Missouri Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond
Overview
Missouri gives dealers a choice of instrument but not of amount. Under RSMo section 301.560, an application for a motor vehicle dealer license must include a corporate surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit in the penal sum of $50,000, on a form approved by the Department of Revenue. The bond runs to the State of Missouri, and the license simply is not issued until the department has it in hand along with the rest of the application package.
Who Needs This Bond?
Applicants for a Missouri motor vehicle dealer license under RSMo 301.560 — new vehicle franchise dealers, used vehicle dealers, powersport dealers, and wholesale dealers licensed by the Department of Revenue's Dealer Licensing Section — must include the $50,000 bond or letter of credit with their application. If the Department of Revenue has sent you a dealer license checklist, the surety bond line on it is this requirement.
What is this Bond For?
The statute conditions the bond on the dealer complying with Missouri's dealer licensing laws, and it gives the state and harmed parties a financial remedy when a dealer's unlawful conduct causes a loss — a title not delivered, fees collected and not remitted, or other violations of chapter 301. The surety's payment of a valid claim does not erase the dealer's responsibility: every dollar paid out is a dollar the dealer owes back to the surety.
When is it Required?
The bond or letter of credit is part of the license application itself — RSMo 301.560 lists it among the items every application 'shall include,' so it must be executed and ready when you file with the Department of Revenue. Keep it continuously in force through every renewal; a lapse breaks a statutory condition of your license.
Where Does it Apply?
This is a statewide Missouri requirement administered by the Department of Revenue, which licenses dealers under chapter 301 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. It applies to licensed dealers in every Missouri county, because the obligation comes from state statute — and the bond form itself must be one the department has approved.
How to Buy Online
Click 'Buy This Bond Online' on this page and the secure surety portal opens in a new tab. Complete the short application, review your bond documents, and pay securely in one session. Your executed Missouri dealer bond is ready to file with the Department of Revenue as soon as you finish.
Why Bond Titan?
Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, and every requirement on this page is cited to the Revised Statutes of Missouri in the Official Sources section below — verify the rules yourself before you buy. The online flow gets your executed bond to you in time for your Department of Revenue filing.
Official Sources
The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.
- Dealer license application must include a corporate surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit in the penal sum of $50,000 on a Department of Revenue–approved form: Revised Statutes of Missouri §301.560 (verified July 16, 2026)