12 Steps To Obtaining Your Missouri Dealers License
It is very easy to obtain your Missouri Dealer's License.
Just follow these 12 simple steps and contact us to sign up for your state
mandated Dealer Education Seminar.
1. Attend A Missouri Dealer Educational Seminar
2. Request Dealer Application From Missouri Department of
Revenue
3. Pass A Criminal Background Check
4. Register Your Dealership Name With The Missouri Secretary of
State
5. You Must Have A Place Of Business
6. You Must Have A Display Lot
7. You Need A Business Sign
8. Submit A Photograph Of Your Business
9. Maintain Dealer Insurance On Your Vehicle Inventory
10. Provide A Dealer Surety Bond Or Irrevocable Letter Of
Credit
11. Maintain Regular Business Hours
12. Have Your Business Location Certified By A Law Enforcement
Officer
1. Attend A Missouri Dealer Educational Seminar
To obtain a MO Dealer License you will need to attend the state
mandated Missouri Dealer Educational Seminar. You can do this as your
first step of 12 steps, during your 12 steps, or after you have
completed the 12 steps. Find a class near you by viewing the
Class Schedule. When you complete your
training course, Missouri Dealer Seminars will issue your Dealer
Educational Seminar Certificate of Completion that is necessary to
obtain your Missouri Dealers License. You will need to include your
Certificate of Completion when you mail or take in your Dealer
Application Packet.
Sign up now!
2. Obtain a
Dealer Application From Missouri Department of Revenue
You must obtain a Missouri Dealer License Application form DOR-4682 from the Missouri
Department of Revenue. The easiest way to obtain your
Dealer Application is to download it by
clicking here. Or you may call the Missouri Department of Revenue
Dealer Licensing Office at (573) 751-8343 and request a Dealer
Application to be mailed to you. Do this as soon as possible so you can
start your MO Dealers License application process.
3. Pass A
Criminal Background Check
You must pass a criminal background check before you obtain your
Missouri Dealer License. If you are a Missouri resident, this
background check must be conducted by the Missouri Highway Patrol
Headquarters in Jefferson City. If you are a resident of a state other
than Missouri, you will need to submit a current background check from
your State Highway Patrol or State Bureau of Investigations. The Missouri Highway Patrol will charge you $9.00 for the background
check. You must submit a payment of $9.00 for each person whose name
will appear on the license. The state of Missouri wants to make sure
they are not licensing any known felons. If you are mailing your dealer
application packet to the Department of Revenue, just send a separate
check or money order for $9.00 for each person on the license made out
to the Missouri Highway Patrol. They don't accept cash. If you are
driving to Jefferson City to get your dealers license, you can download
a
Request for Criminal Background Check form, or the Highway Patrol will
provide the form for you. Just fill out the form, then take it to the
Missouri Highway Patrol Headquarters. Your background check will take
about 5 minutes. When your background check is completed, just take the
form, along with all your completed paperwork, to the Department of Revenue Dealer Licensing Office.
4. Register
Your Dealership Name With The Missouri Secretary of State
You must register your business name with the Missouri Secretary of
State. This costs $7.00 and should be done before your receive your
Missouri Dealer's
License.
You can register your business name with the Missouri Secretary of State
by calling 573-751-3827 or fill out the online
Missouri Secretary of
State Fictitious Name Registration Form. Just fill out the form, print
it, and then mail it to the Secretary of State's Office with a check for
$7.00.
5. You Must
Have A Place Of Business
You must have a place of business to be used for the sole purpose of
selling motor vehicles. This building can have the same address as your
home and can even be an attached garage. You must have an area that is
used only for the purpose of the business. You can also locate your
business in any commercially zoned area that allows an automotive
business. Be sure to check your local zoning laws. You must keep all
books, records, and licenses in this building at all times. If you are
using a travel trailer or mobile home, you'll need to remove it's wheels
and anchor it securely to the ground. Your place of business must
contain a working telephone at all times. Cell phones do not qualify.
Remember, you must check your local zoning ordinances to make sure an
automotive business is allowed at the location you have chosen for your
dealership.
6. You Must
Have A Display Lot
You must have a display lot with room for multiple motor vehicles. This
lot must be for the exclusive use of your business. Any vehicles located
on your lot must be for sale and the lot must have an unobstructed view
from the nearest public street. All of your vehicles held for resale
must be located on this lot.
