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Missouri garage liability for motor vehicle dealers

Missouri requires new- and used-car, powersport, wholesale vehicle, and boat dealers to submit a current dealer garage-policy copy with the application; trailer dealers are exempt from that policy submission. Those listed dealer types also need a separate $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. 1,2

What Is Garage Liability?

Garage liability can address injury and property-damage claims from auto repair and related garage operations. If you run a repair or service shop, check separately whether customer cars in your care need garagekeepers coverage for vehicle damage. Read the national Garage liability guide.

Missouri Requirements

RequirementDetails
Dealer garage-policy evidenceSubmit a current policy showing its number and the insurer and insured names 1,2
Dealer license security$50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit for covered dealer categories 1

What to Watch for in Missouri

  • The Policy Copy Is Part of the Application

    Missouri’s statute requires a current dealer garage-policy copy for specified dealer categories, showing the policy number and insurer/insured names. Confirm those details and effective dates are visible on the document submitted to DOR. 1

  • Keep the $50,000 Bond Separate From Insurance

    The law lists the dealer bond or letter of credit separately from the garage-policy filing; the surety security addresses licensing and consumer obligations. Ask for separate evidence of the garage policy’s liability limits and any coverage for customer autos in your care. 1

  • Trailer Dealers Have a Different Policy Rule

    Missouri’s manual exempts trailer dealers from the garage-policy application copy requirement, while emergency vehicle dealers must provide the policy before licensing. Confirm the precise license class before relying on an exception. 2

Who Regulates Insurance in Missouri

Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance

Missouri DCI licenses insurance producers and insurers, reviews property and casualty rates and forms, and investigates complaints against insurance companies and producers. 3,4,5,6

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 5% of premium; Missouri taxes the entire gross premium when Missouri is the home state When Missouri is the insured’s home state, the state applies its 5% surplus-lines tax to the entire gross premium of a multistate policy; the regulator’s FAQ says the tax includes applicable fees. Eligible nonadmitted insurers do not participate in the Missouri Guaranty Fund, and Missouri generally requires the full amount or kind of coverage to be unavailable from admitted insurers before placement; an exempt commercial purchaser search exception has separate disclosure and written-request conditions. 7,8,9,10

Providers With Documented State Licenses

No provider in Spot’s research documents both a state license record and this coverage line. This does not establish that providers are unlicensed. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm availability with a provider when requesting a quote.

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Missouri

  1. Does our license class require the garage-policy copy under Missouri § 301.560, or does the trailer exception apply?
  2. Does the policy copy show the exact insured name, insurer, policy number, and current term?
  3. What separate coverage applies to customer vehicles in our care, including repair, storage, and test drives?

Garage Liability in Missouri: FAQ

Does Missouri require a garage policy for a used-car dealer license? 1,2

Yes. Missouri requires used motor vehicle dealers to submit a current dealer garage-policy copy with the application. Trailer dealers are exempt from that policy submission. 1,2

How much is a Missouri motor vehicle dealer bond? 1

The statute requires a $50,000 corporate surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit for covered dealer categories. It is separate from the required garage-policy copy. 1

Garage Liability in Other States

Other Coverage in Missouri

Sources

  1. RSMo § 301.560: Application requirements, bonds, dealer garage policy. Missouri Revisor of Statutes; Subsection 1(3): $50,000 bond/letter of credit and garage-policy copy, classes, policy identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  2. Missouri Dealer and Business Operating Manual. Missouri Department of Revenue; January 2026 manual, § Garage Policies: required applicants, trailer exception, emergency dealer timing. Accessed 2026-09-29.
  3. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Official insurance regulator homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Find an Insurance Agent/Agency. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Official DCI search page says its License & Contact Info search covers licensed agents and agencies; it links to company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Insurance Complaints. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Complaint filing page; says Consumer Affairs investigates complaints against insurers and producers; consumer hotline 800-726-7390. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Insurance Company Rate, Rule and Policy Form Filings. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Official DCI rate, rule and form filing page; identifies state oversight of insurer product filings. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. Surplus Lines FAQs. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; FAQ states 5% of Missouri net premium including applicable fees and eligible surplus-lines companies do not participate in the Guaranty Fund. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. RSMo §384.061. Missouri Revisor of Statutes; Subsections 1–2: entire gross premium is taxed when Missouri is home state; Chapter 384 placement regulation applies only when Missouri is home state. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. RSMo §384.021. Missouri Revisor of Statutes; Admitted-market availability rule and exempt commercial purchaser due-diligence exception; exception conditions appear in subsection 2. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Surplus Lines FAQs. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; FAQ says eligible surplus-lines insurers do not participate in the Guaranty Fund. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  12. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  13. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  15. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  16. The Pie Insurance Company — Company Details. Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance; Company name: THE PIE INSURANCE COMPANY; status Active; NAIC 21857; license B424258; Property and Casualty; date admitted 1999-07-07. The page has no expiry/renewal field. Accessed 2026-09-28. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  17. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  18. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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