$25K FL Dealer Bond. Here's Your Cost.
Real-time premium for the $25,000 VI / VF / VW / MC dealer bond under F.S. 320.27, the $25,000 mobile home dealer bond under F.S. 320.77, and the $10,000 RV dealer bond under F.S. 320.771 - by FICO band, experience, and 1-3 year term.
DHSMV filing fees broken out separately. No email gate. Pre-filled lead form after results.
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Florida DHSMV Dealer License Types
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) issues motor vehicle dealer licenses under F.S. 320.27 and separately licenses mobile home dealers (F.S. 320.77) and recreational vehicle dealers (F.S. 320.771). The bond face amount depends on the category you apply for:
Source: F.S. 320.27, F.S. 320.77 (mobile home dealers), F.S. 320.771 (RV dealers), and DHSMV Dealer Licensing.
Florida Dealer Bond Rate by FICO (2026 Table)
Personal credit drives roughly 70-80% of the underwriting decision on a Florida motor vehicle dealer bond. The table below shows typical market premiums on both common bond face amounts:
Sub-580 FICO dealers are typically placed in high-risk-market programs that continue to underwrite at 10%-15% of bond face. Carriers also weigh years in the auto business, dealership financials, and prior bond claims history.
DHSMV Dealer License Fees (Separate From the Bond)
The premium calculated above is paid to the surety carrier. The Florida DHSMV charges several separate fees as part of the dealer license application packet (HSMV 86056) - none of these are included in the bond premium:
- Original dealer license application fee
- Supplemental / branch license fee for each additional location
- Dealer tag (license plate) fees per plate
- 8-hour pre-licensing dealer training seminar (required for new VI applicants; VF franchise dealers are exempt)
- Livescan electronic fingerprinting through an approved vendor for each principal and corporate officer
- Certificate of Insurance for garage liability (separate insurance product, not part of the bond)
All current fee amounts and the full Initial Application for Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, or Recreational Vehicle Dealer License are published by the DHSMV Bureau of Dealer Services: flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/dealer-licensing.
How to File Your Bond With the Florida DHSMV
- Bind coverage: Approve and pay the surety premium. The carrier issues the bond on the DHSMV Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home, or Recreational Vehicle Dealer Surety Bond form - Florida requires the state-specific form, not a generic bond.
- Signatures and seal: The dealer (principal) and the surety attorney-in-fact must both sign the DHSMV bond form, with the surety corporate seal affixed. A Power of Attorney from the surety is attached.
- Submit with the dealer license application packet (HSMV 86056) to the DHSMV Regional Office for your county. The bond is one document inside the full packet that also includes the lease or proof of ownership for the dealership lot, garage liability insurance certificate, fingerprint results, and seminar completion certificate (if VI).
- Continuous obligation: Keep the bond in force for the entire license period. The surety must give the DHSMV 60 days written notice before cancellation; gap in coverage means the DHSMV will suspend or cancel the dealer license.
Source: DHSMV Bureau of Dealer Services and F.S. 320.27.
What the Florida Dealer Bond Protects
F.S. 320.27(10) gives any person — retail buyer, wholesale buyer, lender, or the State — a direct cause of action against the dealer bond when a violation of F.S. Chapter 320 causes financial loss. The DHSMV Dealer License Section runs an active complaint pipeline, and Florida's seasonal population churn (snowbirds, hurricane-displaced sellers, military rotations through Jacksonville and Pensacola) drives a recurring set of claim patterns:
- Going-out-of-business dealer who never titles — VI dealer collects cash on a string of buy-here-pay-here sales during the last 60 days before surrendering the license, never submits the title applications. DHSMV pulls the bond first; lienholders and buyers split the $25K pool.
- F.S. 319.23 30-day title violations — Florida statute requires the dealer to apply for title within 30 days of sale. Chronic late-title files (a known DHSMV audit trigger in the Tampa Bay and Miami-Dade districts) generate buyer reimbursement claims for tag-stop interest, late penalties, and emergency-tag fees.
- Hurricane / flood-damage title-washing — a vehicle imported from a flood state with a clean title but undisclosed prior salvage history. Florida's active import market makes this a top DHSMV Field Investigations target along the I-95 and I-75 corridors.
