Missouri Dealer Licensing Guide
Getting Your Missouri Motor Vehicle Dealer License
An orientation to the process, what to expect, in what order, and who to ask.
Before You Begin
This guide is a general orientation only. It is not legal, financial, tax, or licensing advice. Requirements, fees, bond amounts, forms, and procedures are set by the State of Missouri and can change.
Always confirm every current requirement directly with the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau before you spend money or submit anything.
The authority on this process
Missouri Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Bureau — Dealer Licensing Section
PO Box 43
301 West High Street, Room 370
Jefferson City, MO 65105-0043
Phone: 573-526-3669 (option 7)
Email: dealerlic@dor.mo.gov
Applications and renewals are handled online through mydmv.mo.gov .
Dealer program information is available from the Missouri Department of Revenue .
The definitive reference
Missouri publishes the Dealer and Business Operating Manual, which contains the detailed rules and procedures the state uses. Work from the current version rather than an older summary.
Welcome and Congratulations
Opening a dealership is a serious undertaking, and the licensing process is the first real test of it.
Missouri's requirements are specific about the building, business hours, application paperwork, and inspection, and the order in which you complete the steps matters.
Wayne Reaves has worked alongside independent dealers for years. We are not a licensing service and we do not file on your behalf, but this guide lays out the shape of the process so you know what is coming.
Missouri specifics worth knowing up front:
Missouri generally licenses each location and each operating type separately. The dealership must have a qualifying physical business location and posted business hours. A home-based dealership or P.O. box does not qualify as the place of business.
Missouri also does not provide a grace period for an expired dealer license. If the license expires, the dealership may not continue operating.
The Shape of the Process
Missouri's requirements fall into seven broad groups. Several can move forward at the same time, but this is the general flow.
- 01 Choose Your License Type Determine the Missouri dealer category that matches what you intend to sell and how you intend to sell it.
- 02 Dealer Education Seminar First-time used motor vehicle dealer applicants complete an approved dealer education seminar.
- 03 Business Formation Register the business entity and any required fictitious name with the Missouri Secretary of State.
- 04 Business Location Secure a commercial location that satisfies Missouri's physical requirements and local zoning.
- 05 Bond & Garage Liability Insurance Obtain the bond and insurance required for the license type and operating model.
- 06 Background Check & Inspection Complete the required criminal-history check and have the business location inspected by the correct law-enforcement authority.
- 07 Application, Fees & Plates File through the state's online portal with all required supporting documents, fees, and plate requests.
Why we do not list dollar amounts here: Bond amounts, license fees, plate fees, and background-check fees are set by statute and rule and can change.
Get current numbers from the Motor Vehicle Bureau's current fee schedule and application materials and from a licensed surety or insurance agent where appropriate.
Choosing Your License Type
Missouri does not issue one general dealer license. It issues separate licenses depending on what you sell and how you sell it.
Categories include:
- Used motor vehicle and powersport dealers
- Franchise dealers
- Wholesale dealers
- Public auctions
- Wholesale auctions
- Recreational vehicle dealers
- Trailer dealers
- Boat dealers
Requirements vary by category. Some license types are exempt from the bond requirement, some may be exempt from garage liability insurance, and some do not receive dealer plates.
A separate license and fee is generally required for each category at each location.
Get this right first. Your bond, insurance, plates, and fees depend on the license type. If you are unsure which category fits your business plan, contact the Dealer Licensing Section before spending money.
Dealer Education Seminar
First-time applicants for a Missouri used motor vehicle dealer license must complete an approved dealer education seminar and submit the completion certificate with the application.
The certificate has a limited validity window relative to the application date, so do not take the course years before you intend to apply.
Confirm the current certificate-validity window and approved provider list with the Motor Vehicle Bureau before registering.
Applicants who already hold a Missouri new or used dealer license for a separate dealership may be exempt. Verify your own situation rather than assuming.
Business Formation & Registration
Most applicants register a legal entity with the Missouri Secretary of State before applying.
If the dealership will operate under a name different from the legal entity name, a fictitious name registration may also be required.
Which business structure is right for you, whether an LLC, corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship, is a question for an attorney or CPA. It affects taxes and personal liability.
The single most common delay: name and address mismatches and incomplete applications.
Missouri rejects incorrect or incomplete applications rather than simply holding them for correction. The name and address should match exactly across the application, bond, insurance certificate, and Secretary of State registration.
Your Place of Business
Missouri expects a genuine, dedicated commercial location. A home address or P.O. box does not satisfy the place-of-business requirement.
The state has specific requirements for the office, including an enclosed, climate-controlled space meeting the current minimum-size standard, along with required office equipment and a records filing system.
The location must also have a display lot with actual space to show vehicles for sale and permanent exterior signage identifying the business.
Photographs of the building, lot, and sign are submitted with the application.
Business hours
Missouri requires dealers to maintain and post regular business hours meeting the state's current weekly and multi-day requirements. This is checked as part of the licensing process.
Check zoning before you sign anything.
Local zoning is separate from state licensing, and some municipalities may impose additional requirements, including customer-parking rules.
