Buying a Vehicle

You have 30 days from the date of purchase to title and pay sales tax on your newly purchased vehicle. If you do not title the vehicle within 30 days, there is a title penalty of $25 on the 31st day after purchase. The penalty increases another $25 for every 30 days you are late with a maximum penalty of $200.

When you purchase your vehicle, you may obtain a temporary permit, transfer license plates from a vehicle you already own, or you may purchase new license plates. Our online sales tax calculator may help you estimate the taxes and fees you will pay.

• Buying a Vehicle Guide
• Notice to Apply for Title
• Titling Vehicles
• Obtaining a Temporary Permit
• Transferring License Plates
• Buying New License Plates
• Sales Tax Calculator
• How Do I Pay?
• Don't Become A Victim of Curbstoning!

Obtaining a Temporary Permit

Upon purchase of a newly acquired motor vehicle, trailer, or cycle, you may purchase a temporary permit from the dealer to operate the vehicle when no plates are available for transfer. (Missouri dealers can sell temporary permits to out-of-state residents only if they are purchasing motor vehicles, trailers, or cycles from their dealership).

• Temporary permits may be issued for a period of 30 days from the purchase date.
  • Certain qualified dealers may issue a 60-day permit when specific conditions are met.

  To obtain a temporary permit, please bring the following items with you to any Missouri license office:

  1. One of the following ownership documents:
     1. The Certificate of Title, properly signed over to you (see instructions), or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO);
     2. Bill of Sale (Form 1957);
     3. Notice of Sale (Form 5049); or
     4. A Missouri Application for Title and License (Form 108) signed by the dealer.
     1. the vehicle is less than eleven years old and the mileage is less than 150,000 miles;
     2. you are a resident of a state other than Missouri; or
     3. you are obtaining a temporary permit for a trailer.

     You will pay:

     • A $5 permit fee; and
     • A $6 processing fee if processed at a license office.

     The temporary permit must be securely placed on the rear of the vehicle, trailer, or cycle consistent with the placement of regular license plates so it is visible and not obscured in any way.

     Transferring License Plates

     Credit of registration is available for many types of vehicle-to-vehicle registration transfers. And, in limited situations, the actual license plates may also be transferred to the new vehicle without having to obtain new license plates.

     NOTE: When there is a complete change of ownership, the seller's license plates cannot be transferred to (or used by) the purchaser.

     If you are transferring license plates from your old vehicle to your new vehicle, please bring the following items with you to any Missouri license office:

     1. The Certificate of Title, properly signed over to you (see instructions), or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO);
     2. A signed Application for Missouri Title and License (Form 108);
     3. Additional documentation may be requested at the time of titling;
     4. A safety inspection not more than 60 days old or not more than 90 days old if the seller is a Missouri dealer and the safety inspection provided by the Missouri dealer was completed within 60 days prior to the purchase date, if applicable;
     5. A current insurance identification card (original, copy, or electronic if legible) or other proof of financial responsibility. This requirement does not apply to trailers; and
     6. An emissions inspection not more than 60 days old, if you reside in St. Louis City or the following counties: Jefferson, St. Charles, or St. Louis (unless you have an MSO).

     NOTE: You may be required to submit separate proof of an Identification Number/Odometer Reading Inspection (ID/OD) if ownership of the motor vehicle was transferred to you on a title issued by another state or country. A current safety inspection will satisfy this requirement.

     You will pay:

     • State sales tax of 4.225 percent, plus your local sales tax on the purchase price, less trade-in allowance, if any;
     • $8.50 title fee;
     • $2 transfer fee;
     • Registration (license plate) fees, based on either taxable horsepower or vehicle weight (if you renew your registration when you transfer the plates);
     • Additional licensure fees for an increase in horsepower, if applicable;
     • $6 title processing fee; and
     • $6 registration processing fee (for the transfer); and
     • $6 registration processing fee for a one-year registration, or $12 registration processing fee for a two-year registration, if applicable.

     Estimate your taxes & fees:

     NOTE: If you purchased a vehicle from an out-of-state dealer and had a trade-in, you must present proof of the trade-in in order to receive a tax credit when you title the vehicle in Missouri. This proof may be in the form of:

     • A copy of the front and back of the title assigned from the owner to the dealer for the trade-in vehicle; or
     • A copy of the Secure Power of Attorney for the trade-in vehicle (if the title is held by the lienholder or a duplicate title is needed).

