Arizona Vehicle Title Bond

No. AzMVD Now (azmvdnow.gov) handles more than 30 routine services like title replacement, eTitle transfer, and registration renewal, but the bonded title process requires an in-person Level I VIN inspection at an MVD or Authorized Third Party office. You can use AzMVD Now to schedule the inspection and to retrieve the electronic title once issued, but the Bonded Title Application (Form 40-1001) and the inspection itself must be done in person.

Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-2057 (Registration without certificate of title or bond) is the controlling statute. Subsection (B) sets the bond at 1.5 times the vehicle value as determined by the department, conditioned to indemnify any prior owner, lienholder, subsequent purchaser, and successor-in-interest. Subsection (C) sets the 3-year bond term. The application form referenced is ADOT Form 40-1001 (vehicles) or 40-1003 (mobile homes).

They are entirely separate paths. The abandoned-vehicle process under ARS § 28-4801 et seq. applies when a vehicle has been left unattended on public or private property (48 hours on a public right-of-way, 72 hours elsewhere is prima facie evidence of abandonment). That process runs through law enforcement, towing companies, and notice procedures under § 28-4841 to transfer ownership. The bonded title process under § 28-2057 is for owners who already possess the vehicle but cannot prove ownership through standard documentation. If you found the vehicle on your property, start with the abandoned process; if you bought it without title, start with the bonded title process.

Form 40-1001 (Bond Title Application Vehicle, current revision R07/25) requires the applicant's identification, the vehicle description and VIN, a sworn statement explaining how ownership was acquired, and the names and last-known addresses of any prior owners or lienholders. ADOT MVD then runs the VIN through its records and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to look for active liens, salvage history, and out-of-state title records. If ADOT finds an undisclosed lienholder, that party must be notified before the bonded title is issued.

For a $9,000 vehicle, your bond amount is $13,500 (1.5x). The premium runs 1-3% of the bond amount, so your out-of-pocket cost is roughly $135-$405 for the entire 3-year term — no annual renewal payments. Applicants with credit scores above 700 typically pay near 1%; sub-650 credit pushes toward 3%. The minimum premium most carriers charge is $100, so even a $4,000 bond on a low-value vehicle still costs at least $100.

Under ARS § 28-2057(C), the bond and any deposit accompanying it are returned at the end of three years (or earlier if the vehicle is no longer registered in Arizona and the current title is surrendered to the department), unless ADOT has been notified of a pending action to recover on the bond. In practice, you don't reapply for a clean title — the "bonded" notation simply expires. Most owners just keep driving on the existing title; if you want a clean printed title, you can request a Title Replacement through AzMVD Now for a $4 fee once the 3-year term has elapsed.