Last reviewed: April 1, 2026|Next review due: June 30, 2026|Reflects current Ohio surety bond requirements

✓ 2026 Requirements Verified

Effective Today: Ohio Auto Dealer Bond Triples to $75,000

As of April 1, 2026, all Ohio motor vehicle dealers must carry a $75,000 surety bond -- up from $25,000. This applies to new, used, and wholesale dealers under OAC 4501:1-3-11. Dealers with existing $25,000 bonds must upgrade immediately. Get your $75K dealer bond now.

Ohio Auto Dealer Bond Tripled

Bond Requirement Increase

Previous Requirement

$25,000

New Requirement

$75,000

Effective April 1, 2026OAC 4501:1-3-11

Ohio Surety Bonds

Ohio Surety Bonds— A State That Does Things Differently

Name: Ohio Surety Bonds
Brand: BuySuretyBonds.com
Availability: InStock

Ohio breaks the mold on surety bonds. There is no statewide contractor license. No standard notary bond. No bonded titles. Instead, Ohio pushes contractor bonding to its municipalities, skips the notary bond most states require, and uses court-ordered titles where other states use surety bonds. What Ohio does require -- auto dealer bonds, public works bonds, and a deep roster of professional license bonds -- it takes seriously. The $75,000 dealer bond that took effect today is proof.

Same-Day Approval

All 88 Counties

All Credit Levels

Get Your Ohio Bond

Dealer bonds, contractor bonds, court bonds, and more

Get Your Ohio Bond Quote

Same-day approval available • Competitive rates

Pay only after your bond is issued • No obligation • 2 minutes

Step 1 of 2

✓No obligation•✓Same-day approval•✓Treasury-certified carriers

Official Ohio Requirements

"Each applicant for a motor vehicle dealer license shall file with the registrar a surety bond in the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars."

Ohio Attorney General's Office / OAC 4501:1-3-11 • OAC 4501:1-3-11

$75K

Dealer Bond (New)

No State

Contractor License

100%

Public Works Bonds

14+

Bond Types Required

What Ohio Does Not Require

Before you waste time searching for a bond Ohio does not require, here are the three biggest differences from other states

No Statewide Contractor Bond

Ohio has no statewide contractor licensing board. Contractor bonds are set by individual municipalities. Many smaller cities require no bond at all. If you are working in an unincorporated area, there may be no bonding requirement.

See municipal requirements

No Standard Notary Bond

Most states require every notary to carry a surety bond. Ohio does not. The only notary bond Ohio requires is a $25,000 bond (plus $25,000 E&O insurance) for notaries performing electronic estate planning notarizations under ORC 147.

E-estate planning details

No Bonded Titles

In most states, you can obtain a vehicle title through a surety bond if the original is lost. Ohio does not allow bonded titles. Instead, you must petition the Common Pleas Court in your county for a court-ordered title, which the BMV then processes.

File through your county Common Pleas Court

Ohio Auto Dealer Bond: $25K to $75K

The single biggest change in Ohio surety bonds this year is the tripling of the motor vehicle dealer bond from $25,000 to $75,000, effective today under OAC 4501:1-3-11. Every Ohio dealer -- new vehicle, used vehicle, and wholesale -- must now carry the higher bond amount.

Previous bond amount$25,000

New bond amount (effective 4/1/2026)$75,000

Increase3x (200% increase)

Existing dealers: If you currently hold a $25,000 bond, you must upgrade to $75,000 immediately. The Ohio Attorney General's office enforces compliance. Operating with the old bond amount puts your dealer license at risk.

What the $75,000 Bond Covers

Failure to deliver vehicle titles within the statutory timeframe
Odometer fraud and title washing violations
Misrepresentation of vehicle condition or history
Consumer losses from dealer fraud or insolvency
Violations of Ohio motor vehicle dealer laws under ORC Chapter 4517

Get Your $75K Dealer Bond

Estimated Dealer Bond Premiums

Annual cost for the new $75,000 bond

Excellent Credit (700+)

$750 - $1,500/yr

1-2% of bond amount

Good Credit (650-699)

$1,500 - $3,750/yr

2-5% of bond amount

Fair Credit (600-649)

$3,750 - $7,500/yr

5-10% of bond amount

Challenged Credit (<600)

$7,500 - $9,000/yr

10-12% of bond amount

Municipal Contractor Bond Requirements

Since Ohio has no state-level contractor bond, each city sets its own rules. Here are the requirements for Ohio's largest cities. If your city is not listed, contact us and we will confirm the local requirement.

