The Most Frustrating Experience of My Life: Getting a Missouri License Plate

You would think that broke governments would make it easy on people to get licenses. After all, it is a source of revenue. Here I am, trying to give Missouri money and they are making it the most difficult process I have ever experienced.

My vehicle, Bruce, had Tennessee license plates that are expiring in March. So, I thought I would try and get my new license plates end of Feb/beginning of March. I went online to try and get all the information I needed.

First I found the documents needed for a driver’s license for someone who already has a license from another state. I needed my birth certificate, ss card and proof of residency (I will use my new lease). Then, I needed to find where to go. After looking for a while (wouldn’t this information be prominent on the site as everyone would need to know where the building is?) I found the address. One office for Kansas City, Missouri. One. I don’t even want to think of how long the lines are going to be. (Turned out, not so bad). Of course, the office is only open during the hours that I work. I will have to take an afternoon off. I was expecting this, so no big deal. I thought I would try and get as much done during breaks as I could.

Next, how to get a license plate. I found a list that said I needed to bring the title (got it), the application (downloaded it), insurance card (got it), and now for the tricky items: a statement of non-assessment and a safety inspection. If you live in St. Louis you also have to get emissions tested.

Ok, the safety inspection was inconvenient but not a big deal. There were several auto shops to choose from and I found one close by where I could take it before work with no waiting. It only took the guy 5 minutes and it cost $12. The only problem was, they only accepted cash (which was not told to me over the phone when I called for information, maybe would be a good idea to mention!) so I had to walk two blocks in the snow to some shady market place (although the guys inside were nice) to an atm. The other thing- I got this the last week in February. So I pretty much wasted the entire month because it will expire February 2012. But that is the least of my problems.

What has sent me over the edge was the “statement of non-assessment.” First of all, what is that? Apparently, you have to prove to Missouri that you don’t owe personal property taxes. Now, does this make ANY SENSE at all? If you are a new resident to the state, obviously do you not owe any property taxes from the previous year because YOU ARE A NEW RESIDENT. Do current Missouri residents (who would own property in Missouri) need this documentation? No! But since I knew there was nothing I could do about it, I looked for more information on what I needed to do to receive the statement.

The title application itself says “A statement of non-assessment from the county in which you resided on January 1^st of the previous year.” Ok, in January of 2010 I was living in Davidson County, Tennessee. So I called the Assessor’s office and asked. They had no clue what I was talking about.

I went back to the Missouri page and I searched online all over the Dept of Revenue website and that led me to the County Assessor office for Jackson County website. No information anywhere on what documentation a person needed to receive their statement of non-assessment. So, I call. The number listed was not the right office and I was transferred. I was caller number 33 in line. I was on hold for about 30 minutes.

Now, obviously if there are that many people calling, either the office is short-staffed or that phone line is the only means to getting information. When I spoke with someone, I could just tell that this person must be answering the same questions over and over and over again all day. Why is this happening? Because there’s no information online!

Anyways, I was told that I need my previous registration from the previous state from the past 3 years and if I didn’t have that, I would need alternative documentations. Well, I knew I had my registration but I wasn’t sure if it listed the past three years. After I hang up, I look at my registration. Sure enough, it was only for 2009-2010. I called back to see what the alternative documentation would be. I got the answer (or so I thought): proof of residency in my previous state. Then, I had to ask what that meant. It meant bank statements, utility bills, lease or credit card statements from the past 2 years. There was no mention of exact dates from the previous two years.

I didn’t have bank statements. The account was closed last year, I only got paperless statements and the bank wouldn’t fax or email old statements. They would have to mail it and that would take weeks.

The utility bills from last year were not in name, they were in my roommates’ name so I couldn’t use that.

I didn’t have a copy of the lease from my old house and knew that it would take serious time to get it from the landlord.

I went online to get credit card statements. The statements online don’t go back that far. So, I had to specially request it. I did have a statement from May 2010 with my Tennessee address.

So, with my old credit card statement and my Tennessee title, I thought that was proof enough of my residency in Tennessee.

I decide to drive downtown on my lunch break to the office. It was sleeting outside. I drove 30 minutes, paid to park and went inside. I find the office and tell the receptionist I was a new resident and I needed a statement of non-assessment to get a license. She asked if I had my title. Yes. She put me on the list. Because she asked me that, I assumed that was all I would need.

