A mechanic, repair station, or service provider has recorded a lien against your aircraft on the FAA Aircraft Registry under 49 U.S.C. §44107 — clouding title, preventing sale, blocking financing, and grounding the aircraft commercially. The aircraft lien release bond runs to the FAA and clears the lien from the Registry by substituting alternate security for the lien itself. We write FAA aircraft lien release bonds as a specialized sub-practice with same-day issuance to the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City.
Aircraft are unique among real-world chattels: they are titled and encumbered under a federal recording system, not state-by-state. The FAA Aircraft Registry in Oklahoma City — operated by the FAA Civil Aviation Registry — records every aircraft in the U.S. fleet, along with all liens and security interests recorded against each tail number. A mechanic's lien against an aircraft, perfected by recording with the Registry, follows the aircraft anywhere in the world. Selling, financing, exporting, or re-registering the aircraft is impossible until the lien is released or paid.
The lien release bond is the immediate statutory remedy. Under 49 U.S.C. §44107 and the implementing FAA regulations at 14 C.F.R. Part 49, the aircraft owner can file a bond with the FAA Aircraft Registry that substitutes alternate security for the lien. Once recorded by the Registry, the lien is released from the aircraft title. The lien claimant's recourse runs against the bond rather than the aircraft.
The mechanics differ from state-court mechanic's lien practice in three important ways. First, the filing is federal, not state — every aircraft lien release bond goes to one location, the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City. Second, the bond form is FAA-specified — the Registry has form requirements that differ from typical state lien release bond forms, and a non-conforming bond will be rejected for filing. Third, the bond multiplier is typically higher than state lien release practice — 1.5× to 2× the lien amount is standard, reflecting the high value of aircraft and the difficulty of executing on a mobile asset.
This is a specialized practice. We have written aircraft lien release bonds for commercial airliners, business jets, helicopters, agricultural aircraft, light sport aircraft, and experimental amateur-built aircraft. The same bond framework applies across the categories; the underwriting differs based on aircraft value and the principal's posture.
Federal aircraft title law preempts state law for aircraft titled in the United States. The Federal Aviation Act, codified at 49 U.S.C. §44101 et seq., establishes the FAA Aircraft Registry as the exclusive system for recording aircraft ownership, liens, and security interests. Section 44107 specifies the recording requirements; the implementing regulations at 14 C.F.R. Part 49 contain the procedural detail.
Section 44108 makes recorded conveyances and liens effective against third parties only when they are recorded with the Registry. This is what makes the Registry filing dispositive: an unrecorded lien is unenforceable against bona fide purchasers and lienholders without notice. An unreleased recorded lien blocks the same dispositions.
For aircraft titled under Cape Town Convention registration (international aircraft financing), additional layers apply. The Cape Town International Registry, operated by Aviareto in Dublin, records international interests under the Convention. Cape Town interests interact with FAA Registry filings in nuanced ways; our underwriters address Cape Town-registered aircraft as a sub-specialty.
Aircraft lien release bonds are written on standard terms for aircraft owners with conventional financial position, but the documentation requirements are more involved than typical lien release work. Five items start the file: the recorded FAA lien (with the Registry's recording stamp and document number), the aircraft's registration certificate (Form AC 8050-3) showing the current tail number and registered owner, an aircraft valuation from a recognized source (typically Aircraft Bluebook or a current independent appraisal), a statement of the underlying dispute with the lien claimant, and a financial statement for the principal.
For aircraft over $1 million in value — typical of business jets, turboprops, and commercial aircraft — additional documentation is required: hull and aviation liability insurance certificates, maintenance log summaries showing airworthiness status, and confirmation that the aircraft is not subject to a pending bill of sale or international registration change. Bonds in the eight-figure range are routinely written for commercial airliners and heavy business jets.
The bond form is manuscripted to FAA requirements by our underwriters. The Registry has form-acceptance criteria that differ from state mechanic's lien release practice: specific recitals must appear, the surety's certificate of authority must be referenced in a particular way, and the Power of Attorney must be in a form the Registry will accept for recording. A bond drafted to typical state-court requirements will be rejected — we draft every aircraft bond to FAA Part 49 specifications.
Filing is with the FAA Aircraft Registration Branch in Oklahoma City. The Registry accepts hard-copy filings by mail or courier and is increasingly accepting electronic submissions through the AC Form 8050 series. For time-sensitive matters — aircraft scheduled for delivery, financing on a closing deadline, repossession proceedings — we coordinate directly with the Registry's recording staff to expedite the filing.
Send the recorded FAA lien, the aircraft registration, and a current valuation. We write to FAA Part 49 specifications and file directly with the Aircraft Registry in Oklahoma City.