Kansas does not sell a title bond

No. Kansas doesn't sell one. K.S.A. 8-135 — the statute that governs Kansas certificates of title — has no bond-in-lieu-of-title language anywhere in it, and neither the Kansas Department of Revenue's titling FAQ nor its "Titling a Used Vehicle" page mentions a bond product. You may have landed here after searching "TR-42" — that's a real Kansas form, but it's the Request and Consent for Kansas Title to be Issued with Lien, used when an out-of-state lienholder wants a Kansas title with the lien printed on its face. It has nothing to do with bonding a missing title, and no company can sell you a "TR-42 bond" because that product doesn't exist.

File a quiet title action under K.S.A. 60-1002 in your county's district court. KDOR's own titling FAQ says it directly: if the seller "does not give the buyer a properly assigned title and cannot be contacted or located, the buyer must consult with an attorney and go to court to obtain a court order authorizing the Kansas Department of Revenue to title the vehicle in the name of the petitioner." You name KDOR as a defendant (served through the Kansas Attorney General's office), describe the vehicle and VIN, and ask the judge to order KDOR's Division of Vehicles to issue you a title. Filing runs about $195 in Shawnee County District Court ($173 docket fee + $22 surcharge) plus $15 per defendant for sheriff service — other counties set their own docket fees, so confirm with your clerk of the district court before filing.

TR-90 is the "Ownership Affidavit for Vehicle, Trailer, Antique, Motor" — a sworn statement, not a bond, and it only covers a short list of categories: mobile homes, ATVs, trailers 2,000 lbs and under, boat trailers, micro utility trucks, work-site utility vehicles, antique vehicles, and standalone motors. A standard car, pickup, SUV, or motorcycle isn't on that list. If your vehicle qualifies, you sign an affidavit certifying you're the rightful owner and agreeing to indemnify any later buyer if someone proves a superior claim — no court, no bond premium, no waiting period — and file it directly at your county treasurer's motor vehicle office.

Only for specific triggers, not every application. Kansas Highway Patrol requires an MVE-1 (Motor Vehicle Examination) for: vehicles titled out-of-state, salvage titles, non-highway titles, homemade or rebuilt vehicles, "jumped" titles, previously abandoned vehicles once your quiet title order is final, and antique vehicles 35–59 years old with an identifiable body. You do NOT need one for a brand-new vehicle that's never been titled (the manufacturer's statement of origin covers that) or for an antique 60 years or older sold on a bill of sale. A regular inspection costs $20; a salvage inspection is $25 and can only be performed at a KHP-operated station, not a designee like a sheriff's office. The completed MVE-1 form expires 120 days after the inspection date.

For a standard car or truck with no title, budget roughly $240–$255 if it goes smoothly: $195 quiet title filing (Shawnee County figure; other counties vary), $15 sheriff service per defendant, a $20 MVE-1 inspection if one of the triggers above applies, and the standard $10 Kansas title fee. Add a Legal Publication notice fee (varies by newspaper) if the previous owner's address is unknown and you need service by publication under K.S.A. 60-307(3). That's the full real cost — there's no bond premium sitting on top of it, because there's no bond.

K.S.A. 60-307(3) lets you serve by publication instead of personal service — you publish a Notice of Suit in a qualifying legal newspaper for the period the statute requires, at your own expense, and that stands in for direct notice to a defendant with an unknown address. Your petition still has to name KDOR as a defendant regardless (served through the Kansas Attorney General's office at 120 SW 10th St., 2nd Floor, Topeka), and any known defendant — a prior owner or lienholder you can locate — still gets personal or certified-mail service. Publication is only for the ones you genuinely can't find after a diligent search.