the MVD and the rightful owner if it turns out that someone else has a legitimate ownership interest in the vehicle. Learn more about the Arizona bonded title process below, and contact Single Source Insurance to get the bond you need today.

Who Needs a Bonded Title?

Not everyone who lacks a title for a vehicle needs to go through the somewhat complicated process for getting a bonded title. If you once had a title for the vehicle in question at one point but no longer do, you can get a duplicate title from your local DMV office for only three dollars.

If you never had a title for the vehicle, or if the title is defective in some way, you�ll have to apply for a bonded title.

How Does the Process Work?

There are several steps you�ll need to take before you can even submit an application for a bonded title. Here�s what you need to know about the Arizona bonded title process:

If your vehicle is an in-state vehicle, ask your local MVD office to perform a motor vehicle record search to identify the person that most recently held the title to the vehicle. This will cost you $3. For an out-of-state vehicle, you�ll need to work with the other state�s MVD.
If the vehicle record search turns up a lien on the vehicle, you�ll need to obtain a lien release that specifies the vehicle�s year of manufacture, make, and VIN.
Have a law enforcement officer perform a Level 1 inspection. Everyone applying for a bonded title in Arizona must have this done to verify the VIN and ensure that the vehicle has not been reported as stolen.
Send certified letters to anyone whose name appears on the record search from Step 2, as well as to anyone involved in selling the vehicle to you, requesting that they sign the title over to you and send it to you or send you a notarized letter stating that they have no ownership interest in the vehicle. Make it clear that they have 30 days to respond.
If you get an answer to your certified letter(s), you will either have the title to the vehicle or you all the documentation you need to obtain a new title�without any need for a surety bond. If you get no response, obtaining a surety bond is mandatory.
Fill out and sign a Bonded Title Affidavit (available from the Arizona MVD) to explain how you acquired the vehicle and why you don�t have a title for it.
Take your completed application and all of the documentation you�ve gathered (including the responses to your certified letters, or proof that you sent letters if you received no response) to the MVD office for review and determination of the vehicle�s value. You may be told you need to get your vehicle inspected at this point.
Purchase a 3-year Arizona title bond with a bond amount equal to 1.5x the value MVD assigned to the vehicle. The bond certificate will arrive in the mail.
Take the bond and all other documents to the MVD for approval and issuance of a bonded title.

The bond is your guarantee that you are the rightful owner of the vehicle. At any time during the three years that the bond is in force, anyone with a legitimate ownership interest in the vehicle can come forward and file a claim against the title bond. The MVD itself can also file a claim if there is reason to believe you should not have been given a bonded title.

The surety company may pay the claim for you to expedite matters, but you must then reimburse the company in full. Even if you sell the vehicle during that 3-year period, you remain obligated to pay any valid claims against the bond.

What Does It Cost?

You will pay a small percentage of the bond amount as the premium for the title bond. At Single Source Insurance, all Arizona bonded title premiums will have a $100 minimum. For bonds with a penalty over $7,000, the premium is 1.5%. For bonds with a premium over $25,000, we will run a credit check.

Understanding the Costs of Obtaining a Bonded Title in Arizona

At Single Source Insurance, our experienced surety bond agents are well acquainted with the lost title bonding process and will help you get the Arizona title bond you need at the best possible premium rate.