How to Fill Out the Missouri Release of Liability Form (Form 237)

The Missouri Release of Liability Form 237 is a one-page Motor Vehicle Accident Release from the Department of Revenue’s Driver License Bureau. Signing it permanently gives up your right to pursue any claim for personal injuries or property damage against the other party from a specific collision, including injuries that haven’t shown up yet.¹ The form must be notarized and mailed to the Driver License Bureau in Jefferson City.

How to Fill Out Form 237

Download the PDF from the Missouri Department of Revenue website.¹ The form has two parts: a primary release section, and a separate section used when a parent or guardian releases claims on behalf of a minor child.

Primary Release Section

Name of person giving the release: your full legal name, as the person who was injured or whose property was damaged.
Name of person being released: the full legal name of the other driver or party you are releasing from liability.
Date of collision: the exact date the accident occurred.
Location of collision: where in Missouri the accident happened, usually a street address, intersection, or highway mile marker.
Case number: if there is one from a police report, insurance claim, or court filing, enter it here.
Printed name, signature, and date of signing.

Below the signature line, the form includes a declaration under penalties of perjury that everything stated is true, complete, and correct. False statements carry legal consequences.

Parent or Guardian Section for a Minor

If the injured person is under 18, a parent or guardian completes the second section. The parent states their name and the child’s name, confirms the release is being made at their request, and agrees to hold the released party harmless against future claims brought on behalf of the child.¹ This section has its own signature line, date field, and notary block.

Getting the Form Notarized

Form 237 must be notarized. Each section that applies has its own notary block, which requires the notary’s signature, printed name, commission expiration date, and an embosser or black ink rubber stamp seal. The notary also records the state and county (or City of St. Louis) where the signing takes place.¹ Without notarization, the form is incomplete and will not be accepted.

Notary services are available at most banks, UPS stores, law offices, and some public libraries. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID so the notary can verify your identity before witnessing your signature.

Where to Mail the Completed Form

Send the notarized original to the Driver License Bureau at the address printed on the form:¹

Driver License Bureau
301 West High Street, Room 470
P.O. Box 200
Jefferson City, MO 65105-0200

Keep a photocopy or digital scan of the signed and notarized form before mailing the original. If a dispute later arises about whether you signed or when, that copy is your proof.

What You Give Up by Signing

The release language is broad. You “forever release and discharge” the named party from all claims, demands, damages, actions, and causes of action, covering both personal injuries and property damage from the collision. The form explicitly covers injuries “now apparent as well as those which may hereafter develop,” so you cannot come back later if symptoms worsen or a new condition surfaces that traces back to the crash.¹

The release reaches beyond the individual you name. It also covers that person’s heirs, executors, administrators, and any firms, corporations, or other people liable on their behalf. In practice, that sweep catches the other driver’s insurance company, their employer if the driver was on the job, and anyone else in the liability chain.

Before You Sign

Missouri gives you five years from the date of an accident to file a personal injury or property damage lawsuit.² Signing Form 237 closes that window voluntarily. There is no legal requirement to sign on an insurer’s timeline.

A few things worth sorting out first:

Medical treatment may not be finished. Soft tissue damage, concussions, and herniated discs can take weeks or months to fully reveal themselves.
Future medical costs, including surgery, physical therapy, and long-term medication, can dwarf the initial emergency room bill.
Lost income, both so far and going forward, should be reflected in whatever settlement you accept.
Form 237 has no field for a settlement amount. The money terms are handled in a separate written settlement agreement between you and the paying party. Get those terms in writing before you sign the release.

Can You Undo a Signed Release?

Once Form 237 is signed, undoing it is extremely difficult. Missouri courts treat a signed release as a binding contract and enforce it accordingly. A few narrow exceptions exist:

Fraud. If the other party or their insurer deliberately misrepresented a material fact to get you to sign, the release may be voidable. You would need to show the false statement was made knowingly and that you relied on it.
Lack of mental capacity. If you signed while heavily medicated after surgery, while suffering from a traumatic brain injury, or while otherwise unable to understand what you were agreeing to, a court may find the release invalid.
Mutual mistake. If both sides based the settlement on a foundational fact that turned out to be completely wrong, the release could potentially be set aside.

Each exception carries a heavy burden of proof. Courts will not reopen settled claims because the injured person later wishes they had asked for more.

Not to Be Confused With Form 5049 or Form 1957

Form 237 deals only with accident liability. If you sold or transferred a vehicle and need to notify the Department of Revenue, you want Form 5049 (Notice of Sale) or Form 1957 (Bill of Sale), not Form 237.³ Filing the wrong form accomplishes nothing for either purpose.

1
Missouri Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Accident Release
2
Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes 516.120 – What Actions Within Five Years
3
Missouri Department of Revenue. Selling a Vehicle