Texas Title Bond Appraisers

5.0from 80+ client reviews

Texas values a vehicle for a bonded title from its own pricing sources before it will accept an appraisal, and limits who may sign one. The rules below apply to cars, trucks, trailers, and classic vehicles across Texas, including Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Get an instant response

DEFENSIBLE, USPAP-COMPLIANT APPRAISAL REPORTS — QUALIFIED FOR TEXAS LENDERS, BANKS, AND SURETY COMPANIES.

  • U.S. Small Business Administration
  • Chase
  • Frost Bank
  • Wells Fargo
  • Bank of America
  • IRS
  • Texas Courts

Credentialed Appraisers Serving Texas

Between them, our appraisers hold ISA, CAGA, ASA, ABV, and CFA designations, and every report is written to USPAP for Texas lenders, banks, and surety companies.

Joe Kattan

Joe Kattan

Owner & CEO

Joe founded AppraiseItNow to make a certified, USPAP-compliant appraisal as simple to order as anything else online. A former Bain & Company strategy consultant, Joe leads the entire team and specializes in strategy, growth, and the firm's tech capabilities.

Anne Hay

Anne Hay

Personal Property Appraiser

ISA Accredited Member with 30 years in the trade, from running estate sales and an auction gallery to appraising luxury apparel, furniture, artwork, antiques, and business assets, primarily for IRS tax filings.

Jason Dolph

Jason Dolph

Machinery & Equipment Appraiser

Third-generation auctioneer and CAGA Certified Appraiser with more than 20 years valuing machinery, equipment, vehicles, business assets, and estates for banks, attorneys, and trustees across the Carolinas.

Ashley Innes

Ashley Innes

Personal Property Appraiser

ISA Accredited Member specializing in Asian art, with a Master's from SOAS and a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art. Ashley chairs the ISA's Antiques, Furnishings, and Decorative Arts committee and appraises for charitable donation, insurance, and equitable distribution.

Marnie Erkelens

Marnie Erkelens

Vehicle Appraiser

CAGA Certified Appraiser since 2014, covering vehicles, boats, equipment, fine art, and collectibles. A classic-car restoration background informs her vehicle work, with reports prepared for insurance, divorce, and charitable contributions.

Justin Ramirez

Justin Ramirez

Business Valuation Expert & Appraiser

ASA, ABV, and CFA charterholder. Since 2016 Justin has valued businesses for estate and gift tax, purchase price allocations, fairness opinions, lending, and buy-sell agreements, across manufacturing, services, retail, and pre-revenue biotech.

Raymond Ghelardi

Raymond Ghelardi

Business Valuation Expert & Appraiser

Accredited Senior Appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers. Raymond values capital stock, business enterprises, stock options, and intangible assets.

Aron Blue

Aron Blue

Client Success Manager

Manages each engagement from the first enquiry to the delivered report, and keeps you posted at every step along the way.

  • USPAPWritten to the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice
  • Fair market and liquidation valueThe collateral values lenders and surety companies underwrite against
  • International Society of AppraisersAccredited Member
  • Certified Appraisers Guild of AmericaCertified Appraiser
  • American Society of AppraisersAccredited Senior Appraiser
  • AICPAAccredited in Business Valuation
  • CFA InstituteChartered Financial Analyst
  • The Appraisal FoundationAuthorized by Congress as the source of appraisal standards

About title bond appraisals in Texas

A Texas bonded title lets an owner title a vehicle whose ownership documents are missing or defective, backed by a surety bond under Transportation Code §501.053 that protects any earlier owner, lienholder, or later buyer. The bond is sized from the vehicle's value, so the value is where every application starts.

Which Texas vehicles go through the bonded title process

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, trailers, and classic vehicles bought without a valid title or inherited without the paperwork, which Texas's large used vehicle market and its informal rural sales make common from major metros to small towns. Vehicles the state's pricing sources do not list, such as custom builds, rebuilt vehicles, older classics, and homemade trailers, are the ones most likely to reach the appraisal step. For how other states set the bond, see title bond appraisals; for what a Texas vehicle is worth in a claim, a donation, or an estate, see auto appraisals in Texas.

