New to St. Louis? Your Move-In Setup Checklist
Revised August 10, 2026
What do I need to set up when I move to St. Louis?
When you move to St. Louis, set up utilities first (Ameren Missouri electric, Spire gas, city or Missouri American water, MSD sewer), then handle the deadline items: you have 30 days to get a Missouri license and register your vehicle, which also means a Gateway emissions test in the city and St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties plus a separate safety inspection for older cars. Don’t forget Missouri’s annual personal property tax declaration, register to vote at least 27 days before an election, and save 311 for city service requests.
Keep reading ↓You found the place, you’ve got the keys, and there’s a mountain of boxes by the door. Welcome to St. Louis! Before you collapse onto the couch, there’s a short list of get-set-up tasks that’ll save you headaches later — and as a new resident, a couple of them come with real deadlines and penalties, so they’re worth doing in the first week or two.
Here’s your move-in checklist for getting settled in the St. Louis metro, from utilities and inspections to the local quirks nobody tells you about.
Turn on the utilities
- Electric: Ameren Missouri is the electric utility for the St. Louis area — set up service before your move-in date so you’re not unpacking in the dark.
- Natural gas: Spire (formerly Laclede Gas) is the area’s gas provider for the city and eastern Missouri.
- Water: It depends where you live. Inside the city, it’s the City of St. Louis Water Division; across most of the county, it’s Missouri American Water. A few small municipalities run their own systems, so confirm by your address.
- Sewer: The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) handles wastewater and stormwater for the city and most of the county, and it’s billed separately from your water.
One city-specific wrinkle: in the City of St. Louis, your water and trash are combined on a single water/refuse bill through the Collector of Revenue, while sewer (MSD) comes as its own bill. In the county, water and trash are usually separate. Set up whichever accounts apply before day one.
Get connected: internet
For home internet, the metro is well covered. AT&T Fiber has the widest fiber footprint in the city with fast symmetrical plans; Spectrum offers cable almost everywhere with no data caps; and T-Mobile 5G Home Internet is a no-contract, no-installation option that’s handy for renters or anyone who doesn’t want to wait on a technician. Availability is address-specific, so plug your new address into each provider’s checker to see what actually reaches your block.
Sort out trash and recycling
In the City of St. Louis, trash service is run by the city’s Refuse Division for a flat monthly fee (recently about $14 per dwelling unit) that shows up on your water/refuse bill — not your property taxes. That fee bundles in trash, recycling, yard waste, monthly bulk pickup, and a set number of free transfer-station drop-offs each year. Recycling has shifted in recent years: the city ended alley recycling after too much of it came back contaminated, and moved to roll-cart recycling plus a bigger network of drop-off sites (most open around the clock), so check the current setup for your address.
In St. Louis County, it varies by municipality — some cities contract a single hauler for all residents, and in others you arrange service with a private hauler yourself. When in doubt, ask your municipality’s office or a neighbor which hauler and day you’re on.
Get your Missouri license, plates, and inspections
This is the part with a clock on it. New residents have 30 days to get a Missouri driver’s license and to title and register their vehicle through the Missouri Department of Revenue. Miss the vehicle deadline and a title penalty kicks in on day 31 — $25, and another $25 every 30 days, up to a $200 cap — so don’t let it slide.
For the license: if you’re moving in with a valid (or recently expired) out-of-state license, you generally skip the written and driving tests — you’ll take a vision screening and bring proof of identity, lawful status, and a Missouri address. If you want a REAL ID (needed to board domestic flights), bring two documents proving your Missouri address.
For the vehicle, there are two St. Louis-area inspection catches plus a tax step:
- Emissions testing: Vehicles registered in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties need a Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program emissions test. It’s every two years (even model years in even years, odd in odd), for most gas vehicles from 1996 on. It’s also required whenever a title changes hands.
- Safety inspection: Missouri also requires a state safety inspection, which is separate from emissions. Newer vehicles are exempt for roughly the first ten model years if they’re under 150,000 miles, but an older car will need both.
- Statement of non-assessment: Because Missouri charges personal property tax on vehicles, new residents who didn’t own property here on January 1 first get a statement of non-assessment (a tax waiver) from their county or city Collector or Assessor, then use it to register. Budget a little time for the paperwork.
Don’t forget the personal property tax
Here’s the one new arrivals are most likely to miss. Missouri charges an annual personal property tax on things like vehicles, and you have to declare what you owned as of January 1 each year with your county (or city) Assessor. The declaration is typically due around March 1 — though deadlines can be extended year to year, so check your Assessor’s site rather than assuming — and filing late can bump your assessment. The actual bill arrives from the Collector in the fall and is due by December 31. Put a reminder on your calendar now; it’s an easy thing to forget in your first year and an annoying one to be penalized for.
Unrelated, and we know it — where to eat in Cool Valley.
Register to vote and grab a library card
To vote in the next election, register through your local election authority or the Missouri Secretary of State’s online portal — the deadline is 27 days before Election Day. You can also register by mail or at the DMV while you’re handling your license. And don’t sleep on the libraries: both the St. Louis Public Library (city) and the St. Louis County Library offer free cards to area residents, with far more than books — events, museum passes, tools, seeds, and streaming media among them.
