Missouri car bill of sale Do you need one? And what else does Missouri require?

Do you need a separate bill of sale?

Not for the transfer — but it can do the reporting

The properly assigned certificate of title is what transfers the vehicle. Missouri's Bill of Sale, Form 1957, is one of the two ways to satisfy the 30-day reporting duty, so it is worth using even though the sale does not depend on it. What you MUST hand the buyer is the assigned title, plus a safety inspection certificate less than 60 days old unless the vehicle is within ten years of its model year and under 150,000 miles. If you live in St. Louis City or Jefferson, St. Charles or St. Louis County, add an emissions inspection under 60 days old. Selling as-is does not remove the inspection duty.

Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a Vehicle; RSMo 307.350.1, 307.380.1

Not required. Still worth having.

The title transfers ownership — and the buyer leaves with it. A separate bill of sale gives both of you something to keep.

It records who bought and who sold, the agreed price, when the vehicle changed hands, and any other terms you write into it, such as what was included or that it was sold as-is.

It does not replace the signed title or any notice Missouri requires. You may not need one for the state. You may still want one for your own records.

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Does the title need a notary or witnesses?

Neither — Missouri says so outright

The Department of Revenue states it plainly: all sellers and purchasers must print their names and sign the back of the title in the assignment area, and those signatures do not need to be notarized. One document does: a lien release, Form 4809, must be notarized where a lender was on the title. And you may not use correction fluid or erase marks on a Missouri title.

Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a Vehicle, checked Oct 12 2026

What happens to the plates?

Off before they take possession

Missouri is specific about the timing rather than just the fact: before the purchaser takes possession of the vehicle, remove your license plates — whether they are valid or expired. Not after the money clears, not that evening. Before they drive it away.

Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a Vehicle

Do you have to tell the state you sold it?

Yes. Within 30 days, and it is required

Reporting is mandatory here, not optional. Since 1 January 2006 the seller of a motor vehicle, trailer or all-terrain vehicle must report the sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days. Failing to report is an infraction with a fine of up to $200. Sales to a dealer or to an out-of-state buyer are exempt from this notice — though state law still says to notify the Department immediately when the buyer lives in another state. You do it on Notice of Sale Form 5049 or on Bill of Sale Form 1957 — either satisfies the requirement. Sign it, get the buyer's signature, mail it to the address on the form, and keep a copy.

Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a Vehicle; Notice of Sale; RSMo 301.196, 301.210.3

Where does the odometer reading go?

On the title, written by you

The seller writes in the odometer reading and the date of sale on the back of the title in the assignment area. Federal law says the same for an owner selling their own vehicle.

Source: Missouri DOR, Selling a Vehicle; 49 CFR 580.5(c)

The forms Missouri publishes

• Notice of Sale (5049) — Yours to file, within 30 days. Required unless you sold to a dealer or an out-of-state buyer. Where: dor.mo.gov/forms/5049.pdf. Revision: Revised 12-2018.
• Bill of Sale (1957) — The alternative to 5049 — filing either one satisfies the 30-day duty. Where: dor.mo.gov/forms/1957.pdf. Revision: Revised 08-2019.
• Notice of Lien, Lien Release, or Authorization (4809) — Only if a lender was on your title. Must be notarized. Where: dor.mo.gov/forms/4809.pdf. Revision: Revised 08-2025.

Selling here, registering somewhere else

These are the rules where you are selling, not where the buyer is taking it. The title is signed under Missouri’s rules, and the plate and the notice are yours to handle here.

Registering it and paying tax falls under the buyer’s own state’s rules.

How Missouri compares

Counted from the same answers, for all fifty states.

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