How to fill out the Form 108 in Missouri
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Missouri Form 108 (Application for Missouri Title and License) for licensed used car dealers — what goes in every section, who signs what, and the documents you attach. Verified against the official form as of September 2026.
Filling out the MO Form 108 after a sale:
- What it is
- Missouri's application to title and register a vehicle — the buyer files it after a dealer sale
- Who completes it
- The dealer completes and certifies the dealer block and assigns the title; the buyer completes and signs the application
- Where to file it
- Any Missouri license office, by the buyer, within 30 days of the purchase date
- Processing time
- Titled at the counter on submission; the title is mailed after processing
- Cost
- $8.50 title fee + $9 title processing fee + 4.225% state tax + local tax (registration fees vary)
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Missouri instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau before you file.
The Form 108 is one car's paperwork. A 20-second read on your lot, and the tax-and-fee math for the whole deal — built for dealers, no signup. Free calculators dealers actually use — no signup, no email.
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What the Form 108 is and why it matters
Form 108 is Missouri's combined Application for Title and License — the form that titles and registers a vehicle after it's sold. Unlike Michigan or North Carolina, Missouri puts the titling on the buyer: they take the assigned title, the completed Form 108, and their supporting documents to a Missouri license office and title the vehicle within 30 days of the purchase date.
For the dealer, the job is to make that trip painless: complete and certify the dealer block, assign the title, capture the price and trade-in that drive the tax, and give the buyer a clean package. Get the money section right and the buyer sails through the counter; get it wrong — or let them run past 30 days — and the penalty and rejection land on the customer, which comes straight back to you. This guide walks every section as the current (Rev. 04-2026) form is laid out.
Missouri is a buyer-titles state: on a dealer sale the buyer takes the paperwork to a license office and titles the vehicle in their own name within 30 days of purchase. The dealer completes and certifies its portion of Form 108 (dealer number, sale, trade), assigns the title, and hands the buyer a package to file — but the buyer signs the application and pays the tax and fees at the counter. Miss the 30 days and a title penalty starts accruing against the buyer.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the Form 108. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau bounces a title application back.
- The properly assigned title (or MSO for a new unit) — Signed over to the buyer with the odometer disclosure completed. Enter "MSO" as the surrendered title number for a new vehicle.
- Trade-in proof, if there's a trade — A copy of the front and back of the trade-in's title (or a bill of sale / total-loss statement) — required to get the trade-in tax credit.
- Proof of financial responsibility (insurance) — An insurance card or other acceptable proof, required to register.
- Safety inspection certificate, if required — Not more than 60 days old — or up to 90 days old if the car was just bought from a Missouri dealer whose inspection was done within 60 days before the sale. New (never-titled) vehicles, trailers, and ATVs are exempt.
- Emissions inspection, if required — For residents of the City of St. Louis and Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, and St. Louis counties, on qualifying vehicles 8,500 lbs GVWR or less — not more than 60 days old.
- Paid personal property tax receipt or non-assessment statement — Required to register (not for a title-only application).
- Lien release (Form DOR-4809), if a prior lien was paid off — Notarized, when a lien satisfied on or after July 1, 2003 still shows on the title.
Form 108, section by section
Transaction type (top of form)
The control line at the top tells the license office what you're asking for: a title transfer with new or transferred plates, or a title-only application. Check the transaction type and the title type (Original is the normal retail sale). The license-plate and brand-code boxes here feed the registration side.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Transaction type (transfer / new plates / title only) "Transfer" reuses plates the buyer already has; "new" issues plates. | Buyer |
Title type (Original for a normal sale) | Buyer |
Owner (applicant) information
The buyer — the person the title will be issued to. Enter the legal name and a PHYSICAL street address: Missouri uses the owner's home address to set the correct local tax rate, so a PO box or rural route is rejected here (a PO box can only be a "mail to" address). Note whether the address is inside or outside city limits, and provide the driver license number or FEIN.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Owner's legal name (Last, First, Middle) First 50 characters print on the title. | Buyer |
Physical street address (no PO box / rural route) Used to determine the correct local tax rate. | Buyer |
In city limits / outside city limits | Buyer |
County, city, state, ZIP | Buyer |
Driver license number or FEIN | Buyer |
Vehicle description
Identifies the vehicle. The VIN must match the assigned title and the VIN plate. New vs. used drives which ownership document you surrendered — enter "MSO" as the surrendered title number for a brand-new unit, or the prior title number and state for a used one. Horsepower and gross weight are captured here because Missouri prices passenger plates by taxable horsepower and truck plates by gross weight.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Year, make, VIN, body style, color VIN must match the title and the VIN plate. | You (dealer) |
Fuel code G gas, D diesel, E electric, V plug-in hybrid, L propane, N natural gas, O other. | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading Must match the title's odometer disclosure. | You (dealer) |
Purchase date Starts the buyer's 30-day clock to title. | You (dealer) |
New / used and surrendered title number & state Enter "MSO" as the title number for a new vehicle. | You (dealer) |
Horsepower / gross weight Sets the registration fee — HP for passenger, gross weight for trucks. | You (dealer) |
Price, trade-in, and net price (the tax base)
The money section, and the reason the tax is what it is. Missouri taxes the NET price — purchase price minus any rebate and trade-in allowance. Enter the price, the rebate, and the trade-in allowance; the net price is what the 4.225% state tax and the buyer's local tax are figured on. The trade-in credit requires proof (a copy of the trade-in title, or a bill of sale), so don't claim it without the paperwork.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Purchase price Match the buyer's order exactly. | You (dealer) |
Rebate Reduces the taxable base. | You (dealer) |
Vehicle trade-in allowance Full credit against the taxable price — bring proof of the trade. | You (dealer) |
Net price Price − rebate − trade-in. The base for state and local tax. | You (dealer) |
MO State tax & title fee calculator
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Missouri state tax is 4.225% of the net price (price − trade-in − rebate). Local tax is added at the rate for where the BUYER lives, not where the car was bought — enter that combined local rate. Title fee $8.50 plus a $9 title processing fee; registration is priced by taxable horsepower (passenger) or gross weight (truck), so enter it if you know it. Title within 30 days of purchase or a $25-per-30-days penalty applies (max $200). Confirm current rates with the Missouri Department of Revenue.
