How to Start an RV Dealership in Indiana

If you plan to sell recreational vehicles in Indiana, the first thing to know is who licenses you. The Indiana Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division issues RV dealer licenses under Indiana Code 9-32 and 75 IAC 6. Your county does not license dealers. That does not mean local government is out of the picture, because city and county zoning and local permits still apply to your site. This guide walks through the steps in the order most new dealers handle them, with the verified fees and the points you still need to confirm with the agency.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Dealer licensing depends on statutes, agency rules, and tax treatment that change and that turn on your specific facts. Talk to a qualified Indiana attorney and a CPA before you sign a lease, a bond, a franchise agreement, or a purchase contract.

Materials and Information You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. Most delays come from missing paperwork rather than from the state.

• A business entity, such as a limited liability company or a corporation, and its formation documents
• A Registered Retail Merchant Certificate from the Indiana Department of Revenue
• An Indiana Dealer Bond (State Form 53966)
• Proof of dealership insurance and the coverage types the agency requires
• Background check information for the owners
• Photos of your location, including the building, display space, office, customer parking, and sign
• A signed zoning affidavit
• A site that meets the Secretary of State's location rules (see Step 4)
• A written plan that states whether you will sell new units, used units, or both
• A startup budget covering state fees, the bond, insurance, inventory, rent or purchase costs, and working capital

Step 1: Decide Whether You Need a New or Used Dealer License

Indiana requires a new motor vehicle dealer license before you sell, offer, or advertise at least 12 new vehicles in any 12-month period. The Secretary of State states that this count includes recreational vehicles. A dealer who expects to move 12 or more new RVs in a year needs the new license, even though RVs are not cars or trucks. Advertising counts toward the threshold too, so time your listings with your licensing.

Separate licenses apply to new and used dealers. If you want to sell pre-owned RVs alongside new ones, plan for both licenses from the start instead of discovering the second requirement after you have opened.

Your choice here affects your bond, your insurance, your inventory financing, and your manufacturer relationships. Put it in writing before you spend money on any of them.

Step 2: Form Your Business Entity

Most dealers form a limited liability company or a corporation before they apply. The Secretary of State's Business Services Division handles entity filings through the INBiz portal at https://inbiz.in.gov/, and general business information is at https://www.in.gov/sos/business/.

Domestic LLC

The Articles of Organization for a domestic limited liability company (State Form 49459) carry a $95 filing fee. The name must include the words Limited Liability Company or an abbreviation of them. It must also be distinguishable from every other name in the Secretary of State's records. INBiz states that entity identifiers such as Inc. or LLC, the articles the, a, and an, punctuation, capitalization, plurals, possessives, and hyphenation do not make a name distinguishable. Changing a word order or a single letter may not be enough, so search the business records before you choose a name.

You can reserve a name for 120 days for $10 through INBiz at https://inbiz.in.gov/start-business/step-one. A reservation helps if you need time to line up financing or a location.

Corporation

Articles of Incorporation for a domestic corporation (State Form 4159) carry the same $95 filing fee. Corporations also file the Business Entity Report described below.

Registered Agent

Every entity must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Indiana. The agent receives service of process and legal and tax documents. The agent can be an Indiana resident whose business office matches the registered office, or a company authorized to do business in Indiana. The registered office must be a street address, since a P.O. Box is not sufficient unless it comes with a rural route reference. Your dealership cannot act as its own registered agent, and an entity may have only one agent. Many owners use a commercial registered agent service, which has a recurring cost that you should add to your budget.

Processing Time and Expedited Options

The Secretary of State does not publish a processing time for domestic LLC formations, and INBiz offers no expedited option for them. Plan your timeline around that uncertainty instead of a promised date.

Taxes and Annual Reporting

Indiana has no franchise tax. An LLC's income passes through to its owners, who pay the individual adjusted gross income tax (2.95% for 2026, scheduled to fall to 2.90% in 2027) plus county local income tax. An LLC that elects corporate treatment, or a corporation, pays the corporate adjusted gross income tax of 4.9%. Your entity type therefore changes your tax picture, so confirm the choice with a CPA.

