Iowa Title Bond (Bonded Certificate of Title ~ Iowa)

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Bond Penalty: One and one half times vehicle value as determined by Department of Motor Vehicles.

An Iowa bonded certificate of title is a discretionary mechanism that the Department of Transportation may approve if the chain of ownership of a a motor vehicle is clouded. The Iowa title bond application may be made only after requesting the appropriate title document from the seller as required by law. Vehicles that have been issued a "junking certificate" may also be bonded if the vehicle is twenty five years old or older.

Iowa title bond procedures require an applicant to submit an "Application for Registration and Bonded Certificate of Title for a Vehicle" (Form 411008) with "any written document received at the time the vehicle was acquired, such as a bill of sale or cancelled check." The Department will then:

  • Determine whether there is an active title record or junking certificate record on file for the vehicle in the state of Iowa. If a record is found, the Department will notify the owner of the record that an application for bonded certificate of title has been made. If the Department receives no response the Department will continue processing the Iowa bonded title application.
  • Determine the current value of the vehicle and require that an Iowa title bond, based on one and one-half times the current value of the vehicle be filed with the Department. The Department will then send the applicant the bond form for the surety to execute.
  • Send to the Iowa DOT's Bureau of Investigation a title bond receipt and a letter authorizing the county treasurer to issue a title for the motor vehicle.

Applications and supporting documents must be sent to:

Iowa Department of Transportation
Office of Vehicle and Motor Carrier Services
Box 9278
Des Moines, IA 50306

Iowa surety bond leader, Surety One, Inc. is a specialist in the bonding needs of motor vehicle dealers and private parties with a missing title. We offer same-day issue of vehicle title bonds. Questions about this or another surety bond? Call us at (800) 373-2804, email us at Underwriting@SuretyOne.com or click here for live chat about an Iowa bonded certificate of title requirement.

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