Missouri to eliminate temp tags in major overhaul of vehicle registration process

MISSOURI(KBSI) – Missouri will soon do away with temporary license plates/tags.

In a big change to Missouri’s vehicle registration process Missouri will eliminate the use of temporary tags sometime in 2026-2027.

The decision comes after Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Revenue announced that this decision will curb widespread abuse of the system and streamline vehicle registration processes.

Under Senate Bill 28 Missourians will now pay sales tax on their vehicle purchase at the dealership.

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue it will be between the buyer and the dealer if they choose to role the tax, title, registration fees into their loan or pay up front.

On an individual car sale, citizen’s will take their bill of sale to the DMV much like they do now and receive a paper plate that will be an exact match to their real plate that will come in the mail.

 Trish Vincent is the Missouri Director of Revenue, she shares that although the new law will legally go into effect on August 28, 2025, the Department of Revenue won’t be prepared to start the new registration system until at least 2026. 

“So were working on a new system here at the department of revenue and the motor vehicle dealers or the car dealers are helping us pay for this system” says Vincent. “And we actually rolled out the first part of that with driver’s licenses but now the next piece is the titling of cars and giving out license plates and that won’t be ready until the last part of 2026 0r 27.” 

The Missouri Department of Revenue does not have an exact date at this time of when this will officially start as they are training dealership owners in the process and putting together an online system for both car buyers and sellers to utilize.

Vincent shares that personal car sales will go the same way, but you will go to the DMV to pay your taxes and receive your paper license plate and under the new system they will also offer electronic lean releases. She shares that the Missouri Department of Revenue was losing millions of dollars affecting Missouri’s highways.  

“That means that we are going to get money quicker into the highway funds because we all are concerned about highways you know we’re doing I-70 right now and quite frankly with those temp tags and people not renewing plates like they should that’s millions and millions of dollars that’s not going to highways” says Vincent.

For more information Motor Vehicle Titling & Registration.