CLAYTON, Mo. – One St. Louis County councilman is pushing for stronger police enforcement and more citations over expired temp tags.
Councilman Mark Harder will introduce a resolution Tuesday urging police to “step up citations of expired vehicle tags and registrations,” according to a news release.
Harder wants more accountability for vehicle owners who do not pay their sales tax and registration fees on time.
“One of the most common complaints I hear from constituents is about the number of cars on
the road that have expired temporary tags,” said Harder. It makes people mad that they pay those taxes and fees, but other drivers are being allowed to drive without paying.”
He claims that police were lax in issuing citations on expired temp tags before the COVID-19 pandemic and that enforcement efforts haven’t improved to pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s a matter of fairness. It also means some pretty significant income for the county and
municipalities to help pay for road work. This has to be done,” said Harder.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson approved a new law last year that requires car dealers to collect sales tax at the time a vehicle is purchased. It calls for customers to pay a lump sum or roll it over into monthly payments.
The Missouri Department of Revenue is also working to implement an integrated system that dealers can use to track titles, registration, and sales tax, but Harder says it’s still around two years away from being fully operational.
Harder will introduce the resolution at Tuesday’s county council meeting.
