While not required for most vehicle transactions, the State of Mississippi does require a Bill of Sale Form for certain circumstances. The State of Mississippi doesn’t provide a state-approved Bill of Sale Form. For vehicle sales, Mississippi requires you to perform a title transfer to the new buyer, which must be accompanied by a Bill of Sale IF there is no room to list the sale price on the title.
The following information should appear on the Mississippi Bill of Sale Form:
– Name of the seller.
– Complete address of the seller.
– Name of the buyer.
– Complete address of the buyer.
– Complete vehicle description, including Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), make, model, year.
– Vehicle odometer reading at the time of sale.
– The price paid.
– Date of sale.
– Signature of both the seller and the buyer.
The vehicle must be registered within 7 working days of the date you purchased the vehicle. If you purchased the vehicle outside of your home county, you have 7 working days plus an additional 48 hours from the date of purchase to register the vehicle before penalties apply.
Mississippi has a temporary drive out tag which can be purchased from the dealer who sold the car. The tag is valid for 7 working days from the date of purchase.
In Mississippi, the tag is registered to both the vehicle and the owner. If one or the other changes, the tag must be removed and surrendered to your county Tax Collector.
Mississippi law does not allow for a refund of registration fees or taxes. However, when the vehicle is sold or ownership changes, the owner may apply the unused portion of a registration to a new Mississippi registration. The tag from the vehicle that was sold must be turned in to the county Tax Collector. Credit is given from the first day of the next month following the date of the tag’s surrender. A credit certificate will be given to you if you are not purchasing a new tag the same month. Credit can only be given from the time the tag is turned in, not from the time the vehicle was sold. You may use the credit certificate in any county of this state.
Mississippi law does not provide for refunds when an individual moves out of state and cannot use the credit.
When registering the vehicle in Mississippi, you will need to provide the title from the other state and an odometer disclosure statement. If the vehicle was not titled in another state, you will need to provide the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin.
Mississippi law does not provide for emissions testing of motor vehicles and emissions testing is not a prerequisite to registration.
You may contact the Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau (601) 923-7100.
For more information go to Mississippi Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau.
The Department of Revenue is the primary agency for collecting tax revenues that support state and local governments in Mississippi and is responsible for titling and registration of motor vehicles.