Missouri › Carter County
Carter County car sales tax: 5.725% to 8.225%
The rate in Carter County
- Vehicle sales tax in Carter County is not a single number — it runs from 5.725% to 8.225% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 5.725%.
- That is below the 6.725% most Missouri counties charge — about $350.00 less tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- 7 other counties in Missouri charge the same rate, out of 115.
Where the rate changes inside Carter County
- 8.225% — Van Buren.
- 7.225% — Ellsinore, Grandin.
- 6.225% — Van Buren (outside city limits), West Carter Ambulance.
- 5.725% — Ellsinore (outside city limits), Fremont (outside city limits), Grandin (outside city limits), Van Buren (outside city limits).
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Carter County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 3 of its ZIP codes the boundary runs through the middle so the ZIP alone cannot settle it. The calculator asks you which side you are on.
What a $35,000 car actually costs in Carter County
- Sales tax (5.725% — Ellsinore (outside city limits), Carter County) — $2,039.29
- Doc fee (state cap) — $620.79
- Title fee — $8.50
- Title processing fee — $9.00
- Registration (by horsepower) (est.) — $21.25
- Registration processing fee — $9.00
- Temporary permit — $5.00
- Out the door — $37,712.83 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
ZIP codes in Carter County
- 63937, 63941, 63943, 63965.
- Any of these resolves to Carter County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
Carter County against nearby counties
- Jasper County is 5.6% — $43.75 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Carter County.
- Polk County is 5.6% — $43.75 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Carter County.
- Buchanan County is 5.825% — $35.00 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Carter County.
- Cass County is 5.85% — $43.75 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Carter County.
- This follows where you REGISTER, not where the dealer is, so a lower rate nearby only helps if you actually live there. It is not something you can choose at the dealership.
Run your own numbers
Common questions
Why is the car sales tax different in parts of Carter County?
Cities inside the county can levy their own rate on top of the county and state rate, so the combined figure changes at the city line. In Carter County it ranges from 5.725% to 8.225%.
What is the car sales tax rate in Carter County?
It ranges from 5.725% to 8.225% depending on the city; most of the county is 5.725%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in Carter County?
About $2,712.83 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $37,712.83 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in Missouri
Cape Girardeau County
5.725% on a vehicle purchase
Gentry County
5.725% on a vehicle purchase
Grundy County
5.725% on a vehicle purchase
Monroe County
5.725% on a vehicle purchase
Reynolds County
5.725% on a vehicle purchase
Full Missouri out-the-door guide
Rates, doc fees, registration and title for the whole state
How Missouri sales tax works
What sits in the taxable amount, and how the rate is sourced