How to Title Homemade Cars in Missouri
by Joe Killian
Owning a homemade vehicle in Missouri can be rewarding but the requirements for getting it titled are different than with other vehicles. Homemade vehicles fall into one of two different categories, specially constructed motor vehicle or kit motor vehicle. A specially constructed vehicle is a vehicle not constructed as a distinctive name, make, model or type by a motor vehicle manufacturer. Kit motor vehicles are assembled by a person other than a widely-known motor vehicle manufacturer using a "glider kit" or "replica" and are accompanied by a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin.
Step 1
Schedule the homemade vehicle inspection, which requires a completed Vehicle Examination Certificate, DOR-551, which is good for six months. A member of the St. Louis City/County Auto Theft Unit or the Missouri State Highway Patrol must perform the examination. Schedule the examination four weeks before applying for a Missouri certificate of title. Purchase the Vehicle Examination Certificate at a local license office prior to the examination for a $25 fee as of September 2010.
Step 2
Prepare a completed and signed Application for Missouri Title and License, DOR-108. According to Section 301.190, Revised Statutes of Missouri, a Vehicle Examination Certificate must accompany each application for an original Missouri certificate of title for a homemade vehicle. The owner must fill out the top section of the form, including listing the specific parts used to make the homemade vehicle if it is a specially constructed vehicle.
Step 3
Submit an Application for ID Number, DOR-5062, to the Missouri State Highway Patrol or the St. Louis City/County Auto Theft Unit, to have a number assigned since the homemade vehicle will not have a public vehicle identification number, or VIN. As of May 2010, this form requires a $10 fee as well as the owner's notarized signature.
Step 4
Take the completed paperwork, including the Application for Missouri Title and License, Vehicle Examination Certificate and Application for ID Number to the Motor Vehicle Bureau, which, as of September 2010 will charge an $8.50 title fee in addition to the sales/use tax based on the purchase price of the "kit" for kit cars or the sum cost of the parts associated with the specially-constructed vehicle. The sales/use tax consists of state sales tax of 4.225 percent plus the applicable local sales tax rate of the owner's residence. The Missouri Department of Revenue has an online calculator to estimate the fees.
References
Tips
- Keep all receipts and invoices.
- Assemble all documents before going to the motor vehicle's bureau.
- Kit motor vehicle owners will also submit a Manufacturer's Statement of Origin and the invoice for the glider kit or kit car.
- Owners of specially-constructed vehicles must include a comprehensive list of the major components required to build the vehicle.
- Title applications for specially-constructed vehicles require two photographs of the vehicle, including one from the front and side view of the vehicle, and the other showing the back and opposite side of the vehicle.
Writer Bio
Joe Killian is based in southern Missouri, where he has been writing transportation-related articles since 2006. His work has appeared in the "Southeast Missourian" and the "Standard Democrat." He holds a Bachelor of Science in geography from the University of Central Missouri.
