Official fees
Missouri car sales tax chart
State rate
4.225%
applies to every sale, dealer or private
Local rate
≈3.9%–5.75% add-on
set by buyer's city/county, not the seller's
Dealer trade-in credit
Full allowance
price minus trade-in value, then taxed
180-day sold-a-vehicle credit
Sale price of the old vehicle
capped at the tax otherwise due
General Affidavit gift
$0 tax
Form 768, no payment changes hands
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your local license office (a contracted agent, not a DOR branch) for titling and registration; your county collector for personal property tax - counties can add small local fees.
- State rate
- 4.225%
- Local add-on
- Set by your address
- Trade-in credit
- Dealer sales, full value
- Sold another vehicle?
- 180-day credit
- Documented gift
- $0 tax
Overview
Two credits change what you actually owe: a dealer trade-in reduces the taxable price directly, and Missouri's 180-day rule lets you deduct the sale price of a vehicle you sold within 180 days before or after this purchase - even if it wasn't a same-transaction trade. This calculator applies whichever one fits your situation.
Same state, other costs
More Missouri vehicle costs
Common questions
Missouri car sales tax FAQ
- How much sales tax will I pay on a used car in Missouri?
- State tax is a flat 4.225% no matter what, but the local add-on depends on your home address - anywhere from about 3.9% to 5.75% on top. A private sale in Kansas City lands around 9.975% combined; the same sale at a rural address could be closer to 8%.
- What is Missouri's 180-day credit and how do I use it?
- If you sell (or sold) a vehicle within 180 days before or after buying this one, you can deduct that vehicle's sale price from the taxable price of your new purchase - even though it wasn't a direct trade at the same dealer. Bring a bill of sale for the vehicle you sold; at least one name has to match between both titles.
- Does a dealer trade-in work the same way as the 180-day credit?
- They overlap in effect but aren't identical: a trade-in reduces the price in the same transaction at a dealership, while the 180-day credit covers a vehicle you sold separately, to anyone, within the window. You use whichever applies - you don't stack both on the same replacement vehicle.
- Do I owe tax on a car I bought from a private seller?
- Yes, at the same combined rate as a dealer sale, based on the price you report when you title it. Missouri's license office can question a suspiciously low declared price against comparable values.
- Is a car gifted to me by my parents taxed in Missouri?
- Not if it's a genuine, documented gift: both parties complete a General Affidavit (Form 768), the title is marked 'GIFT' rather than showing a token $1 sale price, and no money changes hands. Do that correctly and no state or local sales tax applies at all.
- When exactly is the tax due?
- Within 30 calendar days of the purchase date, paid at any Missouri license office when you apply for title. There's no separate 'sales tax office' - the same visit that gets you a title and plates also settles the tax.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
