1. When the holder of any indebtedness secured by a security agreement or other contract for security covering a motor vehicle or trailer, who has a notice of lien on file with the director of revenue, repossesses the motor vehicle or trailer either by legal process or in accordance with the terms of a contract authorizing the repossession of the vehicle without legal process, the holder may obtain a certificate of ownership from the director of revenue upon presentation of:

(1) An application form furnished by the director of revenue that shall contain a full description of the motor vehicle or trailer and the manufacturer‘s or other identifying number;

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 301.215

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • director of revenue: the director of the department of revenue. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Manufacturer: any person, firm, corporation or association engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles, trailers or vessels for sale. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Motor vehicle: any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon tracks, except farm tractors and electric bicycles. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Trailer: any vehicle without motive power designed for carrying property or passengers on its own structure and for being drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, except those running exclusively on tracks, including a semitrailer or vehicle of the trailer type so designed and used in conjunction with a self-propelled vehicle that a considerable part of its own weight rests upon and is carried by the towing vehicle. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
  • United States: includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
  • Vehicle: any mechanical device on wheels, designed primarily for use, or used, on highways, except motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, vehicles propelled or drawn by horses or human power, or vehicles used exclusively on fixed rails or tracks, or cotton trailers or motorized wheelchairs operated by handicapped persons. See Missouri Laws 301.010

(2) A notice of lien receipt or the original certificate of ownership reflecting the holder’s lien; and

(3) An affidavit of the holder, certified under penalties of perjury for making a false statement to a public official, that the debtor defaulted in payment of the debt, and that the holder repossessed the motor vehicle or trailer either by legal process or in accordance with the terms of the contract, and the specific address where the vehicle or trailer is held. Such affidavit shall also state that the lienholder has the written consent from all owners or lienholders of record to repossess the vehicle or has provided all the owners or lienholders with written notice of the repossession.

2. On a motor vehicle or trailer, the lienholder shall first give:

(1) Ten days’ written notice by first class United States mail postage prepaid to each of the owners and other lienholders, if any, of the motor vehicle or trailer at each of their last mailing addresses as shown by the last prior certificate of ownership, if any issued, or the most recent address on the lienholder’s records, that an application for a repossessed title will be made; or

(2) The lienholder may, ten days prior to applying for a repossession title, include the information in the above notice in the appropriate uniform commercial code notice under sections 400.9-613 or 400.9-614. Such alternative notice to all owners and lienholders shall be valid and enforceable under both the uniform commercial code and this section, provided it otherwise complies with the provisions of the uniform commercial code.

3. Upon the holder’s presentation of the papers required by subsection 1 of this section and the payment of a fee of ten dollars, the director of revenue, if he is satisfied with the genuineness of the papers, shall issue and deliver to the holder a certificate of ownership which shall be in its usual form except it shall be clearly captioned “Repossessed Title”. Each repossessed title so issued shall, for all purposes, be treated as an original certificate of ownership and shall supersede the outstanding certificate of ownership, if any, and duplicates thereof, if any, on the motor vehicle or trailer, all of which shall become null and void.

4. In any case where there is no certificate of ownership or duplicate thereof outstanding in the name of the debtor on the repossessed motor vehicle or trailer, the director of revenue shall issue a repossessed title to the holder and shall proceed to collect all unpaid fees, taxes, charges and penalties from the debtor as provided in section 301.190.

5. The director of revenue may prescribe rules and regulations for the effective administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2005, shall be invalid and void.