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All state guides Mississippi dealer license

How to get a used car dealer license in Mississippi

You apply to the Mississippi Department of Revenue for a used motor vehicle dealer permit and dealer tags. Mississippi requires an eight-hour MIADA seminar and a $15,000 Bond of Designated Agent, and every permit expires on October 31.

  • Sourced to DOR
  • Checked October 2026
  • Free
License
Motor vehicle dealer permit (used motor vehicles)
Surety bond
$15,000
State fee
$100
Pre-license course
8-hour MIADA seminar
Background check
Not listed in DOR packet
License term
Expires October 31 each year
What the state asks for

Mississippi dealer license requirements

The figures a first-time used car dealer needs before applying to DOR. Each row shows how well it is supported.

Surety bond
$15,000Official source

A Bond of Designated Agent on DOR's own form, written by an insurer qualified in Mississippi, with a seal and power of attorney attached. DOR's rule sets $15,000 as the minimum for every licensed dealer.

State license fee
$100Official source

The used motor vehicle dealer permit fee is $100. Dealer tags are extra at $43.75 each.

Pre-license education
8-hour MIADA seminarOfficial source

Every applicant completes the eight-hour educational seminar run by the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association. The certificate must be dated within the 12 months before the application.

Background check
Not listed in DOR packetOfficial source

DOR's packet lists the application, sales tax number, bond, affidavit, seminar certificate, insurance proof and payment. It does not ask for fingerprints or a criminal background check.

Insurance
Blanket liability coverageOfficial source

Motor vehicle liability insurance with blanket coverage on vehicles driven on public roads, including inventory. Proof is filed with the first application and at every renewal. The packet states no dollar limits.

Business location
Established place of businessOfficial source

A place you own or lease and regularly occupy mainly for selling vehicles, where your books and records are kept and can be inspected. DOR makes a site visit for businesses that retail to the public.

License term and renewal
Expires October 31 each yearOfficial source

All dealer permits and tags expire on October 31 after they are issued, so you apply again each year for the year beginning November 1. The permit fee is $100.

Sales allowed without a license
Confirm with DORConfirm with the agency

DOR does not publish a number of vehicles a private person may sell in a year. The dealer law leaves out people selling vehicles they bought for their own use and actually used, in good faith.

Processing time
Not publishedConfirm with the agency

DOR does not publish a processing time for a dealer permit. Incomplete forms are returned without processing.

“Official source” means the state agency’s own page, form or law. Where the state’s sources did not settle a point, the row says so instead of showing a guess.

Who issues the license

Mississippi Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau

License you apply for

Motor vehicle dealer permit (used motor vehicles)

Official licensing page

Two bond amounts on DOR's website

DOR's dealers and designated agents page gives a $5,000 surety bond for designated agent status, in a section that cites the law on agents other than licensed dealers. The dealer packet revised February 2026, its bond form for motor vehicle dealers and DOR's administrative rule all set the dealer bond at $15,000. Use the packet's bond form and confirm with DOR if you are told otherwise.
Step by step

How to get a Mississippi dealer license

The order that works for a first application. Tick each step off as you finish it.

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  1. Register the business and get a sales tax number

    Set up the business and register with DOR for a sales tax number. You need one for each dealer location, and a separate one if you also plan to rent vehicles. The dealer application asks for the sales tax number and your FEIN.

    One sales tax number per location

  2. Set up the place of business

    Secure a location that you own or lease and will use mainly for selling vehicles, with an office and your records on site. DOR performs a site visit for businesses that retail to the public. The wholesale-only permit skips the physical location, but it does not let you sell to the public.

  3. Complete the MIADA seminar

    Every applicant must complete the eight-hour educational seminar run by the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association (MIADA). The certificate must be dated within the 12 months before your application, and the original goes in with it.

    8 hours, within 12 months

  4. Get the $15,000 bond and the insurance

    Have an insurer qualified in Mississippi execute the Bond of Designated Agent from the packet for $15,000, with its seal and a power of attorney attached. The names on line 1 must match your ownership type exactly. Buy blanket liability coverage for vehicles driven on public roads, including inventory.

