Missouri Bill of Sale for a Car
A bill of sale may be required for a private car sale in Missouri, depending on the situation. A bill of sale is not required to transfer ownership (the assigned title does that), but a private seller must report the sale to the DOR within 30 days using either a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or a Bill of Sale (Form 1957).
Verified against official Missouri sources · 2026-07-08 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
Bill of sale
Conditional
Bill of sale notary
Conditional
Official form
Form 1957 — Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale
Official form: Form 1957 — Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale (Missouri Department of Revenue, rev. 08-2019) · Free printable Missouri template →
What a Missouri car bill of sale must include
- Purchaser name(s) and address
- Seller name(s) and address
- Vehicle year, make, title number, and VIN
- Sale date
- Sale price (or even-trade vehicle details)
- Sold-for-destruction indicator
- Signature of one purchaser and one seller under penalty of perjury
- Notary block (only when notarization is required)
The seller must write the odometer reading and date of sale on the assigned title, per the federal baseline applying to vehicles under 20 model years old (MY 2011 and newer).
Before you sign: run the VIN
Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours. The $9.99 Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model, and the original window sticker where available, in about a minute. One-time, no subscription. Run the report →
FAQ
Do you need a bill of sale to sell a car privately in Missouri?
Sometimes. A bill of sale is not required to transfer ownership (the assigned title does that), but a private seller must report the sale to the DOR within 30 days using either a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or a Bill of Sale (Form 1957).
Does a Missouri car bill of sale have to be notarized?
In some cases. Per Form 1957 itself, the Bill of Sale must be notarized only when showing proof of ownership of major component parts of a rebuilt vehicle or when specifically requested by the Department of Revenue; title-assignment signatures do not need to be notarized.
Is there an official Missouri bill of sale form?
Yes — Form 1957 — Bill of Sale or Even-Trade Bill of Sale (Missouri Department of Revenue, rev. 08-2019) (linked above). You can also use any document that contains the same information.
What should a Missouri car bill of sale include?
At minimum: purchaser name(s) and address; seller name(s) and address; vehicle year, make, title number, and vin; sale date; sale price (or even-trade vehicle details); sold-for-destruction indicator. The seller must write the odometer reading and date of sale on the assigned title, per the federal baseline applying to vehicles under 20 model years old (MY 2011 and newer).
What should I check before signing the Missouri bill of sale?
Confirm the VIN on the document matches the dashboard and door-jamb VIN character-for-character, and check the vehicle's history first: the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report shows open recalls for that VIN, plus complaints and service bulletins for the model and the original window sticker where available. Once you sign, the car — and its problems — are yours, so they're cheaper to find before you sign.
Sources: bill-of-sale, notarization, and odometer requirements from Missouri DMV/DOR/DOT guidance (linked above). Requirements change by statute — confirm with the state before you sign. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Missouri Bill of Sale for a Car," carwhere.com/titles/bill-of-sale/missouri, verified 2026-07-08.