Missouri License Plate Lookup

Type the MO plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Missouri selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history.

1. 1. Enter the plate

   Type the Missouri plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.

2. 2. We find the car's VIN

   The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.

3. 3. Open the full history report

   One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

• Odometer readings in miles

  Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.

  All states

• Police-reported crashes

  Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.

  All states

• Salvage and auction history, with photos

  Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.

  All states

• Title brands

  Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.

• Recalls and owner complaints

  Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.

  Model-level

• Factory specs

  Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.

  Every VIN

What Missouri DOR and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

In Missouri you have 30 days from the purchase date to title the car and pay sales tax (4.225 percent state plus local tax) at a license office. Miss it and RSMo 301.190 adds a $25 penalty for each 30 days, up to $200. Bring the title signed over to you, form 108, proof of insurance and any notarized lien release. The safety inspection must be no more than 60 days old unless the car is within ten years of its model year and under 150,000 miles. In St. Louis City and Jefferson, St. Charles and St. Louis counties you also need a Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program emissions test. A car last titled in another state needs an ID/OD inspection, which a current safety inspection covers. Then read the title closely. Missouri marks titles Salvage, Prior Salvage, Reconstructed Motor Vehicle, Specially Constructed Motor Vehicle and Non-USA-Std, and junk vehicles get a junking certificate instead of a title. RSMo 301.573 keeps those designations on every later Missouri title, and RSMo 301.190 carries over designations from other states. The DOR also warns about curbstoning, where unlicensed dealers pose as private sellers. Run the plate first, then make sure the seller's name is on the front of the title.

Private sale

The seller signs the title over to you and keeps the plates, which cannot be transferred to a buyer. You title the car at a license office within 30 days, with form 108, proof of insurance, a safety inspection (unless exempt) and, in the St. Louis area, an emissions test. You pay 4.225% state sales tax plus local tax, the $8.50 title fee and processing fees.

Dealer sale

A dealer can sell you a temporary permit; certain qualified dealers issue 60-day permits. The dealer's safety inspection can be up to 90 days old if it was done within 60 days before your purchase. The DOR warns about curbstoning, unlicensed dealers posing as private sellers, and takes reports on form 4683.

Title transfer deadline

30 days from purchase; $25 per 30 days late, up to $200 (RSMo 301.190)

Source: Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau

Missouri follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

RSMo 32.091 (applies 18 U.S.C. 2721, the federal DPPA)

The Department of Revenue releases personal information from title, registration and license records only for the uses listed in 18 U.S.C. 2721(b) or with the person's express consent (notarized form 4681). It will not release a driver license photo, Social Security number, or medical or disability information except under four narrow federal exceptions. Requests for owner or title history with personal information require form 5091 and proof of a permitted purpose.

Source: Missouri DOR