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Missouri · Paperwork

Missouri bill of sale — requirements and free generator

Missouri is one of the few states where reporting the sale is the seller’s legal duty, with a form to match. Within 30 days of selling, the seller must notify the Department of Revenue using either a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or a Bill of Sale (Form 1957) — so in Missouri the bill of sale is not just best practice, it is one of the two documents that satisfies a legal requirement. The title side is old-school and strict: the seller completes the assignment with the odometer reading and date of sale, and the DOR warns that correction fluid or erasures void the title — one slip means ordering a duplicate. The buyer then has their own 30-day window to title, with real teeth: a $25 penalty on the 31st day that grows $25 for every additional 30 days, capped at $200. At titling the buyer pays 4.225% state sales tax plus their local rate on the price, less any trade-in allowance. Title signatures need no notary; only a lien release (Form 4809) does.

Not legal advice — general information for Missouri. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Missouri: bill of sale — required · notarization: not required

The seller must report the sale to the DOR within 30 days using a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957).

Official state form: Form 1957 / Form 5049 — for DMV title/registration paperwork, use the official form; keep this generated document as your signed record of the deal.

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MOTOR VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

State of Missouri

1. The Parties. This Bill of Sale is made effective as of ______________________ (the “Sale Date”) by and between ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________ (the “Seller”), and ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________(the “Buyer”).

2. The Property.The Seller agrees to sell, transfer, and deliver to the Buyer the following described property (the “Property”):

  • Year: ________
  • Make: ______________________
  • Model: ______________________
  • Color: ____________
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): ______________________
  • Odometer Reading: ____________ miles

3. Consideration. The Buyer agrees to pay the Seller the total sum of $____________ USD, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Seller as full payment for the Property.

4. Ownership. The Seller certifies that the Seller is the legal owner of the Property, that the Property is sold free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims, and that the Seller has full right and authority to sell and transfer it.

5. Odometer Disclosure Statement

Federal law (49 U.S.C. § 32705) requires that you state the mileage upon transfer of ownership. Failure to complete an odometer statement, or providing a false statement, may result in fines and/or imprisonment. I, ______________________, certify to the best of my knowledge that the odometer reading of ____________ miles:

  • ☑ reflects the ACTUAL mileage of the vehicle;
  • ☐ exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits;
  • ☐ is NOT the actual mileage — WARNING: ODOMETER DISCREPANCY.

6. Condition. The Buyer accepts the Property in its present condition, “AS-IS, WHERE-IS”, with all faults. The Seller makes no warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, except the warranty of ownership stated above.

Seller’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Buyer’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Generated with the free Brixaz bill of sale generator (brixaz.com/tools/bill-of-sale). General information, not legal advice. For vehicles, the certificate of title transfers ownership — this document is supporting proof of the sale.

Missouri requirements for a private sale

  • ✓The seller must report the sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days, using the Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957) (dor.mo.gov, Selling a Vehicle).
  • ✓The title assignment must carry the odometer reading, the date of sale, and both parties’ names and signatures — and "you may not use correction fluid (white-out) or erase marks" on a Missouri title.
  • ✓The buyer must title within 30 days of purchase: a $25 penalty hits on the 31st day and increases $25 for every 30 days late, up to a maximum of $200 (dor.mo.gov, Buying a Vehicle).
  • ✓At titling the buyer pays 4.225% state sales tax plus the local sales tax for their Missouri address, calculated on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance.
  • ✓Title signatures do not require notarization; a lien release (Form 4809), when there was a loan on the vehicle, must be notarized.
  • ✓The seller removes the license plates — valid or expired — before the buyer takes possession.

Notarization: not required

Missouri title assignments and bills of sale close with plain signatures — no notary. The one notarized document in a typical private sale is the lien release (Form 4809) when the car previously had a loan. Missouri’s real formality is different: keep the title clean, because white-out or erasures void it.

Official form

Missouri publishes an official Bill of Sale, Form 1957, on dor.mo.gov — and it does double duty: it documents the sale for the parties and satisfies the seller’s mandatory 30-day report to the DOR (the alternative is Form 5049, Notice of Sale). A generated bill of sale covers the private-contract side; sellers should still file 5049 or 1957 with the DOR to close out their liability.

Worked example: selling a car in Missouri

Say you sell a 2016 Jeep Cherokee Latitude in Kansas City for $11,000. You fill the title assignment — odometer, date, signatures, no white-out — pull your plates, and file Form 5049 (or a completed Form 1957) with the DOR within 30 days; that filing is what stops the next owner’s parking tickets from tracing back to you. The buyer’s trip to the license office inside their own 30 days costs 4.225% state tax — $464.75 — plus Kansas City’s local sales tax on the same $11,000, plus title and registration fees. If the buyer sits on the paperwork for 100 days instead, the state adds a $75 title penalty ($25 at day 31, $50 at 61, $75 at 91) on top.

Missouri bill of sale FAQ

Does the seller have to report a car sale in Missouri?

Yes — within 30 days, using the Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957), filed with the Department of Revenue. It is the Missouri mechanism for cutting off the seller’s exposure to whatever the buyer does with the car before titling it.

What happens if the buyer titles late in Missouri?

A title penalty of $25 lands on the 31st day after purchase and grows by $25 for every additional 30 days, up to $200. That is on top of the sales tax and normal fees — procrastination in Missouri has a published price list.

How much is sales tax on a private car sale in Missouri?

4.225% state tax plus the local sales tax for the buyer’s Missouri address, applied to the purchase price less any trade-in allowance, and paid when the buyer titles the vehicle. Local rates vary widely, so the total often lands between 6% and 10% depending on where you live.

Does a Missouri bill of sale or title need to be notarized?

No — Missouri title assignments and bills of sale need only signatures. The exception is the lien release, Form 4809, which must be notarized. What Missouri does police on the title is neatness: correction fluid or erase marks void it and force a duplicate title order.

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