city · St. Louis

St. Louis City

Short answer

An independent city, not part of St. Louis County. It has a one percent earnings tax, city personal property administration, and St. Louis-area emissions rules.

St. Louis City is a city in the St. Louis region. Start here to see which local offices, taxes, paperwork, or practical quirks deserve a second look.

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What to check here

Independent city government means county-style offices are city offices here.
Residents and many people who work in the city need to check the earnings-tax rules.
Vehicles registered in the city are in the emissions area listed by Missouri DOR.

About St. Louis City

St. Louis City is an independent city, not a municipality inside St. Louis County, so the county-style jobs happen through City offices: the City Assessor handles assessment and property records, and the City Collector of Revenue handles real estate tax, personal property tax, and the earnings tax. That single geography fact reroutes almost every tax and property errand, and it is the first thing to sort out when a form asks for county. The City fronts the Mississippi River and is drained in part by the River Des Peres, and it is represented through 14 wards, each with its own alderman.

It is also a city where ordinary downtown blocks carry national history. Forest Park, laid out around the 1904 World's Fair, holds several free institutions including the zoo, art museum, history museum, and science center; the Gateway Arch and the Old Courthouse, where the Dred Scott freedom suits were first heard, sit in Gateway Arch National Park; Eads Bridge, completed in 1874, is called the oldest bridge still standing on the Mississippi; and Soulard Market, City Landmark #39, has run as a public market since Julia Soulard donated the land in 1838.

Type: city
Region: St. Louis
County: St. Louis City
Local notes: 0
Nearby places: 4

Property tax snapshot

~$7.9593 per $100 assessed — Citywide residential total — St. Louis City is a single taxing jurisdiction, 2023. Every parcel differs — the school district drives most of the bill, so confirm your exact rate before you rely on it.

Estimate a bill Look up the exact rate Source

Official sources

Where to confirm it

Use these local pages for current forms, records, offices, or tax guidance.

City earnings tax Local forms, records, contacts, or notices live here. City assessor Local forms, records, contacts, or notices live here. City collector Local forms, records, contacts, or notices live here.

Next steps

What to check next

Pick the next useful step for this place.

Earnings tax checker See whether St. Louis or Kansas City city tax may apply. Property Tax Credit guide Separate the circuit breaker from local tax rules. Property tax estimator Estimate a property-tax bill from value and levy.

Local notes

Local rules and costs to check

Short notes on the taxes, paperwork, and local-government layers tied to this place.

Nonresident earnings-tax refunds use Form E-1R A nonresident worker seeking a St. Louis earnings-tax refund for whole days worked outside the City uses the Collector's Form E-1R process. Local taxing districts have their own City map St. Louis publishes an interactive map for TDD, SBD, and CID taxing districts, which helps residents and businesses separate district layers from citywide taxes. City vehicle paperwork can start with an online tax receipt St. Louis City says personal property tax receipts are available online and that an online receipt is accepted at Missouri license offices. The City address search pulls several property threads together St. Louis City's address and property search can show ownership, assessed value, permit activity, ward information, CSB requests, and other address-linked records. Assessment appeals have a City calendar St. Louis City assessment appeals run through the Assessor and Board of Equalization, with date windows that matter before the tax bill arrives. The Building Division handles permits, inspections, and zoning enforcement St. Louis City's Building Division is the front door for building permits, inspections, building-code enforcement, vacant-building demolition, and zoning enforcement.

Local notes

Worth knowing here

History, quirks, and color that give this place some shape.

Cherokee-Lemp ties a south-city street to brewery history The Cherokee-Lemp Historic District gives St. Louis a south-city landmark story built around old commercial blocks, the DeMenil home, and Lemp Brewery. Compton Hill Water Tower turns old infrastructure into a landmark Compton Hill Water Tower in Reservoir Park gives St. Louis a visible landmark where water infrastructure became civic architecture. Eads Bridge made St. Louis an engineering story Eads Bridge is a downtown St. Louis landmark and National Park Service-described engineering feat across the Mississippi River. Carondelet Park anchors a different south-city park pattern Carondelet Park gives south St. Louis a large City park with a lake, boathouse, recreation center, pool, fields, courts, and an advisory-board trail. Central Library makes downtown civic architecture easy to spot St. Louis Public Library's Central Library is a Cass Gilbert building from 1912 that fills a downtown block and anchors a civic-history stop. Lafayette Park carries old city fabric in plain view Lafayette Park's City page points to a 30-acre park with original fence and gate fabric, making it useful local color for Lafayette Square.

Nearby places

Related local layers

A nearby city, county, or region may change the office or rule you need.

St. Louis County A county full of municipalities, school districts, fire districts, occupancy rules, and emissions checks. The municipality can matter almost as much as the mailing address. St. Charles County Fast-growing suburban county with St. Louis-area emissions checks and local taxing districts that can change the property-tax answer by neighborhood. Jefferson County A St. Louis-area county where emissions checks can matter for vehicles, while property-tax levies vary by school and special district. Hillsboro The Jefferson County seat, where many county tax, court, record, and administrative errands lead even when residents live closer to larger towns.

Common questions about St. Louis City

Is St. Louis City part of St. Louis County?

No. St. Louis City is an independent city and is not part of St. Louis County. It handles county-style jobs through City offices, so a City address means the City Assessor and City Collector, while a St. Louis mailing address outside the city limits is a separate St. Louis County track even if the postal address still says St. Louis.

Does St. Louis have an earnings tax, and can it apply if I only work there?

Yes. St. Louis collects a 1% earnings tax under a Missouri law that dates to the 1950s, and it can reach wages earned by people who work inside city limits without living there. A nonresident seeking a refund for whole days worked outside the city uses the Collector's Form E-1R, and the number of out-of-city days must be verified by the employer, so treat it as a payroll-record task.

Do vehicles registered in the city need emissions testing?

Yes. The Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program covers vehicles registered in the St. Louis area, including the city of St. Louis, combining safety-inspection and emissions requirements, and Missouri DOR lists St. Louis City in its emissions area. A City tax receipt or waiver may solve the personal-property side of plate renewal, but it does not answer the emissions question, so check Gateway VIP and your DOR renewal notice before the license office.

Do I go to the Assessor or the Collector for property questions?

It depends on the question. The City Assessor handles the value and property record, including the personal property declaration (filing by April 1 avoids a 10% assessment penalty). The City Collector handles bills, payments, and receipts: real estate tax notices go out in November with a December 31 due date. A value that looks wrong is an Assessor question; missing payment proof is Collector work.

Last reviewed June 18, 2026. For parcel, license, tax, or permit details, use the office that controls that record.

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