Confirm Missouri's current square-footage, sign, and business-hour rules in the Dealer and Business Operating Manual before committing to a property or building anything out.
Surety Bond & Garage Liability Insurance
Surety bond
Most Missouri dealer license types require a surety bond filed on the state's bond form.
Missouri also has a higher bond requirement that can apply to dealers who deliver vehicles directly to purchasers, so the bond requirement depends on how you intend to operate as well as the license category.
Do not rely on an older bond figure.
Missouri's bond requirements have changed before, and older guides may quote superseded amounts. Confirm the current amount and correct form with the Motor Vehicle Bureau or a licensed surety agent before purchasing.
Some license categories, including certain auctions and manufacturers, may be exempt from bonding. Confirm what applies to your license.
Garage liability insurance
Garage liability insurance is required for most dealer license types and covers vehicles operated on dealer plates.
Some categories, such as certain trailer dealers, auctions, or manufacturers, may be treated differently.
Tell your insurance agent specifically that the policy is for a Missouri motor vehicle dealer license. A standard personal or ordinary automobile policy does not satisfy the dealer requirement.
Choosing a provider
Wayne Reaves does not sell bonds or insurance and does not recommend a particular provider. Your state association, an independent insurance broker, or a licensed surety agent can help you compare.
Get more than one quote. Pricing varies based on credit and business history.
Background Check & Law Enforcement Inspection
Criminal-history background check
Each owner, partner, or principal officer must complete the required criminal-history background check through the Missouri State Highway Patrol's MACHS system.
The background check must be recent relative to the application date, and the same type of current documentation is required at renewal.
Confirm the current permitted age of the report before ordering it.
Law-enforcement inspection
The business location must also be physically inspected and certified by an authorized law-enforcement officer using the state's inspection form.
The correct inspecting agency depends on the dealership's location. In some areas the inspection is handled by city police, in the St. Louis area by the appropriate auto-theft authority, and elsewhere by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Confirm who inspects your county.
The assigned agencies and counties can change. Contact the Dealer Licensing Section or use the current inspection-form instructions rather than relying on an older list.
Do not schedule the inspection until the location is genuinely finished, with signage installed, the office furnished, and the records system in place.
Application, Fees & Dealer Plates
Applications are filed through Missouri's online portal at mydmv.mo.gov .
Incomplete or incorrect applications are rejected rather than held, so assemble the complete file before submitting.
Dealer plates
Dealer plates are issued with the license. The number of plates available depends on sales volume and license type.
Some license categories, including public and wholesale auctions that do not own the vehicles they sell, do not receive dealer plates.
Confirm current plate fees and allocation rules in the application materials.
Renewal
Renewal — read this carefully. Missouri dealer licenses and plates expire December 31.
New dealers renew annually. After a period of continuous licensure, the Department may issue a longer license term at renewal.
Missouri law provides no grace period. If the license expires, the dealership may not operate. If a license remains lapsed too long, the Department may require a new application rather than a routine late renewal.
Renewal generally requires an updated background check and current bond and insurance documentation, not just payment of a fee.
Licensed dealers also have ongoing sales-reporting and record-retention obligations.
Note the renewal date when the license arrives and begin the process well before December.
Federal Obligations Start on Day One
State licensing is not the whole picture.
Federal rules apply when you begin selling, including the FTC's Used Car Rule requiring a Buyers Guide on used vehicles offered for sale. Other federal rules apply to advertising, financing, and recordkeeping.
Ask your attorney or state association what applies to your operation.
How Wayne Reaves Fits In
We want to be straightforward about what we do and do not do.
What we do not do
- File applications
- Form business entities
- Sell bonds or insurance
- Provide legal or tax advice
- Interpret state requirements on your behalf
Those questions belong with the Missouri Motor Vehicle Bureau, your attorney, your CPA, and licensed agents.
What we do
We build dealer management software and dealer websites for independent dealers.
- Inventory
- Deal tracking
- Customer records
- Reporting
- Compliance tools
- Dealer websites that put inventory in front of buyers
Where to Get Answers
573-526-3669 option 7
dealerlic@dor.mo.gov
mydmv.mo.gov
Disclaimer
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended as a high-level overview of the dealer licensing process. It is not intended to be comprehensive and should not be relied upon as legal, tax, financial, insurance, regulatory, or licensing advice. Laws, regulations, agency procedures, forms, fees, bond and insurance requirements, deadlines, and other licensing requirements may change at any time and may vary based on license type, business structure, location, or individual circumstances.
Wayne Reaves Computer Systems Inc. does not represent or warrant that the information contained in this guide is complete, current, or applicable to every situation. Before making financial commitments, signing a lease, purchasing insurance or a bond, submitting an application, or otherwise acting in reliance on this information, verify all current requirements directly with the appropriate state and local licensing authorities and consult qualified legal, tax, insurance, or other professional advisors as appropriate.
Use of this guide does not create an attorney-client, advisory, fiduciary, or other professional relationship with Wayne Reaves Computer Systems Inc.