JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – If you buy a car in Missouri, you’ll receive a set of temp tags after signing the paperwork, with the expectation being that you’ll go to a Department of Revenue office or the DMV within the next 30 days to pay the sales tax and receive your license plates.

However, some drivers may opt to ride with expired temp tags because the sales tax is too expensive to pay at one time.

For instance, a car that costs $10,000 in the city could cost around $1,000 in sales tax. When faced with the prospect of a $100 or $200 ticket for driving with expired tags, some drivers may opt to take the risk.

Missouri State Rep. Brad Pollitt (R-District 52) wants to turn up the heat on those drivers.

For the past two legislative sessions, the congressman from Sedalia has pushed bills that would give law enforcement in the state permission to stop any vehicle with a temp tag to see if it is current. Pollitt’s effort in 2024 stalled in the Missouri House. His new legislative proposal, HB 378, seeks to overcome this by imposing harsher penalties.

The 2025 version, which would be added to Missouri Law 301.140, still allows police to stop and inspect vehicles if they have “reasonable suspicion” that a driver’s temp tag is no longer valid. If the temp tag has been altered or expired by at least 60 days, the driver will be ticketed and fined $250.

If the person registers the vehicle within 30 days of receiving the ticket, the local prosecutor will drop the ticket, court costs will be waived, and the matter will not appear on the individual’s driving record.

However, if the driver/owner still doesn’t register the vehicle, the director of revenue will suspend or limit driving privileges for the owner. Full driving privileges will be restored once the vehicle is registered.

If that doesn’t happen and the driver receives another ticket for a temp tag, the vehicle will be impounded until the car is registered.

The full text of HB 378’s new provision can be read below.

10. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a person may be stopped, inspected, or detained by law enforcement, based on reasonable suspicion that a temporary permit violation has occurred, in order to determine whether a temporary permit is current or valid. Upon a determination by law enforcement that a temporary permit is expired by at least sixty days, or that a temporary permit has been altered, the law enforcement officer conducting the stop shall issue a citation and such person shall be fined in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars. If the person properly registers the vehicle within thirty days of the issuance of a citation, the prosecutor shall nolle prosequi the citation, court costs shall be waived, and the offense shall not be registered as a violation on the person’s driving record. If the person fails to register the vehicle within the thirty-day period, without good cause, the court with jurisdiction shall inform the person by ordinary mail at the person’s last known address that the court is ordering the director of revenue to suspend the person’s driving privileges. Upon such suspension, the director of revenue shall issue limited driving privileges for purposes identified under subdivision (2) of subsection 3 of section 302.309 unless the director determines that the person is otherwise ineligible for such privileges. Once a person properly registers the vehicle, his or her driving privileges shall be restored. If the person receives a second or additional citation for a temporary permit offense with respect to the same vehicle, the vehicle shall be impounded until such time as the vehicle is properly registered.

Proposed addition to 301.140 via HB 378