Missouri Bill of Sale (Form 1957) — and Form 108 Explained

About These Forms

Covers: Missouri Bill of Sale (Form 1957) — and Form 108 Explained

Agency: Missouri Department of Revenue — Motor Vehicle Bureau

Purpose: Form 1957 documents the private sale; it is required for a used vehicle bought from a state that does not title it, can serve as the seller's sale report, and must be notarized when it covers major parts of a rebuilt vehicle. Missouri's 4.225% state sales tax plus local taxes is charged on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance. Form 108 is the buyer's application for the new Missouri title and license.

When required: Buyers must apply for a Missouri title within 30 days of purchase — a $25 penalty applies on day 31 and grows $25 every 30 days to a $200 cap. The buyer files the signed title with Form 108; a bill of sale is needed only in the situations DOR lists, such as a used vehicle from a state that does not title it.

Form 1957: the bill of sale

Form 1957 (Revised 08-2019) is the Department of Revenue's Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale. The seller fills in everything that applies and signs; one seller and one buyer sign under penalties of perjury.

It has blocks for a motor vehicle (year, make, title number, VIN, sale date and price), for the unit traded in an even trade, for a vehicle sold for destruction, and for an outboard motor, a boat or a trailer. It needs a notary only when it proves ownership of major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle, or when DOR asks for it. License offices notarize for $2.

Form 108: the title application

• Form 108 (Revised 04-2026) is the Application for Missouri Title and License. The top of the form reminds you to title within thirty days to avoid a penalty.
• Give your legal name and your physical street address. A P.O. box or rural route cannot be used, because the address sets your local tax rate.
• Add your driver license number or FEIN, whether you live inside city limits, and the vehicle details: year, make, VIN, body style, fuel, mileage, purchase date, and the title number and state of the title you are turning in.
• Two or more owners hold the vehicle in joint tenancy unless you mark "tenants in common". You can also name transfer-on-death beneficiaries.
• Enter the price, any rebate, trade-in or other credit, and the net price the tax is figured on.
• One owner signs, certifying under penalty of perjury that the facts are true. The form warns that any false statement can be punished by a fine, prison or both.

What to bring to the license office

• The signed Form 108, the title assigned to you, and the fees plus state and local sales tax.
• Your insurance card or other proof of financial responsibility.
• A safety inspection no more than 60 days old (trailers, ATVs and never-titled vehicles are exempt).
• An emissions inspection no more than 60 days old if you live in the City of St. Louis or in Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles or St. Louis County (it applies to certain vehicles of 8,500 pounds or less).
• A paid personal property tax receipt, or a statement of non-assessment, from the county where you lived on January 1 of the previous year.
• For a title-only application or an ATV, you can skip the insurance proof, both inspections and the property tax receipt. Pay by check or money order to the Missouri Department of Revenue, and never mail cash.

Form 5049: the seller's notice of sale

• The seller must send it within 30 days of the sale, signed by the seller and the buyer, and keep a copy.
• Until the buyer titles the vehicle, the seller stays the last owner on record. The notice helps protect the seller from liability.
• Not filing it is an infraction. Not filing it to help a buyer avoid titling or fees is a class C misdemeanor, and so is giving false information on it.
• Some transfers are not reported, such as sales to licensed dealers, to out-of-state buyers, or to an insurer after a theft or total loss.
• Form 5049 can also stand in for a bill of sale when you claim the 180-day sales tax credit on a replacement vehicle.

What to Include in a Missouri Bill of Sale

A complete bill of sale usually includes:

• Seller name, address
• Buyer name, address
• Year, make, model
• VIN
• Odometer
• Sale price
• Date of sale
• Seller signature