Community Information
Sub heading hereLibrary Cards
Library cards are available at no cost to all residents of Buchanan and Andrew counties, or to anyone else who pays real or personal property taxes in either of these counties. Applicants are asked to provide identification showing a name and current address. Non-resident cards, which can be used by a family, are available for an annual fee.
Licenses
HUNTING AND FISHING PERMITS are not required for persons younger than 16 or Missouri residents 65 or older. Permits for fishing and hunting can be obtained at most stores selling sporting goods. For further information, contact the Conservation Department at (816) 271-3100.
MOTORCYCLE OPERATION: Any person operating a motorcycle on the public streets and highways of Missouri is required to have a motorcycle-qualified |license. In order to obtain motorcycle qualifications, you must first qualify for a valid driver or chauffeur license, and then pass a motorcycle written exam and road test. Helmets are required in Missouri. Motorcycle road tests are given at 9:30 a.m., Monday through Friday at the license office at 525 Jules St.
MISSOURI DRIVER’S LICENSE: Application for a Missouri driver’s license must be made within 30 days of becoming a resident, even if you still have a valid license from another state. Individuals who surrender a license from another state that has not been expired for more than six months are only required to complete a vision examination. If the out-of-state driver’s license has been expired for more than six months, both a written exam and a vision test are required of new residents.
When you apply for a Missouri driver’s license, you will be asked to surrender any valid driver’s license that has been issued to you by another state so that the license may be returned to the state of issue for cancellation. If your license is suspended or revoked in another state for violations of law, you will not be al- lowed to apply for a license in Missouri until you provide a clear- ance from the state where you are suspended or revoked, and until you meet the Missouri licensing requirements. The driver’s license testing office is located in the State Office Building at 525 Jules St., (816) 387-2200. The hours are 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tests are given from 8 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 4:45 p.m.
AUTOMOBILE LICENSING: New Missouri residents must title and register all leased or owned motor vehicles and road trailers in Missouri within 30 days of the date they establish residency. The following docu- ments are necessary when purchasing a motor vehicle license:
• The out-of-state title of the vehicle. If the vehicle is being financed, the St. Joseph branch office will assist you in contacting your loan com- pany for the title. If no title, you must bring current registration. The current mileage must be noted on the application for title. If the vehicle was purchased in another state within the last 90 days, proof that sales tax was paid will be required.
• A Missouri motor vehicle inspection can be performed at any St. Joseph service station, car dealership, or garage displaying the official Missouri State Inspection Station sign. Inspections must be used for the purchase of license plates within 60 days of the inspection date.
• A county tax non-assessment card takes the place of a county personal property tax receipt the first time an out-of-state car is licensed in Mis- souri. This card can be obtained by registering at the County Assessor’s Office, and then getting the actual card at the County Collector’s Office located in the Buchanan County Courthouse at Fifth and Jules.
• Proof of vehicle insurance.
Information on licensing may be obtained by calling (816) 232-1455 during business hours. The St. Joseph branch office is located at 2319 N. Belt Highway The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays.
DOG AND CAT LICENSING: All dogs and cats older than the age of three months must be licensed and vaccinated. A license can be obtained at Animal Control & Rescue, 701 Lower Lake Road; City Hall, 11th Street and Frederick Avenue; or at selected veterinary clinics. Dogs are required to be on a leash or line no more than six feet in length. For additional information concerning pets, contact the Animal Control & Rescue at (816) 271-4876.
Trash Service
Citizens must make their own arrangement for trash and garbage ser- vice. There is a fee for dumping at the City Landfill, located south of the city, (816) 253-9764.
Taxes
PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE TAXES: All property is assessed as of January 1 of the given year. Personal property and real estate taxes are below $6.00, per $100 assessed value, but vary depending on library district. City and County taxes are due November 1 and become delinquent after December 31; interest and penalties are added after December 31. City and County taxes are paid to the Collector of Revenue, Buchanan County Courthouse, Fifth and Jules streets, (816) 271-1401.
PERSONAL INCOME TAXES: Missouri’s individual income tax rates are graduated from a low of 1.5 percent on taxable incomes of $1,000 or less, to a high of $315 plus 6 percent on taxable income in excess of $9,000. Taxable income may be reduced by 100 percent of federal income tax payments, $1,200 for each dependent, $2,100 for each personal exemption and by the federal standard deduction or Mis- souri itemized deduction.
CORPORATE INCOME TAXES: State law sets the corporate income tax rate at 6.25 percent of net taxable income earned by a business in Missouri. This is lower than most of the 46 states imposing a corporate income tax. In addition, Missouri allows 50 percent of federal income tax payments to be deducted before computing taxable income. Using this deduction, a corporation with a taxable income of $1 million would have a Missouri effective tax rate of only 5.2 percent.
MISSOURI TAXABLE INCOME: An important tax advantage for Missouri businesses is the amount of income considered taxable – only income earned in Missouri is taxed. Two allocation options are offered for calculating this income:
• the three-factor formula based on sales, property and payroll, or
• the single-factor formula, based only on sales. Missouri is the only state that permits companies to choose the formula that results in the lesser corporate income tax liability. This means that companies are not penalized for locating property and jobs in Missouri as they are in other states. In addition, it is important to note that Missouri has not adopted worldwide or nationwide unitary tax assessment in computing multina- tional corporate income tax liability.
Post Office Locations
Main Post Office
201 S. Eighth St. 64501; (816) 364-3231
Pony Express Station
1519 S. 10th St., 64503; (816) 279-0917
Eastside Station
3906 Oakland Ave., 64506; (816) 279-5477
Fairleigh Station
2514 Frederick Ave., 64506; (816)279-6908
Stockyards Station
5706 Lake Ave., 64504; (816)238-0342
Wyatt Park Station
2403 Olive St., 64507; (816) 279-0428
Northend Station
1004 Fifth Ave., 64505; (816)364-3231
Voter Registration
Any person who is qualified to vote is entitled to register in the jurisdiction within which he or she resides. In order to vote in any election for which registration is required, a person must be registered no later than 5 p.m., or the normal closing time of any public building where the registration is being held if such time is later than 5 p.m., on the third Wednesday prior to the election. You may register at the County Clerk’s office, Buchanan County Courthouse, Fifth and Jules, (816) 271-1412.