     The amount allowed for the trade-in should either be recorded on the title assignment if a space is provided or on the dealer invoice.

     If you are unsure what transfer options you may have, please ask the clerk at any Missouri license office or you may Ask Motor Vehicle!.

     Buying New License Plates

     If you are purchasing new license plates for your vehicle, you will need to bring the following items to any Missouri license office:

     1. The Certificate of Title, properly signed over to you (see instructions), or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO);
     2. A signed Application for Missouri Title and License (Form 108);
     3. Additional documentation may be requested at the time of titling;
     4. An original (or copy) paid personal property tax receipt or a statement of non-assessment from your county of residence (or city of St. Louis) for the previous year.
     5. A safety inspection not more than 60 days old or not more than 90 days old if the seller is a Missouri dealer and the safety inspection provided by the Missouri dealer was completed within 60 days prior to the purchase date, if applicable;
     6. A current insurance identification card (original, copy, or electronic if legible) or other proof of financial responsibility. This requirement does not apply to trailers; and
     7. An emissions inspection not more than 60 days old, if you reside in St. Louis City or the following counties: Jefferson, St. Charles, or St. Louis (unless you have an MSO).
        

     NOTE: You may be required to submit separate proof of an Identification Number/Odometer Reading Inspection (ID/OD) if ownership of the motor vehicle was transferred to you on a title issued by another state or country. A current safety inspection will satisfy this requirement.

     You Will Pay:

     • State sales tax of 4.225 percent, plus your local sales tax on the purchase price, less trade-in allowance, if any;
     • $8.50 title fee;
     • Registration (license plate) fees, based on either taxable horsepower or vehicle weight;
     • $6 title processing fee; and
     • $6 registration processing fee for a one year registration or $12 registration processing fee for a two year registration.

     Estimate your taxes & fees:

     NOTE: If you purchased a vehicle from an out-of-state dealer and had a trade-in, you must present proof of the trade-in in order to receive a tax credit when you title the vehicle in Missouri. This proof may be in the form of:

     • A copy of the front and back of the title assigned from the owner to the dealer for the trade-in vehicle; or
     • A copy of the Secure Power of Attorney for the trade-in vehicle (if the title is held by the lienholder or a duplicate title is needed).

     The amount allowed for the trade-in should either be recorded on the title assignment if a space is provided or on the dealer invoice.

     How Do I Pay?

     Payment may be made by cash, personal check, cashier's check, money order, and credit or debit cards (Discover, American Express, VISA, and Master Card only).

     Personal checks must be made payable to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Personal checks must be preprinted with the check writer's name, address, bank code, and account number. The personal check must also include the following information regarding the check writer:

     • Driver's license or non-driver's license number;
     • Date of birth; and
     • Daytime phone number.

     The Missouri Department of Revenue may electronically resubmit checks returned for insufficient or uncollected funds.

     Credit / Debit Card Transactions - The "convenience fee" charged by the credit/debit card vendor is 2.0% + $0.25 per card transaction.

     Don't Become A Victim of Curbstoning!

     Curbstoning is the sale of used vehicles by unlicensed dealers who pretend to be private parties in order to evade regulation. Their customers often get saddled with damaged, dangerous, or uninsurable vehicles – by which time the curbstoner is long gone with their cash. Curbstoning is illegal in many states, yet defrauds thousands of unwary consumers every year.

     If you would like to report a suspected curbstoning operation to the Department of Revenue, please submit a completed Complaint (Form 4683).

     New Auto Recall Search Tool

     Automakers announced the launch of a new tool aimed at increasing consumer participation in auto recalls by allowing approved commercial and governmental entities, including state departments of motor vehicles, state vehicle registrars, state vehicle inspection programs, motor vehicle insurers, auto finance companies, motor vehicle dealers, vehicle fleet managers, automotive parts recyclers and vehicle auction companies, to search for open recalls for thousands of autos at once, free of charge. This search tool, available at freeautorecallsearch.org, is a result of a partnership among the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers – which together represent 99 percent of automakers in the United States – and Carfax, provider of vehicle history-based products trusted by buyers, sellers and owners of used cars. The search portal will allow authorized users to search for open recalls for up to 10,000 vehicles at once and get results usually within a matter of seconds. This capability is an important tool in collective, continuing efforts to increase recall participation rates. According to current Carfax research, more than 57 million vehicles on U.S. roads have unfixed recalls, despite the fact that voluntary recall remedies are completed free of charge to the consumer. Read more here.