DealerVLO computes this on every deal and fills it straight onto the MO Form 108 — no re-keying.
Try it freeLien / mail-to information
If the buyer financed, the first lienholder's name, address, and lien date go here so the lien is recorded on the new Missouri title, and the title mails to the lienholder. A second lien and an alternate mail-to address have their own lines.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
First lienholder name, address, lien date So the lien is recorded on the title. | You (dealer) |
Mail-to (lienholder or alternate address) | Buyer |
Dealer certification and owner signature
The dealer block certifies the sale — Missouri dealer number, dealership name and address, dealer signature, and whether a trade-in was taken. The owner must sign the application itself (at least one owner), certifying financial responsibility under penalty of perjury. A duplicate-title request adds a notarized section.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Missouri dealer number, dealership name & address | You (dealer) |
Dealer signature + trade-in taken (Y/N) | You (dealer) |
Owner signature At least one owner must sign the application. | Buyer |
Common Form 108 mistakes that cause rejections
Missouri charges a title penalty of $25 for each 30 days late, up to $200, when the buyer doesn't apply within 30 days of the purchase date. Tell the buyer the deadline at delivery and hand them a complete package so nothing stalls the trip to the license office.
The application requires the owner's physical street address because Missouri sets the local tax rate from where the buyer lives. A PO box or rural route in the address block gets the form rejected — a PO box may only be used as the separate "mail to" address.
The trade-in allowance reduces the taxable net price, but Missouri requires proof of the trade — a copy of the front and back of the trade-in's title, or a bill of sale / total-loss statement. No proof, no credit, and the buyer overpays or gets bounced.
A required safety inspection must be no more than 60 days old (90 if the car was just bought from a Missouri dealer inspected within 60 days prior). Emissions is required for the St. Louis-area counties on qualifying vehicles. Missing or expired inspections stop the titling.
The Department of Revenue rejects incorrect or incomplete applications outright, and the Form 108 must agree with the assigned title and the buyer's order. Generate the sale paperwork and the 108 from the same deal record so the VIN, price, and trade match everywhere.
Common questions
Who titles a vehicle bought from a Missouri dealer?+
The buyer. Missouri is a buyer-titles state: the dealer assigns the title and completes its portion of Form 108, but the buyer takes the package to a Missouri license office and titles the vehicle in their own name within 30 days of the purchase date.
Where do I get Missouri Form 108?+
Form 108 (Application for Missouri Title and License) is published free by the Missouri Department of Revenue. You can download the official fillable PDF from dor.mo.gov — the download button at the top of this guide links straight to it.
How much is Missouri car sales tax?+
The state rate is 4.225% of the net purchase price — price minus any rebate and trade-in allowance — plus the local sales tax for where the buyer lives (not where the car was bought). That's why the application requires the buyer's physical home address.
Does a trade-in lower Missouri sales tax?+
Yes. The trade-in allowance is subtracted from the price before tax, so tax is figured on the net price. Missouri requires proof of the trade — a copy of the trade-in's title or a bill of sale — to allow the credit.
What does it cost to title a car in Missouri?+
An $8.50 title fee plus a $9 title processing fee, in addition to the 4.225% state tax and local tax. Registration (plate) fees are separate and priced by the vehicle's taxable horsepower or gross weight.
What is the penalty for titling a car late in Missouri?+
If the buyer doesn't apply for title within 30 days of the purchase date, Missouri adds a title penalty of $25 for each 30 days of delinquency, up to a maximum of $200.
Does the buyer need a safety inspection to title a used car?+
Usually, yes. A required Missouri safety inspection must be no more than 60 days old — or up to 90 days old when the car was just purchased from a Missouri dealer whose inspection was completed within 60 days before the sale. New vehicles, trailers, and ATVs are exempt, and St. Louis-area residents may also need an emissions test.
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