1. It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, corporation, company or association, unless the seller is a financial institution, or is selling repossessed motor vehicles or is disposing of vehicles used and titled solely in its ordinary course of business or is a collector of antique motor vehicles, to sell or display with an intent to sell six or more motor vehicles in a calendar year, except when such motor vehicles are registered in the name of the seller, unless such person, partnership, corporation, company or association is:

(1) Licensed as a motor vehicle dealer by the department under the provisions of sections 301.550 to 301.580;

Attorney's Note

Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class E felonyup to 4 yearsup to $10,000
Class A misdemeanorup to 1 yearup to $2,000
For details, see Mo. Rev. Stat.§ 558.011

Terms Used In Missouri Laws 301.570

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Dealer: any person, firm, corporation, association, agent or subagent engaged in the sale or exchange of new, used or reconstructed motor vehicles or trailers. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Gross weight: the weight of vehicle and/or vehicle combination without load, plus the weight of any load thereon. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Motor vehicle: any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon tracks, except farm tractors and electric bicycles. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Owner: any person, firm, corporation or association, who holds the legal title to a vehicle or who has executed a buyer's order or retail installment sales contract with a motor vehicle dealer licensed under sections 301. See Missouri Laws 301.010
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. 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) Exempt from licensure as a motor vehicle dealer pursuant to subsection 4 of section 301.559;

(3) Selling commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight of at least nineteen thousand five hundred pounds, but only with respect to such commercial motor vehicles;

(4) An auctioneer, acting at the request of the owner at an auction, when such auction is not a public motor vehicle auction.

2. Any person, partnership, corporation, company or association that has reason to believe that the provisions of this section are being violated shall file a complaint with the prosecuting attorney in the county in which the violation occurred. The prosecuting attorney shall investigate the complaint and take appropriate action.

3. For the purposes of sections 301.550 to 301.580, the sale, barter, exchange, lease or rental with option to purchase of six or more motor vehicles in a calendar year by any person, partnership, corporation, company or association, whether or not the motor vehicles are owned by them, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to make a profit or gain of money and such person, partnership, corporation, company or association shall be deemed to be acting as a motor vehicle dealer without a license.

4. Any person, partnership, corporation, company or association who violates subsection 1 of this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. A second or subsequent conviction shall be deemed a class E felony.

5. The provisions of this section shall not apply to liquidation of an estate.