Free Mississippi Car Bill of Sale
Selling a car in Mississippi runs on a working-day clock: the buyer has 30 working days, not counting the delivery date, to register the car at the County Tax Collector, and the title application is filed with the tag application. Mississippi has no official bill of sale form; the buyer files the title application (Form 78-002) with the assigned title at the County Tax Collector and pay the 5% casual sales tax, which is based on the vehicle's assessed value rather than the price. Miss the 30-working-day window and late penalties apply.
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Mississippi Car Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know
Sales Tax Details
A private (non-dealer) sale owes Mississippi's 5% casual sales tax, based on the vehicle's value in the DOR's official assessment schedule — not the purchase price — and paid by the buyer to the County Tax Collector at registration. Vehicles 10 or more years old are exempt, as are transfers between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or siblings.
Inspection Requirements
Mississippi has no statewide vehicle safety inspection or emissions testing requirement for private passenger car sales. Buyers do not need to present an inspection certificate at title transfer.
Mississippi Car Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist
- Prepare a written bill of sale with the VIN, year, make, model, odometer reading, sale price, date of sale, and full names and addresses of both buyer and seller.
- Seller completes the odometer disclosure on the back of the Mississippi title (federally required for vehicles of model year 2011 or newer).
- Seller signs the title over to the buyer and hands over the title, bill of sale, and any lien-release documentation.
- Buyer completes the title application (Form 78-002) at the County Tax Collector.
- Buyer visits the County Tax Collector within 30 working days of the sale date (the delivery date does not count).
- Buyer pays the 5% casual sales tax (based on the DOR assessment-schedule value, not the price; vehicles 10+ years old and close-family transfers are exempt), plus the title fee and registration fees.
- Seller removes the license plates and surrenders them to the county Tax Collector — Mississippi plates are not transferred to the buyer.
- Buyer applies for new Mississippi plates at the same County Tax Collector visit.
Common Pitfalls
- Missing the 30-working-day deadline: late penalties apply once the window closes. The clock starts after the delivery date, not the day the buyer decides to register.
- Confusing "working days" with calendar days: weekends and state holidays do not count toward the 30-working-day window, so count the days deliberately instead of guessing.
- Forgetting that plates stay with the seller: The DOR tells sellers to remove the plates at the time of sale and surrender them to the Tax Collector. A buyer driving away with old plates is operating an unregistered vehicle.
- Incomplete odometer disclosure: federal law requires sellers to complete odometer mileage on the title for any vehicle of model year 2011 or newer. A blank odometer field causes the County Tax Collector to reject the title application.
- Going to the wrong office: private-sale titles, tags, and the casual sales tax are handled at the County Tax Collector — check your county office's hours before the buyer arrives.
Pro Tip
The single most important rule for a Mississippi car sale is the 30-working-day clock. Mark the sale date, count only Monday–Friday business days excluding state holidays (the delivery date itself does not count), and make sure the buyer arrives at the County Tax Collector with the signed title and payment before that window closes. Sellers should remove the plates at the time of handoff — do not let the buyer drive away with Mississippi plates that are still registered to you.