Missouri ranks 24th in the U.S. for most motor vehicle license taxes paid in 2023

Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe
Missouri Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe - https://ltgov.mo.gov
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In 2023, Missouri collected $334.6 million in motor vehicle license taxes, placing it 24th among all U.S. states, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC).

This marked a 5.5% increase from the $317.1 million generated in the previous year.

For comparison, California topped the national rankings in 2023, collecting $8.1 billion in motor vehicle license taxes.

The State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey tracks five major tax categories and up to 25 subcategories, gathering data from all 50 state governments and their dependent agencies.

The Census Bureau notes that it defines tax classifications consistently across states, which may differ from how individual states categorize them.

All figures in this article reflect taxes collected by state governments only, based on the STC. They do not include local taxes, such as most property taxes, which make up a significant portion of overall taxes paid by residents.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, state and local governments collect a wide range of taxes to fund public programs and services. These revenues are typically allocated to areas such as transportation, education, and public safety. In 2024, state tax collections alone amounted to nearly $1.5 trillion nationwide, representing a significant part of overall government operations.

U.S. Motor Vehicle License Taxes by State in 2023
RankStateAmount
1California$8,122,525,000
2Texas$2,313,556,000
3Illinois$2,260,271,000
4Michigan$1,542,447,000
5Florida$1,535,877,000
6New York$1,420,267,000
7Pennsylvania$1,308,344,000
8North Carolina$1,012,396,000
9Washington$976,271,000
10Minnesota$934,107,000
11Oklahoma$850,979,000
12Iowa$774,964,000
13Wisconsin$714,690,000
14New Jersey$667,220,000
15Oregon$641,990,000
16Virginia$522,083,000
17Ohio$519,779,000
18Maryland$517,541,000
19Massachusetts$454,625,000
20Georgia$407,899,000
21Colorado$385,260,000
22Indiana$367,843,000
23Arizona$341,102,000
24Missouri$334,573,000
25Tennessee$315,568,000
26South Carolina$302,979,000
27Utah$270,745,000
28Kentucky$258,808,000
29Kansas$251,554,000
30Alabama$244,420,000
31Hawaii$241,829,000
32Idaho$238,785,000
33Nevada$227,541,000
34New Mexico$227,525,000
35Connecticut$224,287,000
36Mississippi$222,305,000
37Montana$199,202,000
38Arkansas$188,516,000
39Nebraska$126,613,000
40Maine$125,894,000
41North Dakota$119,818,000
42New Hampshire$117,683,000
43Wyoming$103,136,000
44South Dakota$96,332,000
45Louisiana$83,760,000
46Vermont$76,116,000
47Delaware$64,157,000
48Rhode Island$37,457,000
49Alaska$31,900,000
50West Virginia$5,341,000
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). The source data can be found here.



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