The short answer
| Item | Missouri answer |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $8.50 for the title itself, plus a $9 processing fee (the counter charge for handling the paperwork). That's $17.50 at the license office. It is two fees, not one $11 or $17.50 fee. |
| Sales tax | 4.225% state tax on the price, less any trade-in, plus local tax set by your address. There is no single statewide combined rate. |
| Deadline | Title and pay the tax within 30 days. Late: $25, then $25 more for every extra 30 days, up to $200. |
| Plates | Plates belong to the owner. Moving your own plates: $2 plus $9 processing. You can never take over the seller's plates. |
| Typical total | $20,000 private-party car, own plates moved over, on time: $873.50 title-side. Local tax and the yearly registration fee are extra. |
Worked example: $20,000 private-party car
The buyer moves their own plates, files on time, has no trade-in and no loan on the car.
- State sales tax: 4.225% × $20,000 = $845.00
- Title fee: $8.50
- Title processing fee: $9.00
- Plate transfer: $2.00
- Registration processing fee: $9.00
Title-side total: $845.00 + $8.50 + $9.00 + $2.00 + $9.00 = $873.50.
Not in that total, on purpose: local sales tax (it depends on your exact address) and the yearly registration fee (it depends on your car's horsepower rating). We don't blend either into one figure.
- Filed 31 to 60 days late: $898.50.
- Filed 61 to 90 days late: $923.50.
- At the $200 cap: $1,073.50, and the state can cancel every registration in your name until you pay.
- Gift (no money paid, Form 768): tax $0, title-side $17.50, plus registration. The giver's plates can't move to you.
- New plates instead of a transfer, car rated 24 to 35 horsepower: $845.00 + $8.50 + $9.00 + $24.25 + $9.00 = $895.75 at state tax only.
- Quick (expedited) title: add $5.
The Missouri calculator below starts from a $30,000 dealer purchase with new registration, so its total is different from this $20,000 private-sale example.
How much does a title transfer cost in Missouri?
The title fee is $8.50. The license office also charges a $9 title processing fee. So you pay $17.50 at the counter for the title. Some websites call this an "$11 title fee". That's wrong, and so is calling $17.50 a single fee.
- Duplicate title: the same $8.50 + $9 = $17.50. The duplicate application must be notarized.
- Quick title: adds $5.
- With a loan (lien): a lien is the lender's claim on the car until the loan is paid. A new title with a lien costs the same $8.50 plus the $9 processing fee. There is no separate lien fee.
- $2 electronic transmission fee: charged only "if applicable". It is not part of the standard counter total.
Sales tax: 4.225% state plus your local rate
You pay 4.225% state tax on the purchase price, minus any trade-in. On top of that comes the local sales tax for your address. Local rates differ from city to city and even street to street, so there is no single combined Missouri rate. The Department of Revenue's sales tax calculator gives the exact rate for your address.
- Who you pay: the Department of Revenue, through a license office, when you title the car.
- Trade-in: the department's wording takes off a trade-in on dealer and private sales alike. If you buy from an out-of-state dealer with a trade-in, bring proof (the trade-in title, a power of attorney, a certified form or the dealer's invoice).
- New residents: if you owned and drove the car in another state for at least 90 days, you owe no extra Missouri tax. Under 90 days, you pay the difference if the other state's tax was lower.
How many days do you have to title a car in Missouri?
30 days from the purchase, for both the title and the sales tax. There is no grace period. Day 31 is the first penalty day.
- Penalty: $25 on day 31. Then another $25 for every extra 30 days. The most it can reach is $200.
- Waiver: the director of revenue may waive the penalty for a good reason.
- The part most guides miss: if the state learns you didn't title within 30 days, it must cancel the registration of all vehicles in your name, including ones you co-own, until you pay the penalty and any fees owed.
Don't mix this up with renewing expired plates late. That is a separate flat $5 charge. For late renewal rules in other states, see car registration late fees by state.
Plates and registration
In Missouri, plates belong to the owner. On a full change of ownership, the seller must take the plates off before you take the car. You can never use the seller's plates.
- Moving your own plates: $2 transfer fee + $9 registration processing fee. You often get credit for registration time left on your old car.
- New plates: there is no separate plate fee for a passenger car. (The $8.50 plate figure on the fee page is for a second plate on a truck of 18,000 lbs or more.)
- Registration: priced by taxable horsepower, a state rating based on engine size that is printed on the title. It runs from $18.25 a year (under 12 horsepower, electric or low-speed) to $51.25 a year (72 horsepower and up), plus $9 processing for one year. Because it depends on the rating, no single registration figure exists. The Missouri calculator works it out.
- Temporary permit: $5 + $9 processing, good for 30 days (60 days from a qualified dealer when conditions are met), one per vehicle.
