Short answer
Missouri taxes vehicle sales at 4.225%. Missouri taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. 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. Missouri credits sales tax legally paid to another state, so the same dollars are not taxed twice. Everything here assumes a retail purchase from a dealer, since most states treat leases and private-party sales differently.
Missouri car sales tax quick facts
Last verified August 27, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 4.225%[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. (valid 30 days)[1] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | Not yet verified against an official source. Confirm with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Official site → |
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]
Whatever the tax treatment, the desk owns what happens next: title in transit, tag on the car, registration filed in another state. Voltra's title tracking exists so none of it goes quiet.
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 row 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. Validity: 30 days.[1]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Missouri most often involve Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The rules change with every pairing, so run yours through 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/motor-vehicle/titling-registration/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/resources/proposed-rules/documents/ER-_12_CSR_10-26_231_Emergency_Amendment.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/documents/NewandUsedMotorVehicleDearlerships_000.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=144.069 · verified 2026-08-27