Entities file a Business Entity Report (fee $32) every other year, by the end of the month in which the business was formed or registered. The first report is due two years after formation. Paper filing costs $50.

Step 3: Register With the Department of Revenue

The Secretary of State's dealer application lists a Registered Retail Merchant Certificate from the Indiana Department of Revenue, so plan to obtain it before you apply. The certificate carries a $25 fee. Register through the Department of Revenue's business registration page at https://www.in.gov/dor/i-am-a/business-corp/business-education/register-business/.

Indiana's state sales tax rate is 7%. How sales tax applies to RV transactions, including trade-ins, delivery charges, and any fees, is a question for the Department of Revenue and your CPA. Do not assume your RV sales will follow the same treatment as your service or accessory sales.

Step 4: Secure a Location That Meets the Secretary of State's Rules

Location is where many new dealers lose time, so check these requirements before you sign a lease or buy a building. The Secretary of State's Dealer page lists the following:

• The site cannot be a residence or a temporary site.
• The building must have at least 1,300 square feet.
• The display area must hold at least 10 vehicles.
• The furnished office must be at least 100 square feet.
• The dealership must be open at least 30 hours a week.
• You must display a permanent sign.
• You must provide customer parking.
• The site cannot sit inside a retail complex, such as a strip mall.

Those rules rule out many lots that look workable on a map. Bring your floor plan and lot dimensions to the agency or to your attorney before you commit. Some sources describe a particular Indiana county as the center of the RV industry. We have not verified that claim, so base your site choice on local demand, access, and the rules above.

Step 5: Obtain the Dealer Bond

The application requires an Indiana Dealer Bond (State Form 53966). The Dealer page does not state the bond amount. A Secretary of State bond page that appears in search results gives $25,000, but we have not confirmed that figure as the amount that applies to your license. Confirm the bond amount with the Secretary of State before you purchase a bond. Surety bond companies usually charge a premium based on your credit and financial strength, so ask for a quote early.

Step 6: Arrange Insurance and Complete Background Checks

The application requires proof of insurance and background checks for the people involved in the business. The coverage types and limits the agency requires are not spelled out in the material we reviewed, so ask the Secretary of State which policies it accepts before you buy anything. A broker who writes dealer policies can help you match the requirement, and that conversation is worth having before you commit to a location, since many insurers will ask about the site.

Step 7: Prepare Photos and the Zoning Affidavit

The application asks for photos of your location and a zoning affidavit. Photograph the building exterior, the display area, the office, the customer parking, and the permanent sign, and take the photos after your improvements are in place. The zoning affidavit confirms that your use of the site is allowed under local rules, so check with your city or county planning office first. The state does not license dealers at the county level, but local zoning still controls where a vehicle sales lot may operate, what signs you can use, and how the lot must be arranged. We have not verified a local RV-specific regime, so ask the planning office directly about vehicle sales, display, and signage rules for your parcel.

Step 8: Confirm Your Manufacturer Franchise Requirements

If you plan to sell a specific brand, the manufacturer or distributor sets its own franchise requirements. The Secretary of State pages we reviewed do not address franchise agreements, so treat this as an open question. Ask each manufacturer for its written requirements on facilities, inventory, staffing, and licensing, and ask whether it requires your state license before it will sign. Do not sign a franchise agreement until your attorney has reviewed it.

Step 9: Submit the Application and Pay the Fees

Submit your application to the Secretary of State's Auto Dealer Services Division. The Secretary of State's fee chart lists $30 for an Auto or Auction dealer license under IC 9-32-11-2(k). The chart does not say whether an RV license falls in that category, so confirm the RV dealer license fee with the agency before you budget it. The chart also lists $25 for an offsite sale permit and $250 for a special event permit.