    Bond of Designated Agent · $15,000

  5. File the application with DOR

    Apply online through Motor Vehicle e-Services, or mail the typed or printed application. Include the sales tax number, the original signed bond, the original seminar certificate, proof of liability insurance and payment. The used dealer permit is $100 and each dealer tag is $43.75.

    Form 76-105-26-8-1-000 · $100 permit

  6. Set up e-Services for title work

    Every licensed dealer is a designated agent of DOR for titles. Register for Motor Vehicle e-Services to submit title applications, manage and renew the dealer permit and pay electronically. Check that the account lists the correct physical location for the dealership.

    mves.dor.ms.gov

Practical advice

Give your surety the bond form from DOR's own packet, not a generic dealer bond. The form is specific: $15,000, a seal, a power of attorney and exact names on line 1. Book the MIADA seminar early, because the application needs the original certificate. If any owner lives outside Mississippi, call DOR first. Its rule says it licenses only Mississippi residents as dealers.

Before you apply

Seven things to settle before any state application: the business, the owners, the money and the property.

Read the startup playbook
The lot and the office

Mississippi dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • A place of business that you own or lease and regularly occupy, used mainly for buying and selling vehicles.
  • The books and records of the business kept at that location, open to inspection by DOR or any peace officer during reasonable hours.
  • A location that makes it apparent to the public that vehicles are offered for sale there.
  • An office separate from any other business or, in its place, an adequate display of dealer identification as DOR specifies.
  • A sales tax number for each dealer location.
  • A DOR site visit applies to any business that retails to the public.

Zoning comes first

A site that meets the state’s rules can still fail local zoning. Get written approval for vehicle sales from the city or county, and ask the landlord for a lease that depends on the license being issued, before you sign.
Once you are licensed

Keeping a Mississippi dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

All permits and tags expire October 31, so you apply again each year for the year that starts November 1 and file proof of liability insurance again at renewal. Keep the bond in force, since the surety can cancel it on 30 days' notice. State law defines a dealer as a business that buys and sells at least 24 vehicles a year of the type its tags cover.

Federal rules that apply here too

  • The FTC Buyers Guide, posted on every used vehicle you offer for sale.
  • The FTC Safeguards Rule: a written plan for protecting customer financial information.
  • IRS Form 8300 when a customer pays more than $10,000 in cash.
  • A federal odometer disclosure on each transfer.
How each federal rule works
FAQ

Mississippi dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

How do I get a used car dealer license in Mississippi?

Apply to the Department of Revenue for a used motor vehicle dealer permit. First get a sales tax number for the location, complete the eight-hour MIADA seminar, have a $15,000 Bond of Designated Agent issued on DOR's form and buy blanket liability insurance. Then file the application online through Motor Vehicle e-Services or by mail with the $100 permit fee and $43.75 for each dealer tag. DOR makes a site visit for retail businesses.

How much is the dealer bond in Mississippi?

$15,000. It is called a Bond of Designated Agent and must be on the form in DOR's dealer packet, with the insurer's seal and a power of attorney. DOR's general web page mentions $5,000 for designated agents, but the dealer packet revised February 2026 and DOR's rule both require at least $15,000 from licensed dealers.

How much does a Mississippi dealer license cost?

The used motor vehicle dealer permit is $100 and each dealer tag is $43.75. The bond premium, liability insurance and the MIADA seminar are separate costs that DOR does not set. Permits and tags expire every October 31.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Mississippi?

Yes. Everyone applying for a motor vehicle dealer permit must complete the eight-hour educational seminar run by the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association (MIADA). The certificate must be dated within the 12 months before your application, and the original is filed with it.

Can I get a Mississippi dealer license without a car lot?

Not for retail sales. A dealer who sells to the public needs an established place of business, and DOR makes a site visit. A wholesale-only permit does not need a physical location, but it is limited to Mississippi residents, an inventory of two vehicles, one wholesale tag and sales to licensed dealers only.

How many cars can I sell in Mississippi without a dealer license?

DOR does not publish a number. The dealer tag permit law leaves out people who dispose of vehicles they acquired for their own use and actually used, as long as it is done in good faith and not to avoid the dealer law. If you plan to buy vehicles to resell, confirm with DOR whether you need a permit.

Sources

Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Fees, bond amounts and forms change, and local zoning rules vary. Confirm current requirements with DOR or your attorney before you sign a lease or pay a fee.

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