Free Missouri Boat Bill of Sale

A Missouri boat bill of sale evidences the purchase, but on its own it will not get your boat titled.

Missouri handles boats through the Department of Revenue, and the application requires a paid personal property tax receipt listing the boat or vessel, or a statement of non-assessment from your county collector or assessor for the previous year.

That requirement catches out almost everyone buying their first boat here. Sort the tax receipt out before you go to the licence office, not after you arrive.

A descriptive bill of sale is one of the accepted ownership documents, so make yours properly descriptive.

• Names and addresses for both the buyer and the seller
• Year, make, and a full description of the vessel
• The hull identification number
• The purchase price and the date of sale
• Signatures from both parties

Where an outboard motor is part of the deal, describe it separately with its own serial number. Missouri titles outboard motors in their own right, not as part of the boat.

Tip: Missouri residents are required to provide a valid title to buyers at the time of ownership change. If the seller cannot produce one, treat that as a question to resolve before money changes hands rather than a detail to sort out later.

Sometimes the paperwork does not match the boat, and Missouri has a free fix.

Where a boat, motor, or trailer arrives with an incorrect title, or comes from a state that does not title, the Department of Revenue requires a serial number inspection before a title or registration application can be made.

Highway Patrol troop headquarters carry out these inspections at no cost to the public, checking the number is proper and that the item is not reported stolen.

Book it early. An inspection is a short appointment, but discovering you need one on the day you hoped to register is a wasted trip.

Missouri gives buyers 60 days from the purchase date to title a newly acquired boat, and the seller reports the transfer to the department separately.

Registration runs in three-year cycles expiring on June 30, so the expiry date has nothing to do with when you bought.

Not everything needs registering. Boats propelled only by oars or paddles, sailboats and sailboards under 12 feet, and ship’s lifeboats sit outside the rules, as do out-of-state registered boats stored or used in Missouri for fewer than 60 consecutive days.

Fees and tax rates change, so confirm current figures with a licence office before you go. Start your Missouri boat bill of sale now and collect that tax receipt at the same time.