Registering and titling a vehicle in Missouri: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in Missouri after buying it or moving to the state, which inspections, tax and insurance documents you need, how to renew plates, and what sellers must do, from the Missouri Department of Revenue.

Guide · Missouri · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

Vehicle titles and license plates in Missouri are handled by the Missouri Department of Revenue, the same department that issues driver licenses. You can apply at any Missouri license office, and plate renewals can also be done online, by phone or by mail. This guide covers buying a vehicle, moving to Missouri with one, the inspections and tax documents you may need, renewals and plates.

The basics

The main form is Form 108, the Application for Missouri Title and License. Most transactions also involve some of the following:

• Safety inspection at a Missouri authorized inspection station, generally not more than 60 days old. The Department says vehicles in the first ten years after their model year with fewer than 150,000 miles are exempt.
• Emissions inspection, not more than 60 days old, if you live in St. Louis City or in Jefferson, St. Charles or St. Louis County.
• Personal property tax proof: a paid tax receipt or a statement of non-assessment from your county (or City of St. Louis) assessor, needed for new plates and renewals.
• Proof of insurance: a current insurance ID card (original, copy, or legible electronic version) or other proof of financial responsibility.

The Department warns that it cannot process vehicle titling transactions over the phone.

Buying a vehicle

You have 30 days from the date of purchase to title the vehicle and pay sales tax. The Department charges a $25 title penalty on the 31st day. It goes up by $25 for every further 30 days, to a maximum of $200.

To title the vehicle, bring:

1. The Certificate of Title properly signed over to you, or the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin for a new vehicle.
2. Form 108, signed.
3. An ID/OD inspection (identification number and odometer) if the title you received was issued by another state or country. A safety inspection not more than 60 days old also satisfies this.
4. An Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 3019) and a notarized Lien Release (Form 4809), if they apply.

You pay the $8.50 title fee and a $9 processing fee. You also pay state sales tax of 4.225 percent plus local sales tax on the purchase price, minus any trade-in allowance. The Department's online sales tax calculator gives an estimate.

For plates, you have three options:

• A temporary permit. You can buy it from the dealer or at a license office. It is valid for 30 days from the purchase date, and only one is allowed per vehicle.
• Transfer plates from a vehicle you already own.
• Buy new plates. For this you also bring the personal property tax proof and the applicable inspections.

The Department says that when a vehicle changes owners completely, the seller's plates cannot be used by the buyer.

If you are the seller

Give the buyer the properly assigned title. Include a safety inspection less than 60 days old, an emissions inspection if you live in the emissions area, and a notarized lien release if applicable. Buyer and seller both print their names and sign the back of the title; these signatures do not need to be notarized. The seller writes in the odometer reading and the date of sale, and correction fluid is not allowed.

Remove your plates before the buyer takes the vehicle. Then report the sale to the Department within 30 days, using a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or a Bill of Sale (Form 1957).

Moving to Missouri with a vehicle

The Department says you have 30 days from becoming a Missouri resident to title your vehicle. You will need:

• Your original out-of-state title, or proof of ownership under your previous state's laws
• Form 108, signed
• An ID/OD inspection for any vehicle previously titled in another state (a Missouri safety inspection counts)
• Proof of insurance
• A statement of non-assessment from your county assessor showing you owe no personal property tax
• A safety inspection, and an emissions inspection if you live in the emissions area, each not more than 60 days old, if applicable

You pay the $8.50 title fee and $9 processing fee, plus registration fees based on taxable horsepower or vehicle weight. No additional sales tax is due if you owned and operated the vehicle in another state for at least 90 days. If you owned it for less time and paid less tax than Missouri charges, you pay the difference.

If a lender holds your title, send your lienholder the Owner Out-of-State Title Request (Form 5834). If the lienholder will not release the title, you can submit its written refusal and a copy of the title, or certain other documents, instead. You then get a one-year registration but no Missouri title until the Department receives the out-of-state title.

For the driver license side of a move, see the Missouri driver license and ID card guide.

Insurance

The Department says Missouri law requires liability insurance of at least:

• $25,000 per person for bodily injury
• $50,000 per accident for bodily injury
• $25,000 per accident for property damage

You also need uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. You must show proof of insurance when you register a vehicle and when you renew your plates.

Renewing your plates

You can renew up to six months before expiration, and you must renew by the last day of the expiration month. You will need:

• Your renewal notice, or Form 184 if you did not receive one
• Any required safety or emissions inspection, not more than 60 days old
• Personal property tax proof for the previous one or two years, matching the length of your current registration
• Proof of insurance
• The fee

There are four ways to renew:

• Online, if you are eligible. The Department says it is easiest if your county shares personal property tax information with it.
• By phone at 573-751-1957, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some local license offices also take phone-in renewals.
• By mail, following the instructions on your renewal notice.
• In person at any license office.

The Department charges a $5 penalty if you renew after the expiration date. The online Renewal Requirements Inquiry tells you exactly what your renewal needs.

To visit an office, see the Missouri license office visit guide and the Missouri office list.