- Curbstoning through unlicensed exporters — a licensed VW dealer fronts paperwork for unlicensed exporters shipping vehicles through the Port of Miami. When the export fails or the title is duplicate-stamped, the original retail buyer files against the VW dealer's bond.
- Sales tax pocket-keeping — Florida Department of Revenue files directly against the dealer bond under F.S. 212 when collected 6%+ sales tax is not remitted. Joint DHSMV/DOR audits surface this within 12-18 months.
- Power-of-attorney abuse on out-of-state buyers — dealer accepts a Florida buyer's POA to transfer an existing out-of-state vehicle, then fails to perfect Florida title or pay off the lien. Heavy claim pattern in The Villages, Naples, and Sarasota retiree markets.
- RV and motor home structural misrepresentation — VI dealers selling used Class A and Class C units while concealing roof leaks, slide failures, or chassis damage. The $25K bond stacks behind any limited warranty for the deficiency.
Aggregate recovery is capped at the $25,000 bond face under F.S. 320.27 — not per claim — and multiple claimants prorate. The dealer remains personally liable for everything above. After the surety pays, the indemnity agreement (signed by all 10%+ owners plus spouses where applicable) converts the loss into a direct debt owed back to the surety, typically collected through Florida UCC-1 filings and judgment liens on dealer real estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Florida auto dealer bond cost?
The $25,000 Florida motor vehicle dealer bond required by F.S. 320.27 typically costs $250-$500/yr with excellent credit (720+), $500-$750/yr with good credit, $750-$1,250/yr with fair credit, and $1,250-$2,500+/yr with poor credit. The same $25,000 bond applies to VI, VF, VW, and MC dealers.
What is the bond amount for a Florida VI Independent dealer license?
A Florida VI (used motor vehicle) license requires a $25,000 surety bond payable to the DHSMV under F.S. 320.27. The same $25,000 face applies to VF franchise dealers, VW wholesale dealers, and MC motorcycle dealers.
Do motorcycle dealers in Florida get a reduced bond amount?
No. Motorcycle (MC) dealers are motor vehicle dealers under F.S. 320.27 and post the same $25,000 bond as other VI, VF, and VW dealers. There is no statutory motorcycle reduction in F.S. 320.27.
What bond do mobile home and RV dealers post?
Mobile home dealers post a $25,000 bond under F.S. 320.77 (increases to $50,000 with more than four supplemental locations). Recreational vehicle dealers post a $10,000 bond under F.S. 320.771 (increases to $20,000 with more than four supplemental locations). These are separate from the F.S. 320.27 motor vehicle dealer bond.
Is the DHSMV dealer license fee part of the bond premium?
No. DHSMV original application, branch license, dealer tag fees, the 8-hour pre-licensing seminar, Livescan fingerprinting, and garage liability insurance are all separate from the surety bond premium. The calculator shows only the surety premium.
How much can I save by buying a 2 or 3 year Florida bond?
A 2-year Florida dealer bond runs about 1.85x annual premium (about 7.5% off year 2). A 3-year bond runs about 2.70x annual (about 10% off year 3). At $500/yr on a $25K VI bond, a 3-year term is roughly $1,350 vs. $1,500 paid annually.
Will bad credit stop me from getting bonded?
Almost never on a Florida VI/VW/VF bond. The DHSMV Dealer License Section requires the bond on file before the 8-hour pre-licensing seminar certificate is even accepted, so secondary-market Florida programs (Sun Surety, JET Insurance, Old Republic Surety, Bondsmen Inc.) write the $25K bond well below 580 FICO. A first-time VI applicant at 550-575 FICO commonly pays $1,800-$2,800/yr with a personal indemnity and a soft cash collateral hold. Florida-specific knockouts are different from the score itself: open Chapter 7 bankruptcy, unsatisfied Florida Department of Revenue tax warrants, or a prior DHSMV cease-and-desist on file under F.S. 320.27.
What does the bond protect?
Consumers, lenders, and the State of Florida against title delivery failure, odometer fraud, unpaid sales tax, fraud, and other F.S. Chapter 320 violations. Claimants recover from the bond up to the $25,000 face; the dealer remains personally liable for any excess.
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