Missouri Form 5062 is the Department of Revenue application you file to verify a vehicle identification number, get a new VIN plate assigned to a trailer or older manufactured home, or replace a VIN plate that was lost or destroyed. Every application requires a physical inspection by a law enforcement officer before the Department of Revenue will process it, so plan the inspection step first and the paperwork second.
When to Use Form 5062
You pick one of four situations on the form itself:
- Title correction or VIN verification, when the number on your title doesn’t match the plate on the vehicle or the Department of Revenue wants a physical confirmation before issuing a title.
- A new identification number plate for a vehicle or trailer that has no manufacturer-assigned VIN. This is common with homemade trailers, but it also covers manufactured trailers without a VIN and manufactured homes built before 1976.
- A replacement plate, when the existing VIN plate was lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed. You’ll need to report the loss to law enforcement before you apply.
- A trailer with a salvage title, which needs a VIN inspection before it can be retitled.
You also mark the unit type (motor vehicle, manufactured trailer, homemade trailer, or pre-1976 manufactured home), because that choice determines which agency inspects it and where you submit the finished form.
Completing Section A
Section A is yours. Use black ink and print clearly, or type. Enter your full legal name, county of residence, daytime phone, and mailing address. Dealers have a separate field for a dealer number.
Then describe the vehicle or trailer: year, make, model, body style, color, number of cylinders, horsepower, and current mileage. Enter the existing VIN if there is one. If the vehicle already carries a Missouri title, add the Missouri title number and license plate number so the application ties into existing records. Transposed digits are a common reason applications get sent back, so check every field twice.
If you’re requesting a replacement plate, a subsection asks where you reported the loss, the date of the report, and the reason (lost, stolen, mutilated, or destroyed). You then sign a certification that the information is true and that you are the registered owner.
When You Need a Notary
Section B applies only to replacement VIN plate applications. In that case, your signature in Section A must be notarized, and the notary completes Section B with the county, date, signature, printed name, commission expiration, and seal. For a VIN verification, a new VIN on a homemade trailer, or a salvage-title inspection, Section B stays blank.
The Law Enforcement Inspection
A law enforcement officer must physically inspect the vehicle or trailer and complete Section C before the Department of Revenue will process anything. The inspection cannot happen after submission.
Which officer you need depends on what you’re applying for:
- Title correction or VIN verification: any authorized officer, including a county sheriff, local police, or a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) trooper. The Department of Revenue may require an additional inspection by MSHP or the St. Louis City or County Auto Theft Unit.
- New VIN for a manufactured trailer: only MSHP or the St. Louis City or County Auto Theft Unit.
- New VIN for a homemade trailer: the sheriff of your county of residence or an MSHP officer.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 301.191 – Certificate of Ownership, Homemade Trailers
- Replacement VIN plate on any vehicle or trailer: only MSHP or the St. Louis City or County Auto Theft Unit.
- Salvage title trailer: only MSHP or the St. Louis City or County Auto Theft Unit.
- Manufactured home built before 1976: only the Missouri Public Service Commission.
During the inspection the officer verifies the vehicle against your ownership documents, records the public VIN and any police VIN, notes the condition (damaged, running, rebuilt, motor change), and signs with a badge number and agency information. For trailers, the officer also records trailer type, number of axles, and length. If the existing VIN plate has to be surrendered, the officer takes it and forwards it to the MSHP Motor Vehicle Inspection Division.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Application for Vehicle/Trailer Identification Number Plate or Verification
Where to Submit and What It Costs
Submission splits into two tracks. Title corrections, VIN verifications, and new VIN plate applications for homemade trailers can be filed in person at any Missouri license office. New VIN plate applications for motor vehicles or manufactured trailers, and all replacement VIN plate applications, must be mailed to Motor Vehicle Bureau, PO Box 2076, Jefferson City, MO 65105-2076.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Application for Vehicle/Trailer Identification Number Plate or Verification
Missouri charges an $8.50 title fee and a $9.00 processing fee on title transactions, though the total for a VIN plate application may differ depending on the specific service. If you file in person, a $2 electronic transmission fee may also apply. Send or bring the form with all applicable sections completed: your portion, the notary block if you’re requesting a replacement, and the officer’s inspection.
Homemade Trailers
Getting a first-time VIN for a homemade trailer is one of the most common reasons people run into Form 5062. Missouri defines a homemade trailer as one built by someone who is not a manufacturer and who does not use a manufacturer’s identifying numbers or statement of origin.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 301.191 – Certificate of Ownership, Homemade Trailers
You’ll need an inspection from your county sheriff or an MSHP officer, who may ask for documents or other evidence that the trailer was homemade. The inspection fee is $25.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 301.191 – Certificate of Ownership, Homemade Trailers After the officer signs Section C, take the completed form and the certificate of inspection to any license office with the applicable fees. No certificate of ownership will be issued without the inspection certificate. The VIN plate is issued at the license office and gets affixed to the tongue of the trailer’s frame.
After You Submit
For VIN verifications and title corrections, the Department of Revenue updates its records and mails the corrected title to the address on file.
For new or replacement VIN plates on motor vehicles and manufactured trailers, there’s an extra step. The Department of Revenue sends the physical plate to the law enforcement agency that performed the inspection, and that agency contacts you to schedule an appointment so an officer can rivet or otherwise permanently attach the plate. You don’t install it yourself; the state requires an officer to confirm the plate went on the right vehicle.2Missouri Department of Revenue. Application for Vehicle/Trailer Identification Number Plate or Verification
Processing times aren’t published, so plan for at least a few weeks between submission and receiving your corrected title or new plate. Keep a copy of everything you sent. If you don’t hear back within a reasonable window, contact the Motor Vehicle Bureau or the license office where you filed.