What Texas clients say we are known for

Texas Appraisal Reviews: “They were wonderful to work with” and “I highly recommend AppraiseItNow Inc”

  1. Being the appraiser they come back to“I would highly recommend them and will continue to do so” Evgenii M.Mentioned in 3 reviews
  2. Showing the research and the comparables behind the number“They diligently researched both equipment items and provided well-documented reports” Bob H.Mentioned in 2 reviews
  3. Taking on items other appraisers had already turned downMentioned in 2 reviews

Across 8 published Texas appraisal reviews, every one from a client who paid AppraiseItNow for an appraisal, the three things they raise most often are that they would hire us again, how much research is visible in the report, and our taking on items other appraisers turned down.

  • They appraised an older trailer for me that required a bonded title. They were great with communication and it only took about 2 weeks to get a very nice detailed appraisal report, which finding comps for older trailers is not straight forward. Highly recommend!
    Andrew K. ·

    Trailer Appraisal for Title Bond

  • Excellent service! We received a truck appraisal for a title bond quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, the team was always available to answer our questions. I highly recommend AppraiseItNow Inc.
    Anastasiia M. ·

    Auto Appraisal for Title Bond

  • Excellent final product. Very professional. Questions were answered promptly, and the pricing was reasonable. I would highly recommend them and will continue to do so.
    Evgenii M. ·

    Auto Appraisal for Title Bond

  • AppraiseItNow did an outstanding job appraising my 1998 Bobcat Skid Steer and circa 2010 Yuchai Crawler Dozer. We could not locate a serial number on the dozer, and there were no online sales available, but they were still able to develop an accurate appraisal using known specifications for my dozer compared to other comparable make and model dozers. They diligently researched both equipment items and provided well-documented reports.
    Bob H. , Dallas, TX ·

    Machinery & Equipment Appraisal

  • Had a great experience working with AppraiseItNow for a potential loan our company was working on. I was very appreciative of the time they took to prepare the appraisal, plus the extra effort to advise us and explain the appraisal findings.
    David O. ·

    Inventory Appraisal for Loan Collateral

  • I was in dire need of an appraisal for my father's mobile home, which he needed for Medicaid approval. I couldn’t find anyone to do it for a long time, but then I found this company online and decided to give them a try. I’m so glad I did. They were wonderful to work with. I sent the pictures, and within just a few days I received the appraisal. They are absolutely worth the money.
    Kevin N. ·

    Mobile Home Appraisal

Frequently Asked Questions on Texas Title Bond Appraisers

How is the bond amount set for a Texas bonded title?

At exactly 1.5 times the vehicle's value. TxDMV determines value first from the Standard Presumptive Value under Tax Code § 152.0412, then from a national reference guide, and only if neither yields a value does it accept an appraisal (43 Tex. Admin. Code § 217.9). The application runs through a TxDMV regional service center and the county tax assessor-collector, not a court.

Can any appraiser value a vehicle for a Texas bonded title?

No. The appraisal must be completed on TxDMV Form VTR-125 by a Texas licensed motor vehicle dealer, limited to vehicle categories it is licensed to sell, or by a Texas licensed insurance adjuster, who may appraise any motor vehicle. Independent appraisals serve other purposes, such as insurance scheduling or resale, but cannot substitute for Form VTR-125 in the bonded title process.

What deadlines apply to a Texas bonded title appraisal?

The appraisal must be dated and submitted to TxDMV within 30 days, or a fresh one is required. Once issued, the bonded title stays in bonded status for three years; if no ownership challenge surfaces in that window, the bond requirement expires and the title is treated as regular.

Are there minimum values for older vehicles and trailers in Texas?

Yes. A vehicle 25 years or older is valued at no less than $4,000 for bond purposes even if it appraises lower, and trailer owners may elect fixed values of $4,000 for trailers under 20 feet or $7,000 at 20 feet or longer instead of obtaining an appraisal. These floors can push the bond above what true market value would suggest.