Short answer
Missouri taxes vehicle sales at 4.225% state plus local add-ons (depends on the buyer's address). Missouri taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Missouri exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. Missouri credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. The rules above cover retail dealer sales; most states handle leases and private-party sales separately.
Missouri car sales tax quick facts
Last verified August 30, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 4.225% state plus local add-ons (depends on the buyer's address)[1] |
| Trade-in credit | Missouri taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted.[2] |
| Selling to an out-of-state buyer | Missouri exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. No Missouri tax is due if the vehicle is titled in another state within 30 days of purchase and is never titled or registered in Missouri. Missouri dealers do not collect vehicle sales tax at the sale in the first place - the tax is paid by the owner at a license office when applying for a Missouri title - so a nonresident who titles at home owes Missouri nothing.[3] |
| Credit for tax paid to another state | Missouri credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice.[2] |
| Dealer doc fee | Capped at $621[4] · taxable[5] |
| Temp tag for the drive home | A Missouri dealer may sell a temporary permit to an out-of-state resident only when that buyer bought the vehicle from that dealership. Permits run 30 days from the purchase date (certain qualified dealers may issue 60 days), only one per vehicle, non-transferable and non-renewable, and the permit dies once the title application is made.[1] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | Someone moving in has 30 days from becoming a Missouri resident to title the vehicle, and tax is figured at the state 4.225% plus the local rate for the address where they now live. If the vehicle was already titled in their name in another state for more than 90 days, no Missouri sales tax is charged; inside 90 days Missouri charges the difference and credits documented tax paid to the other state.[2] |
Missouri car sales tax calculator
Enter the sale price and any trade-in to estimate Missouri vehicle tax and the out-the-door total before title and registration. It applies the verified rate, trade-in rule and doc fee treatment from the quick facts above.
From the desk
Missouri buyers pay the tax at the license office, not the dealership, so the desk's quote is a prediction, not a collection. Getting the local rate right matters double when someone else sends the bill.
Selling to an out-of-state buyer in Missouri
Missouri exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. No Missouri tax is due if the vehicle is titled in another state within 30 days of purchase and is never titled or registered in Missouri. Missouri dealers do not collect vehicle sales tax at the sale in the first place - the tax is paid by the owner at a license office when applying for a Missouri title - so a nonresident who titles at home owes Missouri nothing.[3]
The desk's job doesn't end at the tax line. Somebody still has to chase the title, the temp tag, and the buyer's home-state registration until each one lands.
Buying in Missouri from out of state
If you live in another state and buy in Missouri, the deciding rule is where the vehicle gets registered: your home state's tax applies at registration, and what happens at the Missouri sale depends on the rule above. Missouri credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice.[2]
Registration and temp tags
A Missouri dealer may sell a temporary permit to an out-of-state resident only when that buyer bought the vehicle from that dealership. Permits run 30 days from the purchase date (certain qualified dealers may issue 60 days), only one per vehicle, non-transferable and non-renewable, and the permit dies once the title application is made.[1] Someone moving in has 30 days from becoming a Missouri resident to title the vehicle, and tax is figured at the state 4.225% plus the local rate for the address where they now live. If the vehicle was already titled in their name in another state for more than 90 days, no Missouri sales tax is charged; inside 90 days Missouri charges the difference and credits documented tax paid to the other state.[2]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Missouri most often involve Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Every pair works differently; run the exact combination in the out-of-state checker.
Vehicle-type exceptions
Trailers, boats and outboard motors run on the same rule as cars: the tax attaches at titling and is charged at the rate in effect for the owner's address. The 30-day out-of-state titling rule in 12 CSR 10-103.350(3)(B) is written for motor vehicles and trailers only.[6]
Sources
- dor.mo.gov/…/buying-vehicle.html · verified 2026-08-27
- dor.mo.gov/faq/motor-vehicle/titling-registration.html · verified 2026-08-27
- www.sos.mo.gov/cmsimages/adrules/csr/current/12csr/12c10-103.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- dor.mo.gov/…/ER-_12_CSR_10-26_231_Emergency_Amendment.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- dor.mo.gov/…/NewandUsedMotorVehicleDearlerships_000.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=144.069 · verified 2026-08-27
“Missouri Car Sales Tax & Out-of-State Rules.” Voltra. Last verified August 30, 2026. https://voltra.ai/car-sales-tax/missouri/
More state-by-state guides: trade-in tax credit by state · recent rule changes · all states + the out-of-state checker