City	General Contractor Bond	Notes	Filed With
Cleveland	$25,000	Separate bonds for electrical, plumbing, HVAC	Dept. of Building & Housing
Columbus	$25,000	Required for all licensed trades	Dept. of Building & Zoning
Cincinnati	$10,000	Lower bond but stricter insurance requirements	Dept. of Buildings & Inspections
Toledo	Varies by trade	Trade-specific licensing system	Div. of Building Inspection
Akron	Varies by trade	Bond or letter of credit accepted	Building Dept.
Dayton	Varies by trade	Primarily mechanical/electrical trades	Building Services

Full Ohio contractor bond guide

Every Ohio Bond Type We Write

Verified amounts and statutes as of April 2026

Auto Dealer BondNEW AMOUNT

$75,000

OAC 4501:1-3-11 | AG / BMV

Municipal Contractor Bonds

$10K-$25K

Municipal codes | City building depts.

Public Works Bonds

100% of contract

ORC 153.54 | Contracting authority

ORC 4707 | Dept. of Agriculture

Telephone Solicitor Bond

$50,000

ORC 4719.04 | AG

Money Transmitter Bond

$300K-$2M

ORC Chapter 1315 | DFI

Title Insurance Agent Bond

$150,000

OAC 3901-7-02 | Dept. of Insurance

Credit Services Org. Bond

$50,000

ORC 4712.06 | AG

Manufactured Home Dealer Bond

$25,000

ORC 4781 | Dept. of Commerce

Oil & Gas Well Bond

$15K-$50K

ORC 1509.071 | ODNR

Court / Probate Bonds

2x personal property

ORC 2109.04 | Probate Court

Freight Broker Bond

$75,000

BMC-84 (federal) | FMCSA

E-Estate Notary Bond

$25K + $25K E&O

ORC 147 | Secretary of State

Ohio Public Works Bond Requirements (ORC 153.54)

While Ohio has no statewide contractor license bond, it does require full bonding on public works projects. Under ORC 153.54, any contractor awarded a public works contract must furnish both a performance bond and a payment bond, each equal to 100% of the contract price. This applies to state, county, municipal, and school district projects. Learn more in our surety bond basics guide, view all bond types on our surety bonds hub, or estimate your cost with the auto dealer bond calculator.

Performance Bond

100% of contract value
Guarantees project completion to specifications
Protects the public entity awarding the contract

Ohio performance bond details (ORC §153.54)

Payment Bond

100% of contract value
Guarantees payment to subcontractors and suppliers
Required on all public works regardless of municipality

Payment bond details

How to Get Your Ohio Surety Bond

Tell Us What You Need

Specify your bond type and where in Ohio you operate. We verify the exact requirements with the relevant city or state agency.

We Shop Carriers

We submit your application to multiple Treasury-certified sureties licensed in Ohio and return the lowest rate within hours.

Review & Sign

Review your bond, sign electronically, and pay your premium. No hidden fees.

Bond Delivered

Receive your bond formatted for the correct Ohio agency -- BMV, city building department, probate court, or DFI.

Serving All 88 Ohio Counties

We track municipal bond rules across every Ohio city

Columbus

Cleveland

Cincinnati

Toledo

Akron

Dayton

Canton

Youngstown

Parma

Lorain

Hamilton

Springfield

Ohio Surety Bond Questions

Updated for the April 2026 dealer bond increase

Why did Ohio triple the auto dealer bond to $75,000?

