Getting a used car dealer license in Mississippi

In Mississippi, used-car dealers are licensed by Mississippi DOR Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau.

Before your first retail sale you’ll need a $15,000 surety bond, a pre-licensing course and a business location that meets the state’s rules. The state also inspects the location.

This page gathers what a new independent lot needs, each fact linked to the official source it came from.

Sources checked · details re-checked against official sources

At a glance

License
Used Motor Vehicle Dealer / Dealer Tag Permit dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Issued by
Mississippi DOR Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Surety bond
Dealer packet requires $15,000 bond. Do not substitute the separate $5,000 Designated Agent bond. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab) That’s the bond’s face amount, not what you pay: a surety company charges a yearly premium, usually a small percentage of it, set mainly by your credit.
Pre-licensing course
Everyone applying for a dealer permit completes the eight-hour educational seminar run by the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association (MIADA), within the 12 months before applying; send the original certificate with the application. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Official fees
Used motor vehicle dealer permit $100; dealer tags $43.75 each for the first 12, then $83.75 each. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Renewal
Insurance required at each renewal; renew through Motor Vehicle e-Services. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Site inspection
Yes. The Department of Revenue makes a site visit for any business that will sell to the public. (Wholesale-only dealers need no physical location, but may hold only two vehicles in inventory.) dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)

Step by step

  1. Know what you're applying for

    In Mississippi, used dealers get a Motor Vehicle Dealer license (dealer tag permit) from the Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau. Processing titles as a Designated Agent is a separate registration with its own bond. dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

  2. Take the MIADA seminar

    Complete the eight-hour educational seminar run by the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association within the 12 months before you apply, and keep the original certificate. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2023).pdf (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab)

  3. Set up the business

    Get a sales tax number for each location and keep your legal, entity and DBA names identical on every document. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab)

  4. Set up the place of business

    You need an owned or leased place, used mainly for selling vehicles, where it's obvious to the public that cars are for sale; state law sets no lot size. Keep an office separate from any other business, with your books and records, open to inspection during reasonable hours. dor.ms.gov › Dealer Booklet (Revised 02.2023).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

  5. Bond and insurance

    The dealer packet requires a $15,000 bond (the packet titles it “Bond of Designated Agent”), and blanket liability insurance covering your inventory on public roads. Don't use the separate $5,000 Designated Agent bond for this. You don't pay that amount: a surety company charges you a premium, a fraction of it, set mainly by your credit. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab)

  6. Mail the complete packet

    Send the application, bond, notarized affidavit, seminar certificate, proof of insurance and payment. The permit is $100; the first 12 dealer tags are $43.75 each and more are $83.75. dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

  7. Site visit and approval

    The Department visits the site of any dealer selling to the public, then reviews and approves the application. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2023).pdf (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab)

  8. Keep it current

    Renew through Motor Vehicle e-Services, with proof of insurance each time. dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

The location

Display lot
An owned or leased place, regularly occupied mainly for dealing in vehicles, where it's apparent to the public that vehicles are offered for sale. State law sets no lot size. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)
Office
An office separate from any other business, where the business's books and records are kept. Instead of a separate office, the Department may accept an adequate display identifying you as a dealer. The place must be open for inspection by police or the Department of Revenue during reasonable hours. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)

Before you apply

Sales-tax number for each location; matching legal/entity/DBA names; blanket liability covering inventory on public roads. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)

Forms

Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet; instructions 77-697-10-1-1-000; includes application, bond and affidavit. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)

Get the current versions from dor.ms.gov; we don’t host copies.

Not the license you’re after?

Designated Agent title-processing status is separate and has a different bond; wholesale and limited dealer privileges differ. dor.ms.gov (source, opens in a new tab)

What trips people up

Our read of the requirements above, not official guidance or statistics.

The hardest part: separating dealer authorization from designated-agent title access.

Easy mistakes:

Questions

How much does a Mississippi dealer license cost?

$100 for the permit, plus $43.75 per tag for the first 12. The bond premium, insurance and the seminar cost more. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2026).pdf (source, opens in a new tab) dor.ms.gov › dealers-and-designated-agents (source, opens in a new tab)

Is there a course?

Yes: the eight-hour MIADA seminar, within 12 months before you apply. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2023).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

Can I be a dealer without a lot in Mississippi?

Only as a wholesale-only dealer, limited to two vehicles in inventory and no sales to the public. dor.ms.gov › Motor Vehicle Dealer License Packet (Revised 02.2023).pdf (source, opens in a new tab)

Sources

Not affiliated with the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Not legal advice. Requirements change; always confirm with the state.