Dealer training applies only to used car dealers who have never been licensed before. Confirm with the agency whether that requirement touches your application, especially if you plan to sell used RVs.

For questions about your application, contact the Secretary of State at [email protected] or call 317-234-7190.

Step 10: Check Local Permits and Business Licenses

Indiana does not have one comprehensive business license that covers every business. Your dealership may still need profession-specific licenses from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, local permits, or zoning approval from your city or county. Ask local officials which permits apply to a vehicle dealership at your address. Local governments set those rules, so the answer can differ from one town to the next.

The Indiana Small Business Development Center offers free business advising, and it is a good place to check your plan before you spend heavily. Find a center at https://isbdc.org/. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Indiana district page at https://www.sba.gov/district/indiana lists local resources as well.

Cost Summary

The table below separates verified figures from the items you must confirm with the agency.

Item	Cost	Status
LLC Articles of Organization (State Form 49459)	$95	Verified
Corporation Articles of Incorporation (State Form 4159)	$95	Verified
Name reservation (120 days)	$10	Verified
Assumed business name filed online through INBiz	$20 per name	Verified
Registered Retail Merchant Certificate	$25	Verified
New motor vehicle dealer license (Auto or Auction category shown on the chart)	$30	Confirm the RV category fee with the Secretary of State
Offsite sale permit	$25	Verified on the fee chart
Special event permit	$250	Verified on the fee chart
Indiana Dealer Bond (State Form 53966)	Amount not confirmed	Confirm with the Secretary of State
Business Entity Report	$32 every other year	Verified

Your total will also include insurance premiums, a registered agent fee if you use one, a bond premium, rent or the purchase price of your site, inventory financing, and local permit fees.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Looking to the county for the license. The Secretary of State licenses RV dealers, so a county office cannot issue your dealer license.
• Advertising before you are licensed. Advertising counts toward the 12-vehicle threshold for a new motor vehicle dealer license.
• Signing a lease in a strip mall. The Secretary of State rules bar dealerships from retail complexes such as strip malls.
• Choosing a site that is too small or too private. The rules require 1,300 square feet, display space for 10 vehicles, a 100 square foot office, and customer parking.
• Budgeting from a search result. Do not treat the $25,000 bond figure or any other unconfirmed number as settled until the agency confirms it.
• Choosing an entity name without a search. Names that differ only by punctuation, an entity identifier, or the word the are not distinguishable.
• Skipping the registered agent requirement. You must maintain a registered agent with a street address in Indiana, and your dealership cannot serve as its own agent.
• Forgetting the Business Entity Report. Filing it every other year keeps your entity in good standing.
• Signing a franchise agreement before review. The Secretary of State pages do not address franchise terms, so have an attorney review any manufacturer contract.

What Results to Expect

A complete, accurate application is more likely to move without delay than an incomplete one, and a site that meets the location rules from the start avoids the most common setbacks. Those steps may help you open on schedule, but they do not guarantee an approval date, a sales volume, or a profit. The agency does not publish a processing time for the dealer license that we could confirm, so ask before you set a launch date or sign a lease that depends on it. Sales results depend on your inventory, your manufacturer, local demand, financing, and how well you manage the business. Plan for a slower start than you hope for, and keep enough working capital to cover that period.

Next Steps

1. Confirm your new or used license plan against the 12-vehicle threshold.
2. Search the Secretary of State records for your name, then file your entity with INBiz.
3. Choose a site that meets the location rules and confirm local zoning before you sign.
4. Ask the Secretary of State to confirm the RV license fee and the bond amount.
5. Request franchise requirements from each manufacturer you want to carry.
6. Obtain your Registered Retail Merchant Certificate and your bond, insurance, and background checks.
7. Submit the application and calendar your Business Entity Report and sales tax filings.

Start with a conversation with the Secretary of State's dealer staff at [email protected] or 317-234-7190, and bring a qualified attorney and CPA into the process before you commit money to a site, a bond, or a franchise.