The Ohio General Assembly increased the motor vehicle dealer bond from $25,000 to $75,000 under OAC 4501:1-3-11, effective April 1, 2026. The increase reflects rising vehicle prices and growing consumer losses from dealer fraud. The higher bond amount gives the Attorney General's office more recovery capacity when dealers fail to deliver titles, engage in odometer fraud, or violate Ohio motor vehicle laws. All licensed Ohio dealers -- new, used, and wholesale -- must carry the $75,000 bond as of today.

Does Ohio require a statewide contractor license bond?

No. Ohio is one of the few large states with no statewide contractor licensing board and no statewide bond requirement. Contractor bonding is handled entirely at the municipal level. Cleveland requires a $25,000 bond for general contractors, Columbus requires $25,000, and Cincinnati requires $10,000. Many smaller Ohio cities require no contractor bond at all. You must check with the building department of each city where you plan to work.

Does Ohio require a standard notary bond?

No. Ohio does not require a standard notary public bond. This makes Ohio unusual among large states. However, Ohio does require a $25,000 surety bond plus $25,000 in errors and omissions insurance for notaries who perform electronic estate planning notarizations under ORC 147. Traditional notaries in Ohio have no bond requirement.

Can I get a bonded title in Ohio?

No. Ohio does not use bonded titles. If you have a vehicle without a proper title, Ohio requires you to go through a court-ordered title process in the Common Pleas Court of the county where you reside. This is a judicial proceeding, not a bonding transaction. The court will issue an order that the BMV then uses to issue a new title. This is different from states like California, Texas, and Florida, which allow surety bond titles.

What are the Ohio public works bond requirements?

Under ORC 153.54, contractors on Ohio public works projects must furnish both a performance bond and a payment bond, each equal to 100% of the contract price. But Ohio actually has three separate bonding frameworks: the Little Miller Act (ORC 153.54), ODOT-specific rules (ORC 5525.16), and OFCC rules for CM at Risk/Design-Build (OAC 153:1-4-02). The framework that applies depends on the project type. See our full Ohio performance bond guide (buysuretybonds.com/performance-bonds/ohio/) for the three-framework breakdown and claim deadlines.

How much does an Ohio auctioneer bond cost?

Ohio requires auctioneers to post a $25,000 surety bond for individuals or a $50,000 bond for auction firms, per ORC 4707. The bond is filed with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Premium costs typically run 1-5% of the bond amount depending on your credit and experience, so expect to pay $250-$1,250 for an individual bond or $500-$2,500 for a firm bond annually.

What bonds does the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions require?

The Ohio DFI requires surety bonds for mortgage brokers ($50,000-$150,000 based on loan volume per ORC 1322.07), money transmitters ($300,000-$2,000,000 based on transaction volume), and other financial service providers. These bonds protect consumers and ensure companies maintain financial responsibility. Bond amounts scale with business volume, so growing companies should budget for higher bond costs.

Can I get an Ohio surety bond with bad credit?

Yes. Many Ohio bonds have no credit check at all, including small permit bonds. For larger bonds like the $75,000 auto dealer bond or municipal contractor bonds, applicants with credit scores below 600 can still get approved through our high-risk surety partners. Expect to pay 5-12% of the bond amount instead of the 1-3% that applicants with strong credit pay. We work with multiple sureties that specialize in challenged-credit applicants.

Surety Bonds in Neighboring States

Michigan Pennsylvania Virginia Illinois

Official Ohio Resources

Government sources for Ohio bond requirements

Ohio Attorney General's Office

Auto dealer bond enforcement and consumer protection bond requirements

Ohio Division of Financial Institutions

Mortgage broker, money transmitter, and financial services bond requirements

Ohio Secretary of State -- Notary Division

E-estate planning notary bond and commission requirements

ODNR Division of Oil & Gas Resources

Oil and gas well surety bond amounts under ORC 1509.071

U.S. Treasury Surety Bond List

Federal listing of Treasury-certified surety companies authorized to write bonds for U.S. government contracts

Reviewed by Nick Thoroughman, Editorial Director

Surety review by Eric Drummond, Surety Specialist

Nevada DOI license pending issuance

All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A- minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.

Read our editorial standards & corrections policy →