Missouri Vehicle Bill of Sale
Missouri DOR Form 1957 doubles as the seller's required 30-day notice of sale; tax 4.225% plus local.
Introduction
A Missouri vehicle bill of sale records a private car, truck, motorcycle, trailer, or all-terrain vehicle sale, the parties, the vehicle, the price, the odometer reading, and the as-is terms. Missouri publishes an official form for this, Form 1957 (Revised 08-2019), titled the "Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale," issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue. Form 1957 does more than document the price. Effective January 1, 2006, the seller of a motor vehicle, trailer, or all-terrain vehicle must report the sale within 30 days to the Department, and a non-dealer seller satisfies that duty by submitting either the Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or the Bill of Sale (Form 1957). So in Missouri the bill of sale is one of the two accepted instruments for a required compliance step, not optional supplementary paper. Notarization is not required for an ordinary sale; Form 1957 must be notarized only when showing proof of ownership on major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle or when the Department specifically requests it. The seller writes in the odometer reading and date of sale. The buyer titles with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau, within 30 days and pays 4.225% state sales tax plus local tax on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance. DocDraft drafts a Missouri vehicle bill of sale from your facts, with attorney review available.
Key Things to Know
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Missouri publishes an official form, Form 1957 (Revised 08-2019), the "Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale," issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue. It can be used as the transfer documentation and is officially accepted to report the sale.
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A Missouri vehicle bill of sale does not need to be notarized for an ordinary sale. Form 1957 must be notarized only when showing proof of ownership on major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle or when the Department of Revenue specifically requests it; the title assignment signatures themselves do not need notarization.
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The seller must write in the odometer reading and the date of sale on the transfer paperwork. The federal odometer disclosure baseline under 49 CFR 580 applies, and the title assignment captures the reading.
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Missouri vehicle sales tax is 4.225 percent state plus your local sales tax, assessed on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance. The price stated on the bill of sale drives the tax, so the bill of sale is the document the Department of Revenue uses to compute what is owed.
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You title the vehicle with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau, within 30 days from the date of purchase. The buyer brings the assigned title and the sale documentation to title and pay tax.
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A bill of sale is not the instrument that transfers ownership, the assigned title is, but the seller is legally required to report the sale within 30 days, and Form 1957 is one of the two accepted ways to do that. It functions as a required-or-equivalent compliance document.
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The standout Missouri detail is the late-title penalty paired with the 30-day seller notice duty. If the buyer does not title within 30 days, a $25 penalty applies on the 31st day and increases another $25 for every additional 30 days late, up to a $200 maximum, so titling promptly matters.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Bill of Sale in Missouri, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Bill of Sale guide walks through them.
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Missouri Requirements for Bill of Sale
The Missouri Department of Revenue publishes Form 1957 (Revised 08-2019), the "Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale." It documents the sale and is officially accepted as one of the two instruments a non-dealer seller can submit to report the sale, the other being the Notice of Sale (Form 5049). The assigned certificate of title is what transfers ownership.
Notarization is not required for an ordinary vehicle sale. Form 1957 must be notarized only when showing proof of ownership on major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle or when specifically requested by the Department of Revenue. The title assignment signatures themselves do not need notarization, so buyer and seller signatures are sufficient for a standard sale.
Identify the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body style, and color, and identify the seller and buyer by name and address, with the sale price (or even-trade terms) and the date of sale.
The seller must write in the odometer reading and the date of sale on the transfer paperwork. The federal odometer disclosure baseline under 49 CFR 580 applies, and the title assignment captures the reading at transfer.
Missouri assesses 4.225 percent state sales tax plus the buyer's local sales tax, computed on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance. The price stated on the bill of sale drives the tax, which the buyer pays when titling at the Department of Revenue.
Effective January 1, 2006, the seller of a motor vehicle, trailer, or all-terrain vehicle must report the sale within 30 days to the Department of Revenue. A non-dealer seller does this by submitting a completed Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957), which is why Form 1957 functions as a required-or-equivalent compliance document.
Title and register the vehicle with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau. The buyer brings the assigned title and sale documentation and pays 4.225 percent state tax plus local tax on the price less any trade-in, along with applicable fees.
The buyer has 30 days from the date of purchase to title and pay sales tax. If the vehicle is not titled within 30 days, a $25 title penalty applies on the 31st day and increases another $25 for every 30 days late, up to a $200 maximum.
Frequently Asked Questions
The assigned title is what transfers ownership in Missouri, but a seller of a motor vehicle, trailer, or all-terrain vehicle must report the sale within 30 days to the Department of Revenue. A non-dealer seller does that by submitting either the Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or the Bill of Sale (Form 1957). So a Missouri bill of sale on Form 1957 is one of the two accepted ways to satisfy a required reporting step, not optional paper. The buyer titles within 30 days of purchase.
No, not for an ordinary vehicle sale. Form 1957 must be notarized only when showing proof of ownership on major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle or when the Department of Revenue specifically requests it. The title assignment signatures themselves do not need notarization. A signed bill of sale that identifies the vehicle, the price, the odometer reading, and both parties is sufficient documentation for a standard private sale.
Yes. The Missouri Department of Revenue publishes Form 1957 (Revised 08-2019), titled the "Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale." It documents the sale and is officially accepted as one of the two instruments a non-dealer seller can submit to report the sale within 30 days, the other being the Notice of Sale (Form 5049). The assigned certificate of title remains the document that transfers ownership and titles the vehicle.
Missouri charges 4.225 percent state sales tax plus your local sales tax on a vehicle purchase. The tax is assessed on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance, so the price stated on the bill of sale drives what is owed. The buyer pays the tax when titling at the Department of Revenue. If the vehicle is not titled within 30 days, a title penalty of $25 starts on the 31st day and increases $25 every 30 days, up to $200.
You title and register a vehicle in Missouri with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau. The buyer has 30 days from the date of purchase to title and pay sales tax. You bring the assigned title and sale documentation, pay 4.225 percent state tax plus local tax on the price less any trade-in, and pay any applicable fees. Missing the 30-day window triggers a $25 title penalty on day 31, rising $25 every 30 days to a $200 cap.
A Missouri vehicle bill of sale, such as Form 1957, should identify the seller and buyer, describe the vehicle by VIN, year, make, model, body, and color, state the sale price or even-trade terms, record the odometer reading and date of sale, state that the vehicle is sold as-is unless a warranty is given, and include both signatures. Notarization is not required for an ordinary sale. Keep it with the assigned title when you title within 30 days at the Department of Revenue.