Ohio does not run a single statewide general-contractor license bond. The commercial guides published here come from two discrete programs. Used motor vehicle dealers follow Chapter 4517 licensing and O.A.C. 4501:1-3-11, which sets a $75,000 Attorney General surety. Mortgage lenders, brokers, servicers, and related registrants under Chapter 1322 post a surety bond to the superintendent of financial institutions on a volume-based schedule. Ohio Department of Health private-water and sewage-treatment registration bonds are not published in this hub. Bid, performance, and payment bonds for individual jobs and city or county contractor permit bonds also stay outside this Resource Center.
Ohio · Surety Bond Resource Center
Ohio surety bonds
This Ohio hub covers two statewide programs: used motor vehicle dealers post a bond with the Attorney General under Bureau of Motor Vehicles dealer rules, while mortgage lenders, brokers, servicers, and related registrants bond under the Residential Mortgage Lending Act with the Division of Financial Institutions. Department of Health private-water and sewage-treatment registration bonds are not published here.
Ohio at a glance
- Used motor vehicle dealer
- $75,000
- Residential Mortgage Lending Act
- $50K–$150K
- Statewide focus
- Dealer + mortgage
O.A.C. 4501:1-3-11 surety posted with the Attorney General (rule effective April 1, 2026).
O.R.C. § 1322.32 volume formula; exclusive servicers start at $150,000.
Private-water and sewage-treatment registration bonds are outside this hub’s commercial scope.
How it works in this state
How Ohio bonding is organized
Ohio bond directory
Find your bond requirement
These guides cover license and permit bonds with verified educational content. Your agency notice or application checklist is always the final authority.
BondAgencyCommon amountHow you file
- Used Motor Vehicle Dealer BondLicense & permitOhio Attorney General / Bureau of Motor Vehicles — used motor vehicle dealers$75,000File the original with the Attorney GeneralMaintain for the full used-dealer license period; 30-day cancellation notice
- RMLA Mortgage BondLicense & permitOhio Department of Commerce — Division of Financial Institutions$50,000–$150,000File through NMLS with the Division of Financial InstitutionsCoincide with registration term; 30-day certified cancellation notice
Who sets the requirement?
Ohio licensing agencies
Each agency below sets its own bond requirement. Open the related guide for amounts and filing steps.
Ohio BMV / Attorney General — used motor vehicle dealers
Licenses used motor vehicle dealers and receives the O.A.C. 4501:1-3-11 surety posted with the Attorney General.
Open related guide →Ohio Division of Financial Institutions
Registers Residential Mortgage Lending Act firms and receives O.R.C. § 1322.32 surety bonds.
Open related guide →Before you apply
Confirm these details from the agency notice
Bring these five items when you request a bond. For the full checklist, see how to read a bond requirement.
- 1
Who requires it
Confirm whether you need a used-dealer Attorney General bond or a Division of Financial Institutions RMLA bond.
- 2
Bond title or form
Use the dealer surety required by O.A.C. 4501:1-3-11 or the RMLA bond declaration path through NMLS/DFI.
- 3
Required amount
Used dealers require at least $75,000; the RMLA volume schedule runs from $50,000–$150,000, with exclusive servicers at a $150,000 minimum.
- 4
License / business identifiers
Keep the name on the bond identical to the BMV or NMLS filing, including DBA where the program requires it.
- 5
Term / continuation
Dealer and RMLA bonds must stay active for the license or registration term, with statutory cancellation-notice rules.
Learn more about surety bonds
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ohio require a statewide general contractor license bond?
No statewide general-contractor license bond appears in the verified commercial programs published here. The Ohio guides cover used motor vehicle dealer security and RMLA surety. Cities and counties may still demand local permit bonds—those are not statewide Resource Center guides.
Are Ohio Department of Health registration bonds included here?
No. Private-water and sewage-treatment registration bonds are not published in this hub. The Ohio guides cover used motor vehicle dealer security and Residential Mortgage Lending Act surety.
Is there a statewide collection-agency bond?
Ohio does not maintain a statewide collection-agency license bond in the sources reviewed for this hub. Consumer-protection and federal FDCPA rules still apply.
Start your Ohio bond application
Ohio will be preselected in the application. Choose the bond type on the next step—we verify the current agency form before anything is issued.
Last verified 2026-08-10. Official sources are retained with this guide and checked before publication.
Agents Ready to Help
Need help matching a Ohio agency notice to the correct bond form? Our surety team can review the requirement with you.
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