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How to get a used car dealer license in Missouri

You apply online through MyDMV to the Missouri Department of Revenue for a used motor vehicle dealer license. You need a $50,000 bond, a dealer seminar certificate, a law enforcement inspection on Form 5748 and a name-based criminal record for every owner.

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  • Checked October 2026
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License
Used motor vehicle dealer license
Surety bond
$50,000
State fee
$150 a year, prorated
Pre-license course
Seminar, 4 hours minimum
Background check
Name-based check, each owner
License term
Expires December 31
What the state asks for

Missouri 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
$50,000Official source

A corporate surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. The $100,000 amount on Form 4682 applies only if you want to deliver vehicles before you hold the title, under the 30-day rule in section 301.210.

State license fee
$150 a year, proratedOfficial source

$150 for a full license year, reduced by $12.50 for each month already gone, so a July application pays $75. The first dealer plate is $50 and each extra plate is $10.50, also prorated.

Pre-license education
Seminar, 4 hours minimumOfficial source

First-time used dealer applicants must attend a DOR-approved Dealer Educational Seminar within the 12 months before applying. DOR requires approved seminars to run at least four hours.

Background check
Name-based check, each ownerOfficial source

Every owner, partner and principal officer attaches a name-based criminal record from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MACHS), issued within the last six months. Out-of-state residents get it from their home state.

Insurance
Garage liability policyOfficial source

Attach a copy of a current dealer garage policy showing the policy number, insurer and insured. DOR's manual does not list minimum limits. You also certify liability coverage on every vehicle you own or operate.

Business location
Building, lot, 6-inch signOfficial source

A permanent enclosed building you own or lease, a display lot for multiple vehicles that is not a public street, an exterior sign with letters at least six inches tall, a working phone and posted hours.

License term and renewal
Expires December 31Official source

Licenses and plates expire December 31. You get one-year licenses for the first three years and a two-year license after that. You must sell at least eight vehicles a year to renew.

Sales allowed without a license
5 per calendar yearOfficial source

Selling or displaying for sale six or more vehicles in a calendar year without a license is unlawful, unless they are registered in your name. Six sales of any vehicles is treated as evidence that you are acting as a dealer.

Processing time
8 working hours by statuteOfficial source

State law requires DOR to grant or deny a complete application for a new business within eight working hours of receipt. DOR does not publish an actual turnaround time, and incomplete applications are rejected.

“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

Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau, Dealer Licensing Section

License you apply for

Used motor vehicle dealer license

Official licensing page

Six sales needs a license, eight keeps it

Two numbers get mixed up. Section 301.570 makes it unlawful to sell six or more vehicles in a calendar year without a license. Section 301.550 and Form 4682 require a licensed dealer to sell at least eight a year to renew. One line in the DOR manual says a license is needed at eight sales, which does not match 301.570. Treat six as the limit for unlicensed sales and confirm with DOR.
Step by step

How to get a Missouri 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 choose the location

    Register the business with the Secretary of State if your ownership type requires it, and register any DBA as a fictitious name. The bond must be in the same name as the application. Check the building, lot and sign against the bona fide place of business rules before you sign a lease.

    RSMo 301.560

  2. Take an approved dealer seminar

    First-time used dealer applicants must attend a Dealer Educational Seminar from a DOR-approved provider within the 12 months before applying. The certificate is issued in the dealership's name, so settle the business name first. You are exempt if you already hold a new or used dealer license for a separate dealership.

    4 hours minimum

  3. Get a criminal record for every owner

    Each owner, partner and principal officer requests a name-based criminal record from the Missouri State Highway Patrol through MACHS. Anyone living in another state gets the record from that state instead. The record must be less than six months old at licensing, and MACHS keeps results for only 30 days, so retrieve them promptly.

    MACHS, machs.mo.gov

  4. Buy the bond and the garage policy

    Get a $50,000 corporate surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit on DOR's form. It must run through December 31 of the license year or be non-expiring. Buy a dealer garage liability policy and keep a copy that shows the policy number, effective and expiration dates, insurer and insured.

