Car Sales Tax Calculator
Car sales tax by state, verified September 15, 2026. State rates on a used car run from none in Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon to 7.25% in California, before local taxes, which add up to 7% on top of the state rate in Louisiana. 39 of the 50 states and DC deduct a trade-in before tax, 5 tax the full price and 1 deduct part of it. Pick your state and the calculator applies its rule.
Figures verified September 15, 2026; sources linked per row. Re-checked quarterly, next due December 15, 2026.
Taxable amount: $25,000. Tax only; dealer doc fees, title and registration are separate, and some states tax the doc fee as part of the price. The local figure is an estimate from the state's published range unless you entered your own rate.
Want the full figure with doc fee, title and registration? Use the out-the-door price calculator. Fee tables: dealer doc fees by state and registration and title fees by state.
Car sales tax by state
Every state and DC, with the state rate on a vehicle purchase, the typical local range, and whether a trade-in is deducted first. Click a state for the full rule set, the doc fee cap, title and registration fees, and the source for each figure.
| State | State rate | Local range | Trade-in credit | Tax | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2% | 0.1% to 5% | Yes, full credit | Sales tax (automotive rate); casual sales tax on non-dealer purchases | September 15, 2026 |
| Alaska | None | Yes, range not verified | No state tax to credit | None at state level; municipal sales tax may apply, and a municipal Motor Vehicle Registration Tax (MVRT) is collected by the DMV at registration | September 15, 2026 |
| Arizona | 5.6% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Transaction privilege tax (TPT), retail classification; use tax on vehicles bought out of state | September 15, 2026 |
| Arkansas | 6.5% | Yes, range not verified on the first $2,500 | Yes, full credit | Gross receipts (sales) and use tax on motor vehicles, paid to DFA at registration | September 15, 2026 |
| California | 7.25% | 0% to 4% | No credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Colorado | 2.9% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | State sales and use tax plus state-collected local sales taxes | September 15, 2026 |
| Connecticut | 6.35% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Delaware | 5.25% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor vehicle document fee (charged by the DMV on titling, in lieu of a sales tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | 1% to 11% of fair market value, by weight and fuel economy | None | No credit | Vehicle excise tax (levied on issuance of a certificate of title, in lieu of sales tax on vehicles) | September 15, 2026 |
| Florida | 6% | 0% to 2% on the first $5,000 | Yes, full credit | Florida sales and use tax plus county discretionary sales surtax | September 15, 2026 |
| Georgia | 7% | None | Yes, full credit | Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) | September 15, 2026 |
| Hawaii | 4% | 0% to 0.5% | No credit | General excise tax (GET) on the dealer's gross proceeds, usually passed on to the buyer, plus county surcharge | September 15, 2026 |
| Idaho | 6% | Not verified | Yes, full credit | Idaho sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Illinois | 6.25% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Illinois sales tax (Retailers' Occupation Tax) on dealer sales, reported on Form ST-556; Private Party Vehicle Use Tax (Form RUT-50) on private sales | September 15, 2026 |
| Indiana | 7% | None | Yes, full credit | Indiana sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Iowa | 5% | None | Yes, full credit | Fee for new registration (one-time registration fee charged in lieu of sales tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| Kansas | 6.5% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Kansas retailers' sales tax (state rate plus local city, county and special district rates) | September 15, 2026 |
| Kentucky | 6% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor Vehicle Usage Tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Louisiana | 5% | 1.85% to 7% | Yes, full credit | State sales and use tax on motor vehicles (collected by the Office of Motor Vehicles) | September 15, 2026 |
| Maine | 5.5% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Maryland | 6.5% | None | Yes, full credit | Vehicle excise tax (titling tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax on motor vehicles | September 15, 2026 |
| Michigan | 6% | None | Partial, capped at $12,000 | Sales tax (use tax on private sales) | September 15, 2026 |
| Minnesota | 6.875% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor Vehicle Sales Tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Mississippi | 5% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales tax (reduced motor vehicle rate) | September 15, 2026 |
| Missouri | 4.225% | 0% to 6.5% | Yes, full credit | State sales tax plus local sales tax on motor vehicles | September 15, 2026 |
| Montana | None | None | No state tax to credit | None; Montana's sales tax statute applies only to accommodations, campgrounds and rental vehicles | September 15, 2026 |
| Nebraska | 5.5% | 0% to 2% | Yes, full credit | Nebraska and local sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Nevada | 6.85% | 0% to 1.525% | Yes, full credit | Sales Tax (state and county combined) | September 15, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | None | None | No state tax to credit | None (New Hampshire has no sales tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| New Jersey | 6.625% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales Tax | September 15, 2026 |
| New Mexico | 4% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor Vehicle Excise Tax (MVET) | September 15, 2026 |
| New York | 4% | 3% to 4.875% | Yes, full credit | New York State and local sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| North Carolina | 3% | None | Yes, full credit | Highway Use Tax (HUT) | September 15, 2026 |
