Offical Nebraska Government Website

BONDED CERTIFICATE OF TITLE MOTOR VEHICLE/TRAILER

(If you have a motorboat, please refer to Bonded Certificate of Title – Motorboat )

A Bonded Certificate of Title is available to residents of Nebraska only. It is intended to provide a title for a motor vehicle when:

  • a title has not previously been issued in this or any other state;
  • the applicant is unable to provide a properly assigned Certificate of Title or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO);
  • it currently has a bonded title in another state.

Before you apply for a Bonded Certificate of Title:

  • You must submit an Application for Copy of Vehicle Record * to the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles so that the state archives can be searched and it can be verified that a title was never issued in the State of Nebraska. The fee for this search is $1.00 per record. If the vehicle was purchased in another state or via the Internet, a record search must be conducted through the Department of Motor Vehicle in the state where the vehicle was acquired. Note: A Bonded Certificate of Title cannot be issued if the record indicates any unsatisfied liens.
  • If a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) plate is required, you must complete an Assigned ID Number Application * and send it to the Driver and Vehicle Records Division of the DMV along with a fee of $20.00 and the Sheriff's Inspection form. After it is manufactured, the VIN plate will be mailed to you along with an affidavit you must sign verifying that you received the VIN plate and that you attached it to the vehicle in the proper place. This affidavit must accompany your Application for Bonded Certificate of Title.

To apply for a Bonded Certificate of Title , the following documentation must be submitted to the DMV:

  • If you are aware of a previous owner of record, or the search reveals a previous owner of record, you must send a certified letter to the last known address of the individual(s), along with any lienholder if a lienholder is indicated, stating that you are the present owner of the vehicle and requesting that they obtain a duplicate title and assign it to you. The owner of record and/or lienholder must be allowed 30 days to respond. A copy of the certified letter and the return receipt from the certified letter must accompany your application for the bonded title.
  • Any original written document that you received at the time the vehicle was acquired, such as a Bill of Sale * or a canceled check. An affidavit may also be accepted. The document(s) will not be returned.
  • A photograph, taken at an angle to show the front and one side of the vehicle. The photo will not be returned.
  • An Application for Bonded Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle * completed in full and signed.
  • A Sheriff's Inspection Certificate from the local sheriff. The fee for the inspection is $10.00. Cabin trailers and manufactured homes are exempt from inspection. ( Note : Inspection Certificates are valid for 90 days from the date the inspection was performed.)
  • A Certificate of Title Surety Bond for a Motor Vehicle * from a bonding company licensed to do business in the State of Nebraska. The amount of the bond must be based on one and one half times the current value of the vehicle as shown by the property tax valuation or the NADA Guide. If these sources do not agree or you are uncertain, contact our office. The bond must be for three (3) years. ( Note : The surety bond must be submitted to the DMV within 30 days of the date of issuance.)
  • To assist you in locating a bonding company, your insurance company is usually a good reference source. You can also find a bonding company by looking in the yellow pages of the telephone book under “Bond” and then “Surety”.
  • A $50 application and application fee.

(These fees are not refundable )

Once the bonded title is issued, it will contain a Notice of Bonded Title that will read: “Notice: This vehicle may be subject to an undisclosed interest, Bond Number _______”.

A vehicle with bond information on the title may be registered and may be sold. The bond information will be carried forward on the new title. After the three (3) year period, the current owner may submit an Application for Release of Notice on Bonded Title * along with the appropriate title fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles to request that the Notice of Bonded Title be removed and a new Certificate of Title be issued.

(* Adobe Acrobat PDF document.)

Questions regarding Bonded Certificates of Titles for Motor Vehicles may be addressed to Email or by contacting this office at (402) 471-3918.

 

This page last revised 8/28/2009