People end up with vehicles and no title more often than you would think — an abandoned vehicle, a purchase where the paperwork never arrived, an inherited vehicle, a lost document.
What a bonded title is
It is a title issued when you cannot produce the ownership documentation the normal process requires. You post a surety bond that protects any party who later proves a legitimate claim to the vehicle.
The bond stays in effect for a defined period. If nobody makes a claim during it, the title becomes an ordinary one.
The general process
- 01Establish the vehicle's value, which determines the bond amount.
- 02Obtain a statement of fact or the required determination from the state.
- 03Purchase the surety bond in the required amount.
- 04Submit the application with supporting documentation.
- 05Receive the bonded title and register the vehicle.
When it does not apply
- If the title exists and is simply lost, a duplicate title is usually the correct and cheaper route.
- If there is an unreleased lien, that has to be resolved first.
- If the vehicle's ownership is genuinely disputed, that is a legal matter rather than a paperwork one.
- Some vehicles are not eligible.
Before starting a bonded title, confirm a duplicate title is not the simpler answer. People sometimes go through the bond process when the original owner could simply have requested a duplicate.
We do bond titles
Bond titles are part of our general services. Requirements and values change, so confirm current rules for your specific vehicle. Call (432) 257-7547 or come by 700 C Andrews Hwy in Midland. We work in English and Spanish.
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