Who requires it
Colorado Department of Revenue — Auto Industry Division
License & permit · Colorado
Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer and Salesperson Bonds
Colorado’s Auto Industry Division requires Title 44 Article 20 bonds (or a qualifying deposit) before dealer, wholesaler, auction, business-disposal, powersports, salesperson, and buyer-agent licenses issue. Most dealer and wholesaler amounts are $50,000; small utility-trailer-only sellers and buyer agents use $5,000; salespersons use $15,000. Dual motor-vehicle and powersports credentials generally do not require stacking a second bond when the matching statute already has coverage on file.
Common bond amount
$5,000–$50,000 by license class
Dealer/wholesaler/auction/business disposer/powersports: $50,000; small utility trailers under 2,000 pounds only: $5,000; salesperson: $15,000; buyer agent: $5,000. Dual MV/powersports credentials generally need one qualifying security, not two stacked faces.
How you file
File with Auto Industry Division; surety bond or qualifying deposit; continuation allowed
Renewal
Renew annually with AID license; continuation certificate accepted
Who requires it
Applicants and licensees under the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board / Auto Industry Division for motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer, business disposer, wholesaler, powersports vehicle dealer, used powersports dealer, motor vehicle or powersports salesperson, or buyer agent credentials. City or county contractor bonds are unrelated local instruments.
How much is required
C.R.S. § 44-20-112 sets $50,000 for motor vehicle dealer, used dealer, wholesale auction dealer, business disposer, and wholesaler applicants, and $5,000 for dealers who sell only small utility trailers weighing less than 2,000 pounds. Section 44-20-412 sets $50,000 for powersports dealers and wholesalers and says a dealer already bonded under § 44-20-112 need not post a second bond. Sections 44-20-113 and 44-20-413 each set $15,000 for motor vehicle and powersports salespersons, with reciprocal no-double-bond language. Section 44-20-114 sets $5,000 for buyer agents. AID’s dealer renewal checklist repeats the $50,000 / $5,000 dealer faces and requires the full legal name and DBA on the principal line.
How to get and file it
Have a Colorado-authorized surety execute the board-approved bond form (AID publishes bond and continuation examples on the dealer renewal page), or arrange a qualifying savings account, deposit, or certificate of deposit under § 11-35-101. Match the name and DBA to the AID license file, obtain required owner/officer signatures, and file with the Auto Industry Division as part of the original or renewal package. Sections 44-20-112, 44-20-113, 44-20-114, 44-20-412, and 44-20-413 require annual renewal when the license renews and allow continuation certificates. AID dealer and wholesaler licenses expire twelve months after the month of issuance; renewals are mailed and are not completed online. Submit a photocopy or scan of the current bond or continuation with the renewal checklist.
Cost note
Those figures are the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Motor vehicle dealer / wholesaler / auction / business disposer
- $50,000 under C.R.S. § 44-20-112 (or qualifying § 11-35-101 deposit)
- Small utility trailer-only dealer
- $5,000 when selling only trailers under 2,000 pounds (§ 44-20-112)
- Powersports dealer / wholesaler
- $50,000 under § 44-20-412; no second bond if already secured under § 44-20-112
- Salesperson
- $15,000 under § 44-20-113 or § 44-20-413; reciprocal no-double-bond language between those sections
- Buyer agent
- $5,000 under § 44-20-114
- Name on the bond
- AID renewals require full legal name and DBA on the bond
Official sources
- C.R.S. § 44-20-112 — Motor vehicle dealer / wholesaler bond ↗
- C.R.S. § 44-20-412 — Powersports dealer / wholesaler bond ↗
- C.R.S. § 44-20-113 — Motor vehicle salesperson bond ↗
- C.R.S. § 44-20-413 — Powersports salesperson bond ↗
- C.R.S. § 44-20-114 — Buyer agent bond ↗
- Auto Industry Division — Dealer and wholesaler renewals ↗
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both a motor vehicle and a powersports dealer bond?
Usually not. Section 44-20-112 says a motor vehicle dealer, business disposer, or used dealer need not furnish an additional bond if already secured under § 44-20-412, and § 44-20-412 says a powersports dealer need not furnish an additional bond if already secured under § 44-20-112. Confirm with AID how your dual license file is documented.
Is the salesperson bond separate from the dealer bond?
Yes. Individual motor vehicle and powersports salespersons each post $15,000 under §§ 44-20-113 / 44-20-413. That is a separate license and face from the dealer’s $50,000 (or $5,000 trailer) security.
When is the dealer face only $5,000?
Section 44-20-112 and AID’s renewal checklist use $5,000 for dealers who sell only small utility trailers weighing less than 2,000 pounds. Buyer agents also use a $5,000 face under a different statute (§ 44-20-114).
Related Colorado bond guides
Collection Agency Bond
$12,000–$20,000 by remittance volume
Collection agencies licensed under Colorado’s Fair Debt Collection Practices Act must keep a surety bond—or a qualifying deposit—computed from average monthly client remittances. The statutory face starts at $12,000 and rises by volume to a $20,000 ceiling, payable to the Attorney General for the people of Colorado and the administrator.
Mortgage Loan Originator Bond
$25,000 / $100,000 / $200,000
Active Colorado mortgage loan originators must keep a bond with the Division of Real Estate in addition to required errors-and-omissions insurance. The Division’s published schedule uses $25,000 for an individual policy, $100,000 for a group covering fewer than twenty licensees, and $200,000 for a group covering twenty or more.
Public Adjuster Bond
$20,000
Colorado public insurance adjusters must keep a bond of at least $20,000 for the life of the license. The Division of Insurance requires a signed bond and power of attorney in the commissioner-prescribed format under § 10-2-417 and Insurance Regulation 1-2-19, uploaded electronically through Sircon.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Colorado application
Colorado will be preselected. Choose your bond type in the application—we confirm the correct product against your agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-10. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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