Who requires it
New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles
License & permit · New Hampshire
New Hampshire Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond
New Hampshire conditions dealer plates and licenses on a twenty-five-thousand-dollar surety—or an equivalent certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit the department accepts—under RSA 261:98. The statute reaches every retail vehicle dealer, every auto wholesale dealer, every automotive recycling dealer specified in RSA 261:123, and utility dealers when the commissioner’s rules require bonding. The instrument protects natural-person buyers against unpaid dealer drafts, failed clean-title delivery, stolen vehicles, and knowing odometer nondisclosure, and—for dealer agents appointed under RSA 261:74-h—also covers towns, cities, or the state for uncollected or unpaid registration and title fees. A separate bond is required for each different name under which the dealer does business and for each community where the dealer keeps a place of business.
Common bond amount
$25,000
Fixed amount under RSA 261:98; separate bond for each trade name and each community with a place of business.
How you file
File with DMV; surety bond, or CD/letter of credit
Renewal
Maintain while licensed; 60-day cancellation notice to DMV
Who requires it
Applicants for and holders of New Hampshire retail, wholesale, and automotive recycling dealer credentials, plus utility dealers when DMV rules impose the bond, filing with the Division of Motor Vehicles.
How much is required
RSA 261:98 fixes the amount at twenty-five thousand dollars. The statute does not publish sales-volume tiers. A New Hampshire–authorized certificate of deposit or irrevocable letter of credit in the same amount may substitute when the department allows it.
How to get and file it
Have a surety authorized by the New Hampshire Insurance Department issue a dealer bond in the exact business name and legal address on your DMV application, or arrange an accepted CD or letter of credit. File the original with the dealer license package along with local approvals, background checks, and other DMV checklist items. Keep the bond or equivalent in force while the dealer credential remains active. Sureties must give the department and the dealer sixty days’ notice before canceling the bond, certificate of deposit, or letter of credit. Order a replacement before the effective date if you still need coverage. File a separate instrument whenever you add a trade name or open in another community.
Cost note
Twenty-five thousand dollars is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Required amount
- $25,000
- Covered dealer classes
- Retail, wholesale, automotive recycling, and utility dealers when required by rule
- Separate instruments
- One bond per trade name and per community with a place of business
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Do wholesale or recycling dealers use a different amount?
No. RSA 261:98 sets one twenty-five-thousand-dollar face for retail, wholesale, and automotive recycling dealers, and for utility dealers when the commissioner requires bonding. Confirm any utility-dealer rule trigger with DMV.
If I operate under two names, do I need two bonds?
Yes. Paragraph IV of RSA 261:98 requires a separate bond for each different name under which the dealer conducts business and for each community where the dealer has a place of business.
Related New Hampshire bond guides
Mortgage Banker / Broker / Servicer Bond
$50,000 / $100,000 minimums
Nondepository mortgage bankers, brokers, and servicers licensed under RSA chapter 397-A must post a bond that stays in force while licensed, filed with the bank commissioner as part of the NMLS application package. RSA 397-A:5 sets the statutory floor at fifty thousand dollars for mortgage brokers and one hundred thousand dollars for mortgage bankers and mortgage servicers. Those amounts increase under conditions the commissioner sets by rule, and the statute requires coverage that reflects the dollar amount of loans originated by each mortgage loan originator the company employs or retains. Sureties must give thirty days’ written notice before cancellation or termination, and a claim on the bond triggers an immediate replacement filing.
Small Loan Lender Bond
$25,000
Companies that lend under New Hampshire’s small-loan, payday-loan, and title-loan framework must keep a continuous twenty-five-thousand-dollar surety on file with the bank commissioner. RSA 399-A:4 places that instrument in favor of the state and the commissioner for anyone damaged by a chapter violation and conditions it on compliance with chapter 399-A. Applications and renewals run through NMLS. The surety must give thirty days’ written notice before cancellation, and a suit on the bond requires an immediate replacement filing.
Public Adjuster Bond
≥ $20,000
Before the Insurance Commissioner issues a public adjuster license, RSA 402-D:11 requires coverage of at least twenty thousand dollars. Applicants may use a surety bond from an insurer authorized to write surety in New Hampshire or an irrevocable letter of credit from a qualified financial institution. The bond is payable to the state and specifically authorizes recovery by the commissioner for persons damaged by erroneous acts, failures to act, fraud convictions, or unfair-practice convictions in the adjuster’s capacity. Coverage may not terminate unless at least thirty days’ prior written notice reaches the commissioner and the licensee, and public-adjuster authority ends automatically if that coverage terminates or becomes impaired.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a New Hampshire application
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Last verified 2026-08-12. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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