Inspections
You need a safety inspection that is 60 days old or newer, unless the car is exempt. The Department of Revenue's buying page exempts vehicles "less than eleven years old" with under 150,000 miles.*
An emissions inspection (also 60 days old or newer) is needed only in St. Louis City and in Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties.
* The department's titling page words the same exemption as "the first ten model years" with under 150,000 miles. The two pages don't use the same words, so check with the license office if your car is right at the cut-off.
Do you pay tax on a gifted car in Missouri?
No, if it is a true gift with no payment. The gift can be to anyone, not just family.
- Write the word "GIFT" where the sale price goes on the title. Don't write "$1".
- File a General Affidavit (Form 768) or a written gift statement. It doesn't need to be notarized for the gift.
- The gift must be reported within 30 days (Form 5049 or 1957).
- You can't use or transfer the plates that were on the gifted car.
- A car can't be gifted two times in a row.
Family sales are taxed. Missouri has no family-sale exemption. If a relative sells you the car for any amount, it's taxed like any other sale. Only a true gift is tax-free.
Inheritance: a sole owner can name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on the title. After the owner dies, the beneficiary brings proof of death, the title, the application and the $8.50 + $9 fee, and takes the title. The beneficiary can also sign it straight over to another owner without titling it first. We haven't verified the process when there is no named beneficiary, so we don't describe one.
Forms
- Form 108: Application for Missouri Title and License. Check "DUPLICATE" for a duplicate title.
- Form 768: General Affidavit, used as the gift statement.
- Form 4809: lien notice, lien release or name change (notarized, if it applies).
- Form 5049 (Notice of Sale) or Form 1957 (Bill of Sale): the seller's 30-day report, also used to report a gift.
- Form 3019: Odometer Disclosure Statement, if it applies.
Other states
Title transfer guides for nearby and similar states: Illinois, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
What this guide doesn't cover
Dealer purchases in detail, the local tax rate for your address, trucks and motorcycles, personal property tax, and inheritance without a named beneficiary.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a title transfer cost in Missouri?
The title is $8.50 plus a $9 processing fee, so $17.50. Add 4.225% state sales tax plus your local tax, and $2 plus a $9 processing fee to move your own plates. A $20,000 private-party car comes to $873.50 before local tax and registration.
Is the Missouri title fee $11?
No. It is $8.50 plus a $9 processing fee, so $17.50 at the counter.
What happens if I title my car late in Missouri?
You pay $25 on day 31, then $25 more for every extra 30 days, up to $200. The state can also cancel the registration of every vehicle in your name until you pay.
Can I use the seller's plates in Missouri?
No. On a full change of ownership the seller's plates can't move to you. You move your own plates ($2 + $9) or get new ones.
Is a car gift to a friend tax-free in Missouri?
Yes, if it is a true gift with no payment. Write "GIFT" on the title and file Form 768. A sale to a friend or relative at any price is taxed.
Do I need an inspection to title a car in Missouri?
Usually a safety inspection 60 days old or newer, unless your car is new enough and under 150,000 miles. Emissions tests apply only in St. Louis City and Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties.
See title transfer fees for all 50 states
Calculate your Missouri fees
Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.
- Registration (1 yr)By taxable horsepowerMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026$24.25
- Registration processing fee$9 per yearMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026$9.00
- Title feeMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026$8.50
- Title processing feeMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026$9.00
- State sales tax4.225% of priceMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026$1,267.50
- Local sales taxEnter your local rateMissouri DOR · checked Oct 16, 2026not available
Total excludes items marked "not available".
What you'll pay later
Renewal at today's rates: $33.25/yr
Year 1 $1,318.25 · Years 2–5 $33.25/yr · 5-year total $1,451.25 + items not available
Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Missouri car registration fee calculator page.
- Missouri DOR – Buying a Vehicle (title and pay tax within 30 days; safety inspection exemption for vehicles less than eleven years old with under 150,000 miles; emissions inspection areas)
- Missouri DOR – Titling and Registration (new residents; 90-day rule; safety inspection exemption worded as the first ten model years under 150,000 miles)
- Missouri DOR – Motor Vehicle Fees, passenger vehicles (title $8.50, processing $9, registration by taxable horsepower $18.25–$51.25 a year)
- Missouri DOR – Form 5113 Customer Fee Schedule (title $8.50 + $9 processing)
- Missouri DOR – Form 5687 Buying a Vehicle (4.225% state tax plus local, less trade-in; 30 days; $25 per 30 days late, $200 maximum)
- Missouri DOR – Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Calculator (local rate by address)
- Revised Statutes of Missouri § 301.190 (certificate of title; fee; penalty for late titling)
- Revised Statutes of Missouri § 301.681 (transfer-on-death beneficiary on a title)
- Revised Statutes of Missouri § 301.030 (registration periods)
- Revised Statutes of Missouri § 301.050 (registration fees)
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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