There were 4 people in front of me. I had to wait 1 hour before I was seen by an assessor. While I was waiting, a guy came to the receptionist desk with the same situation. He had just moved from Kansas to Missouri (good decision minus the license plates part!). Somehow he found out (either he asked or was told by the receptionist) that he needed his vehicle registration from the past 3 years or the alternative documentation from the past 2 years. He started getting really upset because he didn’t have any of that with him. Now I know why he was so frustrated.

My name was called and I sat down at the desk in front of the assessor eating a Jimmy John’s sandwich. I said “I need a statement of non-assessment. I’m a new resident.”

“I need your registration from the past 3 years.”

“I have my title from 2006 which shows it is from Tennessee.”

“That doesn’t count.” (Why it doesn’t count, I was never told.)

“Ok, I have my proof of residency in this credit card statement, dated May 2010 with the Tennessee address.”

“You need a statement from January 2009 and January 2010.”

“Why? This shows that as of May 2010 I was living in Tennessee. I also have a driver’s license, issued in 2006 from Tennessee.”

“Not good enough. I will get my supervisor.” (Ok, if I was living in Tennessee in May of 2010, obviously I wasn’t living in Missouri PRIOR to that if I live here in 2011).

So, the supervisor comes over and says the same thing. My reply, “Is any of this information on the website?”

“No.”

“That would really help out because I even called and was not told that it specifically needed to be from January 2009 and January 2010.”

So, we argue for a few minutes but by then, I was over an hour late getting back to work. I had wasted all of that time because I didn’t have the proper documentation when I felt like I had done everything to make sure I would be ok.

I had looked up what I could online- no help.

I had called the office- incomplete help.

It was so frustrating to feel like I was trying to do everything correct and it still wasn’t right.

So, I left. Now I am waiting for my credit card company to mail me the old statements. I will have to go back to the office and wait again.

All of this is just mind-boggling to me. I am not frustrated with the staff because I understand they have their laws they have to go by. The law is what is absolutely ridiculous. Why is it so difficult for a new resident to have to prove that they’ve never lived there before? Why do new residents have to prove it and current ones don’t? Isn’t it more likely for a current resident to owe property taxes???? If the purpose is to collect on unpaid property taxes, wouldn’t there be a database of outstanding accounts? And if you were a new resident, you wouldn’t be on that list. If you’re not on the list, you should be able to register your vehicle! Why are they making it so difficult??

So, I posted my frustration on facebook and got responses of 3 other people living in Missouri and not registering their vehicles because when they tried, they found it to be too complicated. So, if I know of 3 people, there must be dozens if not hundreds of vehicles that remain in Missouri that don’t get licensed because of this stupid system. Think of all of that revenue that Missouri loses! And it’s all because of red tape!

I cannot express how frustrated I was with this. It’s completely ridiculous and it makes me want to just let my tags expire and drive illegally to spite it! But I won’t do that.

I finally got my credit card statements emailed to me a couple days later. Then, I just decided to take an entire afternoon off of work to get this bullcrap over this. So, I drove back up to the Jackson County Courthouse. I waited another 1 hour and 15 minutes in the Assessor’s office. Once I saw someone, I handed over the title and the credit card statements and FINALLY had my statement of non-assessment!

Then, I walked over to the DMV and after about 20 minutes, had my new license plates and driver’s license! No problems at all!

Then, to top off the whole experience, I go back to Bruce and find I had a parking ticket! My meter had run out. I knew that it was going to but I couldn’t find a paid lot anywhere close. So, I had put in all the change I had with me but it wasn’t enough.  I don’t even care, I’m just glad it’s over! Now, I can look forward to paying personal property taxes on Bruce! Yippee! The bill will be mailed to me in November. At least the plates were for two years so I won’t have to renew until April 2013.

What’s the lesson in all of this? If you have to deal with the Jackson County Assessor’s office, be prepared to WAIT in line! And be prepared to need ridiculous paperwork to satisfy some stupid regulation.

I did email the Assessor’s office and the Missouri Department of Revenue to complain of my experience and simply ask for the list of required documents for new residents to be listed on the website. I’ve gotten responses, but no one saying they will even consider posting the information. No reason is given. When a staff from the Assessor’s office replied, she even gave me the wrong website for the office. I had to reply and let her know what the correct website for her own office was. No response after that.