Save the number that fixes things: 311
If you’re in the City of St. Louis, program in the Citizens’ Service Bureau: dial 311 (or 314-622-4800) to report a pothole, a missed trash pickup, a broken streetlight, graffiti, or other non-emergency issues. They log it, route it, and let you track it. St. Louis County municipalities have their own non-emergency lines, so find your city’s once you know where you are.
A few more first-week tasks
- File a change of address with USPS so mail follows you, then update the address on your bank, insurance, employer, and subscriptions.
- Line up renters or homeowners insurance before move-in day — many leases and all mortgages require it.
- Know your flood and sewer-backup risk. Parts of the metro sit in low, older areas prone to basement backups; ask about a backwater valve or a rider on your policy, especially if you’re near a creek or the rivers.
- Find your trash, recycling, and street-sweeping days so you’re not the house with cans out on the wrong morning.
Getting around your first weeks
St. Louis is a driving town for most people, but it’s worth knowing your options. MetroLink light rail connects the airport, downtown, the Central West End, and Shrewsbury, and MetroBus fills in the rest — genuinely useful if you live or work near a line, and a cheap way to get to a Cardinals game without parking downtown. Most of the metro, though, is spread out enough that a car is the default, and street parking rules vary by neighborhood (watch for permit zones and street-sweeping days in the city). If you’re carless for a stretch between moving trucks, rideshare and the region’s bike- and scooter-share options cover short trips downtown and in the Central West End. One local quirk worth learning early: the metro is a patchwork of nearly ninety municipalities in St. Louis County alone, so speed limits, parking rules, and even trash days can change the moment you cross a street. When in doubt, your municipality’s website is the fastest way to get the specifics for exactly where you live.
Budget for the setup costs
A move always costs more than the truck. In your first few weeks, plan for utility deposits or connection fees (some providers waive them with good credit or autopay), the title, registration, plate, and inspection fees for your vehicle, and that first combined water/refuse bill in the city. Renters should budget a security deposit and renters insurance; buyers will see the personal property tax bill land in the fall. None of it is huge on its own, but it stacks up, so it helps to keep a small cushion for the “welcome to town” expenses rather than spending every dollar on furniture the first week. A good rule of thumb: knock out the deadline items (utilities, license, registration, insurance) first, since those are the ones that cost you money or a penalty if you wait, and let the nice-to-haves like the perfect couch come later once the essentials are handled and the bills are predictable.
Then go meet your neighbors
Once the boxes are unpacked, the best way to feel at home is to plug in. Find your neighborhood association, explore the local restaurants and shops, and start collecting your own list of go-to spots — that’s where St. Louis really wins you over. A quiet corner bakery, a park you didn’t know about, a mechanic you trust: those are the things that turn a new address into home.
Still deciding where to live? See our St. Louis suburbs compared.
Settling in? Find your gym with our guide to the best independent gyms in St. Louis.
Getting settled? Browse the St Louis Near Me directory to find movers, cleaners, and local services across the metro.
If you run a business that helps people get settled — movers, cleaners, handymen — listing it is how new residents find you their first week in town.
Frequently Asked Questions
What utilities do I need to set up when moving to St. Louis?
Electric is Ameren Missouri, gas is Spire, and sewer is the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD). Water is either the City of St. Louis Water Division or Missouri American Water depending on where you live. In the city, water and trash are combined on one bill, while sewer is billed separately.
How long do I have to get a Missouri license and plates as a new resident?
You have 30 days to obtain a Missouri driver’s license and to title and register your vehicle with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Miss the vehicle deadline and a title penalty starts at $25 and grows every 30 days up to $200, so handle it early.
Does my car need an inspection in St. Louis?
Usually two. Vehicles in the city and St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson counties need a Gateway emissions test, and Missouri also requires a separate safety inspection. Newer vehicles are exempt from the safety inspection for about their first ten years if under 150,000 miles; older cars need both.
What is the Missouri personal property tax, and do I have to file something?
Missouri charges an annual personal property tax on vehicles and similar property. You must declare what you owned as of January 1 with your county or city Assessor, typically by around March 1 (check the current deadline), and the bill arrives in the fall, due December 31. New residents often forget this in year one.
How do I report a pothole or city problem in St. Louis?
In the City of St. Louis, contact the Citizens’ Service Bureau by dialing 311 (or 314-622-4800), filing online, or messaging them on social media; they route your request and let you track it. County municipalities have their own non-emergency lines.
Do I need to do anything about trash and recycling when I move in?
In the City of St. Louis, trash and recycling come with a flat monthly fee on your water/refuse bill, and recycling has moved to roll-carts plus expanded drop-off sites. In St. Louis County, service varies by municipality — some contract one hauler, others leave you to arrange private pickup — so check with your city or a neighbor for your day and provider.
When is the voter registration deadline in Missouri?
You must register at least 27 days before an election. You can register online through the Missouri Secretary of State, by mail, in person at your local election authority, or at the DMV when you get your Missouri license.
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