JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – One of the many bills pre-filed so far in the Missouri House of Representatives is a measure that would crack down on Missouri drivers with expired temporary vehicle tags.
“If that temporary tag is on there and it’s expired, that means that person hasn’t paid their sales tax and is most likely driving without insurance,” said the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Brad Pollitt. “Those are all laws in the state of Missouri.”
The proposed amendment would allow law enforcement to stop, inspect or detain a person “solely to determine whether a temporary registration is current”.
If the tag is deemed expired, the agent would be allowed to seize the tag and impose a $200 fine for the violation.
“There seems to be a larger number of people driving with temporary tags that aren’t just expired for a month or two, they’re expired for a year or two,” Pollitt said.
The Missouri Association of Auto Dealers recently estimated that up to $60 million in taxes on vehicle sales are unpaid in the state.
In August, the city of St. Charles began encouraging residents to take pictures of expired temporary tags and report them to police. The following month, the city’s police department began confiscating the tags.
“The whole idea of the whole program is voluntary compliance to get your vehicle properly registered,” said Lt. Tom Wilkison. “So if they were driving around with an expired tag, it’s really no different than driving around with no tag at all.”