Who requires it
PennDOT Bureau of Motor Vehicles — Regulated Client Services
License & permit · Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Dealer and Agent Bond
PennDOT’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles uses one Form MV-375 for manufacturers and dealers, full issuing agents, card agents, messenger services, and salvors. The amount depends on the designation you check on the form and, for most types, on each place of business or branch the instructions list. The bond stays in force while you are authorized.
Common bond amount
$3,000–$50,000 by designation
MV-375 schedule: dealer $20,000; full agent $30,000; messenger $50,000 (+$50,000/branch); salvor $10,000; card agent $3,000—each place of business where the form requires it.
How you file
File Form MV-375 with PennDOT Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Renewal
Stays in force while authorized; 60-day BMV cancellation notice
Who requires it
Businesses seeking or holding PennDOT authorization as a manufacturer/dealer, full/issuing agent, card agent, messenger service, or salvor under the Vehicle Code sections Form MV-375 cites. Separate Department of Banking and Securities sales-finance or collector-repossessor licenses use different Title 12 bonds—not this MV-375 instrument.
How much is required
Form MV-375 instructions establish fixed amounts: Manufacturer/Dealer $20,000 for each place of business; Full Agent $30,000 for each place of business; Messenger Service $50,000 plus an additional $50,000 per branch office; Salvor $10,000 for each place of business; Card Agent $3,000. The form states the required amount must be maintained at all times; if coverage falls below that figure, authorization to operate is void.
How to get and file it
Have a surety authorized in Pennsylvania execute the current Form MV-375 with original signatures, attach power of attorney when using an attorney-in-fact, list every branch the instructions require, and match the legal business name PennDOT will authorize. Submit the original bond to Bureau of Motor Vehicles Regulated Client Services with your dealer or agent package. The bond stays in force while you are authorized. If the surety cancels or does not renew, it must notify you and the Manager of Regulated Client Services at least sixty days before the action takes effect; cancellation does not take effect until that sixty-day period elapses. Keep the amount at or above the designation schedule for every bonded location while the authorization remains active.
Cost note
Those MV-375 figures are the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Manufacturer / dealer
- $20,000 for each place of business (75 Pa.C.S. § 1335 on form)
- Full / issuing agent
- $30,000 for each place of business
- Messenger service
- $50,000, plus $50,000 for each additional branch office
- Salvor
- $10,000 for each place of business
- Card agent
- $3,000
- Cancellation
- Surety notifies BMV Regulated Client Services at least 60 days before cancellation or nonrenewal
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Is the dealer bond always $20,000?
Only for the manufacturer/dealer designation on Form MV-375. Full agents, messengers, salvors, and card agents use different amounts on the same form. Multiple places of business or messenger branches can require stacking the per-location amounts the instructions list.
Does this cover a sales finance company license?
No. Sales finance companies and collector-repossessors bond under the Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act with the Department of Banking and Securities. That is a separate Title 12 instrument from PennDOT’s MV-375.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Continue with a Pennsylvania application
Pennsylvania 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 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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