Missouri › Clay County
Clay County car sales tax: 5.475% to 9.85%
The rate in Clay County
- Vehicle sales tax in Clay County is not a single number — it runs from 5.475% to 9.85% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 8.725%.
- That is above the 6.725% most Missouri counties charge — about $700.00 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- No other county in Missouri charges this rate — Clay sits at number 4 of 115 by combined rate.
Where the rate changes inside Clay County
- 9.85% — Liberty.
- 8.975% — Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Pleasant Valley, Smithville.
- 8.725% — Kansas City.
- 8.475% — Gladstone, Kansas City.
- 7.975% — Holt.
- 7.725% — Claycomo, North Kansas City.
- 6.975% — Mosby, Randolph.
- 6.475% — Avondale, Birmingham, Missouri City.
- 5.975% — Kansas City (outside city limits), Smithville Area Fire, Holt (outside city limits), Kearney Fire And Rescue Protection, Kansas City (outside city limits), Kearney (outside city limits), Liberty (outside city limits), Kearney Fire And Rescue Protection, Smithville (outside city limits), Trimble (outside city limits), Smithville Area Fire.
- 5.475% — Kansas City (outside city limits), Excelsior Springs (outside city limits), Holt (outside city limits), Lawson (outside city limits), Liberty (outside city limits), Trimble (outside city limits).
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Clay County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 14 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 Clay County
- Sales tax (8.725% — Kansas City, Clay County) — $3,107.91
- 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 — $38,781.45 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
ZIP codes in Clay County
- 64024, 64048, 64060, 64062, 64068, 64069, 64072, 64073, 64089, 64116, 64117, 64118, 64119, 64144, 64150, 64155, 64156, 64157, 64158, 64161, 64162, 64165, 64166, 64167, 64188, 64492.
- Any of these resolves to Clay County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
Clay County against nearby counties
- Mercer County is 7.975% — $262.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Clay County.
- Howard County is 8.1% — $218.75 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Clay County.
- St. Louis County is 8.738% — $4.55 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Clay County.
- Jackson County is 8.975% — $87.50 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County it ranges from 5.475% to 9.85%.
What is the car sales tax rate in Clay County?
It ranges from 5.475% to 9.85% depending on the city; most of the county is 8.725%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in Clay County?
About $3,781.45 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $38,781.45 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in Missouri
St. Louis County
8.738% on a vehicle purchase
Jackson County
8.975% on a vehicle purchase
Howard County
8.1% on a vehicle purchase
Mercer County
7.975% on a vehicle purchase
Saint Charles County
7.95% 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