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Missouri title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in Missouri?
$8.50
In plain English
The Department of Revenue's titling page lists two charges together: an $8.50 title fee and a $9 processing fee.
“You will pay: The $8.50 title fee and the $9 processing fee;”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in Missouri. Title fee: $8.50. Title processing fee: $9. All the quoted flat fees due on a title transfer: $17.50. Tax is left out of this example. Not included: registration and plates, a lien fee, an out-of-state inspection, county or office add-ons, and late fees.
A made-up price; every other figure is from the quotes on this page. It is an illustration, not a bill.
What other fees come with it?
- Title processing fee$9in the second line
“You will pay: The $8.50 title fee and the $9 processing fee;”
- Out-of-state inspection
“All motor vehicles previously titled in another state must be inspected to verify the vehicle identification number and odometer reading of the vehicle.”
- All the quoted flat fees due on a title transfer$17.50
The title fee plus title processing fee. Each of those quotes says the fee is charged on every title transaction. Tax, registration, a lien fee and anything marked “not added” are outside it.
What are the steps in Missouri, and by when?
In plain English
The agency's vehicle-buying page lists an original or copy of a paid personal property tax receipt, or a statement of non-assessment, from the county of residence (or the city of St. Louis) for the previous year.
The official words
“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.”
The buyer has 30 days from the date of purchase to title the vehicle and pay sales tax on it.
The official words
“You have 30 days from the date of purchase to title and pay sales tax on your newly purchased vehicle.”
Registration (license plate) fees are based on either taxable horsepower or vehicle weight.
The official words
“Registration (license plate) fees , based on either taxable horsepower or vehicle weight”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
30 days
“You have 30 days from the date of becoming a Missouri resident to title your vehicle.”
In plain English
Every motor vehicle previously titled in another state must be inspected to verify its vehicle identification number (VIN) and odometer reading.
The official words
“All motor vehicles previously titled in another state must be inspected to verify the vehicle identification number and odometer reading of the vehicle.”
A new resident has 30 days from the date of becoming a Missouri resident to title the vehicle.
The official words
“You have 30 days from the date of becoming a Missouri resident to title your vehicle.”
No additional sales tax is due if the vehicle was owned and operated in another state for at least 90 days before it is titled and registered in Missouri.
The official words
“If the vehicle has been owned and operated in another state for at least 90 days prior to titling and registering in Missouri, no additional sales tax is due”
If the vehicle has been owned for less than 90 days and the sales tax paid to the other state is less than Missouri's state and local taxes, the owner shows proof of that payment and pays the difference.
The official words
“If the vehicle has been owned for less than 90 days and the sales tax paid to another state is less than the amount of Missouri State and local taxes, you will be required to show proof of payment of those taxes and also pay the difference of the two amounts.”
What about tax on the purchase in Missouri?
In plain English
The titling page lists state tax of 4.225 percent plus local sales tax, taken on the purchase price less any trade-in allowance.
The official words
“State tax of 4.225 percent, plus your local sales tax on the purchase price, less trade-in allowance, if any.”
We don’t work out tax for Missouri.
A calculator on a state or county government site: Sales Tax Calculator (dor.mo.gov).
What does a gift or family transfer change in Missouri?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for Missouri. That is about our reading, not about Missouri’s rules.
What happens if the transfer is late in Missouri?
In plain English
This is about late titling after a purchase: a title penalty of $25 applies on the 31st day after purchase when the vehicle is not titled within 30 days. It grows by another $25 for every 30 days late, up to a maximum of $200.
The official words
“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.”
What the pages we read do not cover
The pages we read do not say whether a gift or family transfer is taxed differently.
They do not give a fee for recording a lender's claim on the title.
They do not say which office takes the application or what the inspection costs.
How Missouri compares
The title fee quoted for Missouri is $8.50. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 4 states quote less and 33 states quote more. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to Missouri’s. Each figure is copied from the quote at the top of that state’s page, with its source and read date. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
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Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
11 quoted lines from 2 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is dor.mo.gov.