Missouri Form 4576 Abandoned Property Affidavit: Notice, Filing, and Title

Missouri Form 4576, the Abandoned Property Affidavit, is the notarized sworn statement a towing company files with the Missouri Department of Revenue to claim title to an abandoned vehicle, trailer, ATV, outboard motor, or vessel it has stored for at least 30 days after notifying the recorded owner and lienholder.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Form 4576 – Abandoned Property Affidavit The form itself is short, but it will be rejected unless the tow was properly authorized, the 30-day notice was properly mailed, and a specific packet of supporting documents comes with it.

When the Underlying Tow Is Authorized

Form 4576 only works if the property was lawfully removed in the first place. Missouri handles that under RSMo 304.157 for private-property situations.

Law enforcement can authorize a tow when property has been left unattended for more than 48 hours without the landowner’s consent, or when an officer determines it creates a safety hazard or unreasonably interferes with the landowner’s use of the property regardless of how long it has been there.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.157 – Vehicles Left Unattended or Improperly Parked on Private Property of Another, Procedure for Removal and Disposition

A property owner, lessee, or on-site security manager can also authorize a tow without an officer present, but the clock is different. On owner-occupied residential property of four units or fewer, the wait is 10 hours after the landowner notifies the appropriate law enforcement agency. On other private property it is 96 hours. Posted property must carry a sign at every entrance, at least 17 by 22 inches with one-inch lettering, warning that unauthorized vehicles will be towed and listing maximum towing and storage fees plus an emergency phone number. In non-law-enforcement removals, the property owner or manager has to be physically present when the tow company arrives.2Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.157 – Vehicles Left Unattended or Improperly Parked on Private Property of Another, Procedure for Removal and Disposition

The 30-Day Notice You Must Finish First

You cannot submit Form 4576 until a notification sequence under RSMo 304.156 is complete. It runs like this:

  • Within five working days of receiving the crime inquiry and inspection report (public-property tows) or the abandoned property report (private-property tows), the Department of Revenue searches its records for the registered owner and any lienholder. If evidence points to out-of-state registration, the department contacts that state.
  • Within 15 working days after completing the search, the department sends the towing company the owner and lienholder information.
  • The tow company then has 10 business days to send a Vehicle Owner and Lienholder Notification (Form 4577) by certified mail, return receipt requested, to every owner and lienholder on record. The notice states the storage facility’s contact information, the date and reason for the tow, the accruing charges, the right to reclaim by paying those charges, and that title will transfer after 30 days if no one responds.
  • If nobody redeems the property, requests a hearing, or arranges storage within 30 days after that certified mailing, the tow company may apply for a new title.3Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 304.156 – Towing Company in Possession of Abandoned Property, Notice to Owner, Application for Title

Tows from private property without law enforcement authorization also require a completed Abandoned Property Report (Form 4669), signed by the property owner, the towing company, and law enforcement.4Missouri Department of Revenue. Form 4669 – Abandoned Property Report

If certified mail comes back marked “Not Forwardable” or “Addressee Unknown,” the tow company has to perform a good-faith search before proceeding: checking the property for license plates, temporary permits, or inspection stickers pointing to another state, reviewing the law enforcement report for a plate number, and checking the tow ticket for a plate that was on the vehicle when the tow began.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Form 4576 – Abandoned Property Affidavit

What to Submit With Form 4576

Form 4576 is never mailed alone. Missing any of the following will stall the application:

  • Form 4576, completed with the year, make, model, and identification number (VIN for motor vehicles and trailers, HIN for vessels), signed by an authorized agent of the towing company, and notarized.
  • A properly completed Application for Missouri Title and License (Form 108) for motor vehicles, trailers, and ATVs, or Application for Missouri Boat/Vessel or Outboard Motor Title and Registration (Form 93) for watercraft. Mark the title type as Original, Salvage, or Junking Certificate. For vehicles model year 2011 or newer and less than 20 years old, current or estimated mileage is required.
  • A copy of the online record search from the Department of Revenue’s system showing the latest owner and lienholder of record, or a copy of the department’s notification letter. If no record exists, print the “No Record” screen.
  • A copy of the Form 4577 notification sent to every owner and lienholder.
  • Certified mail proof: signed return receipt cards, returned envelopes, or postal receipts with USPS tracking printouts confirming the notifications were mailed at least 30 days before the application date.
  • The crime inquiry and inspection report completed by authorized law enforcement.
  • A Vehicle Examination Certificate (Form 551), required only if applying for an Original title, completed by a Missouri State Highway Patrol inspector or St. Louis City/County Auto Theft Unit. Boats and outboard motors use Form 798; trailers use Form 5062.
  • Form 4669 if the tow originated from private property without law enforcement authorization.1Missouri Department of Revenue. Form 4576 – Abandoned Property Affidavit

Filling Out and Mailing the Affidavit

The fillable form lives on the Department of Revenue’s titling abandoned property page.5Missouri Department of Revenue. Titling Abandoned Property Most of it is descriptive: the property, the circumstances of the tow, and the affiant’s sworn statement. It has to be notarized, so plan a stop at a notary before you mail anything.

Fill in the year, make, model, and identification number exactly as they appear on the vehicle or vessel, and confirm they match the online record search results. Mismatches between the affidavit and the department’s records are one of the most common reasons applications stall. Sign in front of the notary, who will stamp and seal the document.

Compile the notarized affidavit with every supporting document and mail the package to:

Motor Vehicle Bureau
PO Box 2046
Jefferson City, MO 65105-01006Missouri Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle License Contact Information

Any fees are paid by check or money order made out to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

What Title You’ll Receive, and What It Costs

The department issues one of three titles based on the property’s condition and how you applied:

  • Original title, for property in operable condition. This is the one that requires the Highway Patrol vehicle examination.
  • Salvage certificate of title, branded “Salvage or Abandoned Property,” for damaged property that is not beyond repair.
  • Junking certificate, for property that is essentially scrap. Exempt from sales tax and title fees.

For towing companies filing through Form 4576, no title fee, processing fee, or sales tax is due.7Missouri Department of Revenue. Abandoned Property Manual

If You’re a Landowner, Not a Tow Company

Form 4576 is for towing companies. A landowner who wants to title abandoned property in their own name uses a different track: a General Affidavit (Form 768) describing how the property came to be there and its fair market value, Form 5091 to ask the department for previous-owner information, and a Form 5227 30-day certified-mail notice before applying. An original or salvage title costs $19 ($10 title fee plus $9 processing fee), and state and local sales tax is due on the fair market value stated in the affidavit. Junking certificates require only the processing fee.7Missouri Department of Revenue. Abandoned Property Manual

Penalties for a False Affidavit

Form 4576 is sworn under notarization. Filing one with false information exposes the affiant to a perjury charge; under Missouri law, perjury in a proceeding that does not involve a felony charge is a class E felony.8Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Code 575.040 – Perjury A title obtained by fraud can also be voided, leaving the filer exposed to the actual owner for the value of the property. If there is any doubt that the property was genuinely abandoned, or any doubt about who the owner or lienholder is, finish the record search and notification steps thoroughly before you sign.