    $50,000 bond or letter of credit

  5. Have the location inspected

    Ask the Missouri State Highway Patrol or its authorized designee to inspect the building, lot, sign and posted hours and to sign Form 5748. In a first class county, a police officer employed by the city where the business is located may do it. A sheriff or marshal may not. Take a current photo showing the building, lot and sign.

    Form 5748

  6. Apply online through MyDMV

    New license applications go through DOR's MyDMV business licensing portal. Upload the photo, Form 5748, seminar certificate, bond, garage policy and criminal records, then pay the fees. The license is $150 for a full year and is prorated by month. The first plate is $50 and extra plates are $10.50 each.

    mydmv.mo.gov

  7. Wait for approval before you buy or sell

    You may not buy or sell vehicles as a dealer until the Dealer Licensing Section approves the application. Receiving the business certificate or the dealer plates is your proof of approval. Submitting the application or paying the fees is not.

Practical advice

Plan the steps around the documents that expire. The seminar certificate is good for 12 months, the criminal record must be less than six months old, and MACHS keeps results for only 30 days. Every license expires December 31 whatever month you start, so a fall application means renewing almost at once. The manual scales the eight-sale minimum down for a partial first year.

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

Missouri dealer location requirements

What the state checks at the business address.

  • A permanent enclosed building or structure that you own or lease and actually occupy as your place of business, where the books and records are kept.
  • A display lot, not a public street, that fits multiple vehicles, is clearly for your dealership's exclusive use and is visible from the nearest public street.
  • A permanent exterior sign with the dealership name in letters at least six inches tall. A banner does not count as a permanent sign.
  • Posted business hours of at least 20 hours a week over at least four days, Monday through Saturday. Only hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. count.
  • A working telephone number and an email address kept active for the whole license year.
  • If a travel trailer or manufactured home is the office, it must be anchored to the ground with the wheels removed.
  • If another business shares the building, your dealership area must be clearly designated and segregated, with its own records.

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 Missouri dealer license

Renewal and ongoing duties

Report sales by the 15th of the following month. Sell at least eight vehicles a year to stay eligible for renewal. Licenses expire December 31 with no grace period, and a late renewal costs $25 or $50. Keep the bond, garage policy and place of business in force all year. The location is recertified every year for the first three years, then every other year.

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

Missouri dealer license FAQ

The questions first-time dealers ask most.

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

Apply online through the Department of Revenue's MyDMV portal. Before you file, attend an approved dealer seminar, get a name-based criminal record for every owner, buy a $50,000 bond and a garage liability policy, and have the Missouri State Highway Patrol or its designee inspect the location and sign Form 5748. Upload those with a photo of the building, lot and sign, and pay the prorated license and plate fees.

How much is the dealer bond in Missouri?

$50,000, as a corporate surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit. A $100,000 bond or letter of credit is needed only if you want to deliver vehicles to buyers before you can hand over the title, under the 30-day rule in section 301.210.

How much does a Missouri dealer license cost?

The license fee is $150 for a full year, prorated by the month you apply, so it drops $12.50 each month to $12.50 in December. The first dealer plate is $50 and each additional plate is $10.50, also prorated. Late renewals add $25 or $50. The bond premium, garage policy, seminar and criminal records are separate costs.

Do I need a pre-licensing course in Missouri?

Yes, if this is your first used motor vehicle dealer license. You must attend a Dealer Educational Seminar approved by the Department of Revenue within the 12 months before you apply, and upload the certificate. Approved seminars must be at least four hours long. Wholesale dealers, franchise dealers and applicants who already hold a new or used dealer license for a separate dealership are exempt.

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

No. A used dealer needs a bona fide established place of business: a permanent enclosed building, a display lot that is not a public street and fits multiple vehicles, and a permanent exterior sign. DOR's manual says an enclosed garage does not qualify as a display area. Only dealers that sell nothing but emergency vehicles are exempt from the place of business rules.

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

Five in a calendar year is the safe limit. Section 301.570 makes it unlawful to sell, or display for sale, six or more motor vehicles in a calendar year without a dealer license, except vehicles registered in the seller's name. It also treats six or more sales in a year, whoever owns the vehicles, as evidence that you are acting as a dealer. Financial institutions selling repossessions and antique vehicle collectors are listed exceptions.

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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