Closing costs by state
Closing costs in Missouri
Closing costs in Missouri run about 2% to 5% of the price for a buyer, made of lender fees, title and settlement, recording, prepaid interest and escrow reserves; on a $400,000 home the worked example below comes to $10,055. Missouri has no state-level real estate transfer tax.
Last verified ·Sources:revisor.mo.gov
The rules
What Missouri does differently
- State transfer tax
- None at the state level.
- Who pays it
- Not applicable.
- County and city add-ons
- None; the Missouri Constitution (Art. X §25) bars the state, counties and cities from imposing a tax on the sale or transfer of homes.
- Attorney at closing
- Missouri does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Owner’s title policy
- The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Missouri; the buyer pays for the lender’s policy.
- Notes
- Only recording fees apply at closing. Who pays the owner's policy varies between the Kansas City and St. Louis areas; the seller most often does.
- revisor.mo.gov — “the state, counties, and other political subdivisions are hereby prevented from imposing any new tax, including a sales tax, on the sale or transfer of homes”
Worked example
A $400,000 home in Missouri, 20% down
Loan of $320,000 at 6.5%, closing on the 15th. Lender, title and recording figures are typical line items used for illustration, the same on every state page; the transfer tax and the owner’s policy side follow Missouri’s rules above. Not a quote: the calculator takes your own figures.
Buyer pays
| Loan origination, 1% of the loan | $3,200 |
| Appraisal | $550 |
| Title and settlement services | $1,800 |
| Lender’s title policy | $900 |
| Recording | $150 |
| Prepaid interest, 15 days at 6.5% | $855 |
| Escrow reserve, 3 months of tax at 1.1% | $1,100 |
| First year of homeowners insurance | $1,500 |
| Total (2.514% of price) | $10,055 |
Seller pays
| Commission, 5% | $20,000 |
| Title and escrow fees | $2,000 |
| Owner’s title policy (estimate) | $1,500 |
| Prorated property tax | $1,500 |
| Total | $25,000 |
Questions
What people ask about Missouri
- Who pays the transfer tax in Missouri?
- Missouri has no state-level real estate transfer tax.
- Do you need an attorney to close on a house in Missouri?
- Missouri does not require an attorney at closing; a title or escrow company usually conducts it, and an attorney is optional.
- Who pays for the owner’s title policy in Missouri?
- The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy in Missouri; the buyer pays for the lender’s policy.
- How much are seller closing costs in Missouri?
- On a $400,000 sale with a 5% commission, the worked example on this page comes to $25,000 for the seller, before the mortgage payoff and any concessions or repairs. The seller net sheet calculator shows the walk-away figure.
Last reviewed September 8, 2026 by the EstatePass editorial team. Formulas and program limits are checked against the published rules; figures on this page are arithmetic, not market statistics.
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