January 15, 2021
St. Charles County, Missouri - The St. Charles County Assessor will mail approximately 178,000 personal property assessment forms for 2021 by Jan. 22. Completed assessment forms are due to the Assessor by March 1.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, taxpayers are strongly encouraged to file personal property using contactless methods: online, by mail, or in the drive-through drop box in front of the County Administration Building at 201 N. Second Street in St. Charles.
Ways to File
- Online – Individual personal property owners have the option to file online after receiving the assessment form in the mail. The e-filing website, account number, and unique secure access code for the individual personal property owner are printed in a purple box on the top third of the form. The e-filing website also will be available through the Assessor’s website, sccmo.org/Assessor. Those who filed online in previous years should note that the unique access code changes each year.
“This is the fastest and most efficient way to submit a personal property assessment, and more and more residents take advantage of this opportunity since we launched e-filing in 2013,” says Scott Shipman, St. Charles County Assessor. “E-filing also allows personal property owners to save and print their completed 2021 assessment for their records after it’s submitted.”
- Mail – Complete the form and send to: St. Charles County Assessor, 201 N. Second Street, Room 141, St. Charles, MO 63301.
- Drop Box – Completed assessment forms must be submitted in the blue-labeled "County" drive-through drop box in front of the County Administration Building at 201 N. Second Street in St. Charles. Please note: A form placed in the “City” drop box could result in penalties for the related account if the Assessor does not receive it by March 1.
- In Person – Again, taxpayers are strongly encouraged to file personal property through contactless methods due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who wish to file in person can do so at the Assessor’s service windows at the County Administration Building, 201 N. Second Street in St. Charles, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday, excluding holidays. Forms also may be submitted in the indoor drop box located on the first floor of the Administration Building. Visitors will need to undergo a COVID-19 health screening upon entering the building and register for the Assessor’s queue through the QLess kiosk in the lobby, through the QLess app on their mobile device, or through the QLess link available at sccmo.org/Assessor or sccmo.org/QLess. Monitors in the lobby and a text notification on a mobile device will update those in the queue, and visitors will be alerted visually and audibly through the monitor or their mobile device when it is their turn to approach the windows. Staff at the security desk in the lobby are available to assist with QLess registration.
Additional Personal Property Assessment Information
By state law, the Assessor is charged with placing a fair market value on real and personal property, as property tax in Missouri is based on property value. Personal property assessments must be filed annually by those who own personal property and live in St. Charles County as of Jan. 1. Examples of personal property include vehicles, motorcycles, campers, boats and farm equipment. Those who fail to complete their personal property assessment may be charged a late-filing penalty up to $105. Additionally, failing to file a personal property assessment form may delay the ability to renew or register license plates for a vehicle.
“The tax rate for everyone in the county is impacted by those who do not declare their personal property,” Shipman adds. “A fair and equitable distribution of taxes is assured when everyone submits the form by the deadline.”
Residents can visit https://lookups.sccmo.org/assessor/form to verify that the Assessor has received their completed assessment. Verification of assessment receipt is posted within two business days for online filing and as soon as possible for mail and drop box submissions after the assessment is received and processed. For questions about assessments, or if you are a new resident in the county and need to be added to the Assessor’s records, call the Personal Property office at 636-949-7420. For information about assessments and taxes, visit sccmo.org/Assessor.