7. You Need
A Business Sign
You will need a permanent business sign. This sign can be on the
exterior of the business building or erected on the display area. The
sign's letters must be at least 6 inches in height and must be clearly
visible to the public. The sign must contain the name of your dealership
and your hours of operation. For example: John Doe Motors HOURS M-F 2:00
PM to 6:00 PM.
8. Submit A
Photograph Of Your Business
You must submit a current photograph of your business with your dealer
application. The picture must include your business building, display
lot, and sign. The picture must be at least 5 by 7 inches and no larger
than 8 by 10 inches.
9. Maintain
Dealer Insurance On Your Vehicle Inventory
You must maintain insurance on every vehicle you own. You should ask
your insurance agent about a dealer insurance garage policy. You will be
required to provide proof insurance before you obtain your dealers
license. If your agent does not offer dealer insurance you may obtain
your dealer garage policy by calling 816-676-1000. You will also be
provided with a list of dealer insurance providers at your
Missouri
Dealer Seminar.
10. Provide A Dealer Surety Bond Or Irrevocable Letter Of Credit
You must provide either an original surety bond in the amount of $25,000
or an irrevocable letter of credit in the amount of $25,000. It is very
easy to obtain a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. Call your
insurance agent to obtain an original surety bond or you can call
816-676-1000. Your insurance agent should be able to provide you with an
original surety bond at a cost of around $165.00, although different
agencies charge different fees. The price for your surety bond will
depend on your credit score. Higher credit scores equal lower surety
bond prices. If you have a bad credit history, your bond pricing can be
much higher. Irrevocable letters of credit are issued by banks and the
fees vary greatly so check with your banker. The Missouri Department of
Revenue requires either a bond or letter of credit to protect you
against any legal claims against your dealership by unsatisfied
customers. Don't worry, if you operate your business with complete
integrity, you will probably never have to use it. You will be provided
with an extensive list of surety bond providers at your Missouri Dealer
Seminar.
11. Maintain Regular Business Hours
Your business must maintain regular working hours of at least 20 hours
per week. If you are running the business from your home address, or
another location, someone will need to be available during your hours of
operation. You will need to have your business open a minimum of 4 days
a week between the hours of 6:00AM-10:00PM Monday through Saturday.
Missouri laws prohibit dealers from operating on Sundays.
12. Have
Your Business Location Certified By A Law Enforcement Officer
One of the final steps to obtaining your Missouri Dealer's License is
your Application Certification. You will need to make an appointment
with a law enforcement officer to inspect your business location to make
it sure it meets all of the dealer's license requirements. Don't worry,
the certification process is very quick and easy to pass as long as you
follow every step listed above. If your dealership will be located in
Boone, Buchanan, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Clay, Cole, Franklin, Greene,
Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Platte, St. Charles, St. Louis or Taney counties,
you can have your certification done by an authorized officer of a
metropolitan police department. If your dealership is located in a
Missouri county not listed above, you will need to contact a member of
the Missouri Highway Patrol to conduct your certification. Just call
them and tell them you would like to schedule a time to have your
business inspected in order to certify for a dealer's license. Your
experience during the Application Certification will be quick, positive,
informative, and painless.
That's it. After you have followed every step above just mail or take
your completed dealer application, business photograph, your original
surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit, proof of dealer garage
insurance, a check or money order for all license fees made payable to
Missouri Department of Revenue, a separate $9.00 check or money order
made payable to Missouri Highway Patrol for your background check, and
your Dealer Educational Seminar Certificate of Completion to:
Motor Vehicle Bureau
Dealer Licensing Section
Post Office Box 43
Jefferson City, Missouri 65105-0043
You can also take your completed paperwork to Jefferson City after your
Missouri Dealer Seminar and come back with a set of Dealer Tags on the
same day. Click here to find out more.
When you receive your license you will be able to enter any auto auction
in the country, buy any vehicle without titling it, then sell it
anywhere in the country for a profit!
Sign Up For The State Required
Dealer Seminar Now. You may also call us at 816-390-2267 or toll free at
1-800-369-2467. We are here to answer your questions at any time.