Missouri mobile home — quick answer
Missouri titles a manufactured home much like a vehicle, but the fact that decides whether there is anything to sell is affixation — the recorded conversion of the home into real property. Once that has happened the home is part of the land, and no bill of sale will move it.
How mobile home sales actually work in Missouri
- Titling agency
- Missouri Department of Revenue
- Affixation
- Recording with the Department that the home has been converted to real property
- Form
- Manufactured Home Affixation or Severance, Form 5312 / 5313
- Where it is recorded
- Recorder of Deeds in the county where the real estate sits
- Deadline
- Recorded with the Recorder of Deeds within 60 days of filing with the Department
- Fees
- $8.50 certificate fee plus a $9.00 processing fee
- No title to surrender
- Application for Manufactured Home, Form 108-M, must accompany the filing
- Governing statutes
- RSMo 700.111; conversion to real property, RSMo 442.015
Transferring a mobile home in Missouri, step by step
- Establish whether an affixation has already been recorded. That single answer decides whether you are buying personal property or negotiating over land.
- If the home is still personal property, the seller signs the certificate of title over and the buyer applies to the Department of Revenue.
- If the home is being affixed, file the Manufactured Home Affixation or Severance and surrender the title or MCO. Where neither exists, Form 108-M has to go in alongside it.
- Record the filing with the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the land is, within 60 days of filing with the Department. The recording is the step that completes it.
What private buyers get wrong here
- The 60-day recording window is the part that gets missed. Filing with the Department and then leaving the paperwork unrecorded finishes nothing.
- Severance runs the other way — a home can be converted back to personal property — but it is its own filing, not an assumption you can make at the kitchen table.
- A seller offering a bill of sale for a home that is already affixed is offering something Missouri does not recognise. Check the Recorder of Deeds before paying.
Verified 2026-09-24 against Missouri DOR — Manufactured Homes and Missouri DOR — Form 5312, Affidavit of Affixation and RSMo 700.111 . Rules change — confirm before you sign.
Is a mobile home bill of sale required in Missouri?
Missouri titles a manufactured home much like a vehicle, but the fact that decides whether there is anything to sell is affixation — the recorded conversion of the home into real property. Once that has happened the home is part of the land, and no bill of sale will move it.
Does a Missouri mobile home bill of sale need to be notarized?
Check the instructions for the specific title and bill-of-sale form. A requirement to notarize a title assignment does not automatically mean the separate bill of sale needs notarization. If notarization is required, wait to sign until the notary instructs you.
What to include on a Missouri mobile home bill of sale
- Buyer and seller full legal names and addresses
- Year, make, model, and type (single/double-wide)
- Serial number / VIN and HUD label number
- Size (width × length) and current location
- Price, date, and signatures of both parties
Official sources
Requirements change and can vary by county. Confirm with the Missouri DOR before you sign. Not legal advice.
Missouri Mobile Home Bill of Sale — FAQ
Is a mobile home bill of sale required in Missouri?
Missouri titles a manufactured home much like a vehicle, but the fact that decides whether there is anything to sell is affixation — the recorded conversion of the home into real property. Once that has happened the home is part of the land, and no bill of sale will move it.
Does a Missouri mobile home bill of sale need to be notarized?
Check the signing requirements for the specific title and bill-of-sale form. Notarization of a title assignment and notarization of a bill of sale are separate questions; a car rule does not establish the rule for this item.
Do I need a bill of sale to sell a mobile home?
In most cases, yes. A mobile home bill of sale documents the price and terms and supports the title transfer. If the home is titled as personal property you will also sign over the title; if it has been converted to real property, the sale is handled more like real estate.
Is a mobile home titled like a car?
Often, yes — when classified as personal property, a manufactured home is titled through the state motor-vehicle agency, similar to a vehicle. Once permanently affixed to land you own, it may be converted to real property and recorded with the county instead.
Is a bill of sale proof of ownership?
Generally no. For titled property like a car or boat, the title is what proves ownership. A bill of sale proves that a sale happened and records the price, date, and terms — it supports the title transfer but does not replace it. For untitled property (furniture, equipment, electronics), the signed bill of sale is usually the main proof of ownership.