MISSOURI, USA — We're tackling a problem that has frustrated drivers across Missouri for years: expired temporary tags and people not renewing their license plates.
When it comes to remembering to renew your license plate, some have helpful reminders.
“My mom told me," Elijah Hovis said.
Others have the force of habit.
“I’ve been driving 50 years," Michael Matthews said.
Yet, drive on any Missouri road, and it’s no secret that expired license plates represent a big problem. They’re against the law.
5 On Your Side's Senior Investigative Reporter Paula Vasan took a ride with Cpl. Dallas Thompson with Missouri State Highway Patrol to see just how big of a problem it is.
“So clearly, that's a violation there," Thompson said, pointing to a license plate that expired a couple of years ago.
It didn’t take long to find cars with expired plates—some expired last month and, others, years ago. We also found people driving around with expired temporary tags. In general, they should only be used for up to 30 days in Missouri.
“We've been fighting the problem with expired license plates, temporary tags, unregistered vehicles for years and years and years," Thompson said.
But now, he said drivers are more frustrated than ever.
“They're complaining to us and sending pictures to us," he said.
Last year, MSHP issued over 16,000 tickets and nearly 40,000 warnings for unregistered vehicles. Turns out, that impacts everyone on the road.
If you find yourself in a crash with an unregistered car, chances are it’s also uninsured. Thompson told the I-Team that repair costs fall back on you and your insurance. Premiums may spike.
Expired plates also mean the state is missing out on funding for critical projects, like improving our roads. In the past 3 and half years, expired temp tags have cost the state nearly $145 million, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Thompson is hoping a new law may be a solution. Starting in 2026, you'll need to pay sales tax upfront when buying a car. Overdue sales tax payments are common culprits of expired temporary tags, according to the Missouri Department of Revenue, referring to the potential impact of Senate Bill 398.
For drivers like Kathy Lammers, stricter enforcement can’t come soon enough.
“I'm thinking, 'People, you're supposed to do the right thing,'" she said.
Thompson said that for the most part, license plate problems are a result of forgetfulness and lack of financial planning.
“Just be thinking ahead … we all want to buy nice vehicles," he said. “Just be planning, you know, I know I want to pay X amount of dollars for my vehicle. I also want to have to have X amount of dollars for my sales tax and to buy the license and title.”
It's a way to make sure cars on the road are safe to be there.
The Missouri State Treasurer's Office and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department have stepped up their enforcement of expired temp tags, and city administration is working to help bring St. Louis residents into compliance with a revolving loan fund.
“The number of expired temp tags and uninsured cars on our streets is frustrating and affects everyone who travels in our city,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a June release. “While the city increases our efforts to write citations for expired plates, this loan program will help low-income residents get into compliance and get insured while they pay back the loan.”
The I -Team reached out to the Missouri Department of Revenue. A spokesperson told us the department mails a renewal notice card two months before the registration expires to the last known address on the registration record. “The department has provided multiple opportunities for the customer to apply for the renewal, i.e., online through the department website, visit a license office, contact the license office over the phone, or contact the phone-in renewal call center at the department to be directed to the options mentioned previously or to the team to renew the license plate over the phone,” a spokesperson told us.
To renew your license plates, you will need:
Your Vehicle Registration Renewal Notice. If you did not receive this notice in the mail, you may complete and print a copy of the Application for Motor Vehicle License (Form 184) from your computer;
A Missouri safety inspection and/or emissions inspection certificate not more than 60 days old, if applicable;
Verification of personal property tax for the previous year (if the registration you are renewing was a one year registration) or the previous two years (if the registration you are renewing was a two-year registration):
A paid personal property tax receipt from your county of residence (or city of St. Louis). May be the original; a copy; or electronic, if legible; or
A statement of non-assessment from your county of residence (or city of St. Louis).
A current insurance identification card (original, copy, or electronic if legible) or other proof of financial responsibility; and
The correct registration (license plate) and processing fee.
We asked the Missouri Department of Revenue how big of a problem the temporary tag issue is in the state. A spokesperson told us: “The department understands there are Missouri residents that purchase motor vehicle(s), trailer(s), or vessel(s), who fail to comply with titling requirements, which may result in a customer driving on expired temporary permits. A delinquent fee account and notice will generate for these customers as a result of not making application shortly after titling deadlines.” When a driver fails to make application for title on a motor vehicle, trailer, ATV, or new manufactured home in Missouri within 30 days, there is a delinquency penalty fee of $25 for the first 30 days of delinquency and $25 for each 30 days of delinquency thereafter, not to exceed a total of $200.
In terms of how many temporary tags there are in Missouri, the Missouri Department of Revenue pulled data regarding temporary permits sold between January 1, 2021 and July 23, 2024. The total of state, local, and penalty amounts for the 113,628 delinquent fee accounts resulted in a combined estimated due amount of nearly $145 million.
A spokesperson tells us that the main reasons for choosing to drive with expired temp tags include the driver not being able to pay the sales tax, penalty, or personal property tax, saying they anticipate improvements with the expired temporary permits with Senate Bill 398 that was passed this past year to require Missouri licensed dealerships to collect the sales tax at the time when the individual purchases the vehicle. “This will eliminate a reasoning to avoid the titling or registration process if a vehicle is purchased from a Missouri dealer because the sales tax will be collected and submitted to the department directly by the dealer,” a spokesperson told us.
Want to contact Paula Vasan? Leave a voice message at 314-444-5231 or email her at pvasan@ksdk.com.