| North Dakota | 5% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor Vehicle Excise Tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Ohio | 5.75% | Yes, range not verified | No credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | 4.5% | None | Not verified | Motor vehicle excise tax (3.25%) plus motor vehicle sales tax (1.25%) | September 15, 2026 |
| Oregon | None | None | No state tax to credit | No sales tax (a 0.5% vehicle privilege or use tax applies only to dealer sales of vehicles with 7,500 miles or less) | September 15, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | 0% to 2% | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | 7% | None | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| South Carolina | 5% | None | Yes, full credit | Infrastructure Maintenance Fee (IMF) | September 15, 2026 |
| South Dakota | 4% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor vehicle excise tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Tennessee | 7% | Yes, range not verified on the first $1,600 | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax (7% state rate plus state single article tax and local option tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| Texas | 6.25% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor vehicle sales tax (Tax Code chapter 152) | September 15, 2026 |
| Utah | 4.85% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Vermont | 6% | None | Yes, full credit | Motor Vehicle Purchase and Use Tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Virginia | 4.15% | None | No credit | Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (SUT) | September 15, 2026 |
| Washington | 7% | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Retail sales tax (6.5%) plus the additional motor vehicle sales/use tax (0.5%) | September 15, 2026 |
| West Virginia | 6% | None | Yes, full credit | Consumers sales tax on motor vehicle sales, collected by the DMV at titling (shown as '6% titling sales tax' on the DMV page; formerly the privilege tax) | September 15, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | 5% | 0% to 2.9% | Not verified | Sales and use tax | September 15, 2026 |
| Wyoming | Not verified | Yes, range not verified | Yes, full credit | Sales and use tax (collected by the county treasurer on vehicles) | September 15, 2026 |
What the calculator does, and what it leaves out
It applies the state rate to the price, deducts the trade-in first only where the state does, and adds the local range the state publishes. Where a state caps the tax at a dollar figure or charges a minimum, the calculator applies that too. It does not know your exact address, so the local figure is a range unless you type in your own rate, and it does not include the dealer documentation fee, title or registration; those are on the out-the-door calculator.
Tax is the one line on a buyer's order you cannot negotiate. The price is. CarWorthIt prices a specific VIN at its mileage against cars listed near your ZIP code from $2.99, and the $9.99 Negotiation Bundle adds an opening offer and a walk-away figure, so the number the tax is calculated on is the right one.
Common questions
How is sales tax on a used car calculated?
Take the agreed price, subtract the trade-in where your state allows it, and multiply by the state rate plus any local rate for the address where you will register the car. A dealer collects the tax at signing; on a private sale you pay it when you title the car. The calculator above does exactly that with each state's own rule, verified September 15, 2026.
Which states have no sales tax on a car purchase?
As of September 15, 2026, Alaska, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon charge no state sales tax on a vehicle purchase. Local sales taxes can still apply in Alaska. Buying in one of them does not avoid tax if you register the car elsewhere: your home state charges its own tax when you title it.
Do I pay sales tax on a private-party car sale?
In 44 of the 50 states and DC in our table, yes: the buyer pays the same tax when titling the car, at the DMV or county tax office rather than to the seller. Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia tax a presumptive or book value when it is higher than the price you paid, so a low figure on the bill of sale does not lower the tax. Each state page says where you pay.
Does a trade-in reduce the sales tax?
In 39 states the trade-in allowance comes off the price before tax, so on a $30,000 car with a $10,000 trade you pay tax on $20,000. California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Ohio and Virginia tax the full price regardless of the trade-in. Michigan deduct only part of it. Enter your trade-in above and the calculator applies the rule for the state you pick.
Do I pay tax where I buy the car or where I live?
Where you register it. Vehicle sales tax follows the registration address, so a dealer in another state usually collects nothing or your home state’s rate, and your DMV bills any difference when you title the car. Local rates are usually based on where the car will be registered too, though some states use the dealer’s location; the state pages note this where the state says so, and the calculator lets you type in your own combined local rate.
Is the dealer doc fee included in this calculator?
No. The documentation fee is a dealer charge on top of the price, and in some states it is itself taxable. Our dealer doc fee by state table lists each state’s cap or typical fee, and the out-the-door price calculator adds the doc fee, title and registration to the tax to show the full figure.
How current are these rates?
Every row was checked against the state's own revenue or DMV page on September 15, 2026, with the source linked on each state page. We re-verify the full table quarterly, next due December 15, 2026. Where a rate could not be confirmed against a state source (Wyoming) it is shown as not verified rather than estimated.
Checking a specific car?