What a $20,000 used car really costs to drive away, in every state
Buy a $20,000 used car from a dealer and the sales tax, doc fee, title and first registration add $315 in Alaska and $2,381 in Maryland, a gap of $2,066 on the same car. The median state adds $1,696.
By the founder of CarWorthIt. Published , from state sources verified . 50 states ranked; 1 listed without a rank until a missing figure is verified.
Key findings
- The five cheapest states: Alaska ($315), Montana ($358), Oregon ($414), New Hampshire ($663), South Carolina ($1,047).
- The five most expensive: Maryland ($2,381), Georgia ($2,204), Florida ($2,194), Tennessee ($2,145), New Jersey ($2,134).
- Alaska, Montana, Oregon and New Hampshire charge no state sales tax on a used car, but the doc fee, title and registration still add $315 in Alaska, $358 in Montana, $414 in Oregon and $663 in New Hampshire. Local sales tax can still apply in Alaska, where these totals assume a town with none.
- Doc fees are uncapped in most states, and the highest typical figures are Florida $909, Virginia $825, Georgia $766: in those states the dealer fee alone can rival the tax. They are negotiable where there is no cap.
- Where you register matters most in Colorado: the same car costs $1,231 at the lowest local tax and $2,891 at the highest.
The tax is fixed. The price is not.
Run the car's VIN free for its specification and open recalls. From $2.99, see what that exact car is worth at its mileage near your ZIP code; the $9.99 Negotiation Bundle works out its drive-away cost in your state at the asking price and at your target.
Every state
Cheapest first. Total = state tax plus the lowest local rate, doc fee, title and first registration; where local tax varies, the second figure uses the highest local rate. Download the CSV.
| # | State | Total | State tax | Local rate | Doc fee | Title | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $315 | $0 | Not verified | $250 | $15 | $50 |
| 2 | Montana | $358 | $0 | None | $318 | $12 | $28 |
| 3 | Oregon | $414 | $0 | None | $250 cap | $101 | $63 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $663 | $0 | None | $586 | $35 | $42 |
| 5 | South Carolina | $1,047 | $500 | None | $512 | $15 | $20 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $1,127 | $800 | None | $281 | $10 | $36 |
| 7 | Alabama | $1,142 to $2,122 | $400 | 0.1% to 5% | $684 | $15 | $23 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $1,187 | $800 | None | $363 | $3 | $21 |
| 9 | Colorado | $1,231 to $2,891 | $580 | 0% to 8.3% | $606 | $7.20 | $37.50 |
| 10 | Iowa | $1,260 | $1,000 | None | $180 cap | $30 | $50 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $1,316 to $1,916 | $800 | 0% to 3% | $466 | $15 | $35 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $1,332 to $1,432 | $800 | 0% to 0.5% | $476 | $10 | $46 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $1,337 | $1,000 | None | $283 | $5 | $49 |
| 14 | Mississippi | $1,411 | $1,000 | None | $389 | $9 | $12.75 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $1,446 | $600 | None | $733 | $66.75 | $46.25 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $1,447 to $1,847 | $1,100 | 0% to 2% | $322 | $10 | $15 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $1,456 to $1,609 | $1,300 | 0% to 6.125% | $129 cap | $10 | $17 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $1,460 | $900 | None | $523 | $11 | $26 |
| 19 | Missouri | $1,476 to $2,776 | $845 | 0% to 6.5% | $604.47 cap | $8.50 | $18.25 |
| 20 | Michigan | $1,533 | $1,200 | None | $287 | $10 | $36 |
| 21 | Texas | $1,555 | $1,250 | None | $226 | $28 | $50.75 |
| 22 | New York | $1,638 to $2,013 | $800 | 3% to 4.875% | $175 cap | $50 | $13 |
| 23 | Idaho | $1,647 | $1,200 | Not verified | $388 | $14 | $45 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $1,691 to $2,271 | $1,000 | 0% to 2.9% | $391 | $214.50 | $85 |
| 25 | California | $1,693 to $2,493 | $1,450 | 0% to 4% | $85 cap | $15 | $143 |
| 26 | Arizona | $1,698 to $2,798 | $1,120 | 0% to 5.5% | $566 | $4 | $8 |
| 27 | Virginia | $1,701 | $830 | None | $825 | $15 | $30.75 |
| 28 | Maine | $1,703 | $1,100 | None | $535 | $33 | $35 |
| 29 | Ohio | $1,718 to $2,018 | $1,150 | 0.75% to 2.25% | $383 | $15 | $20 |
| 30 | Indiana | $1,725 | $1,400 | None | $261.72 cap | $15 | $48.35 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $1,753 | $1,375 | None | $350 cap | $8.25 | $20 |
| 32 | Delaware | $1,756 | $1,050 | None | $631 | $35 | $40 |
| 33 | Utah | $1,760 to $2,180 | $970 | 1.5% to 3.6% | $433 | $6 | $51 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $1,784 to $2,184 | $1,200 | 0% to 2% | $464 | $72 | $48 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $1,815 | $1,200 | None | $594 | $9 | $11.50 |
| 36 | Kansas | $1,841 to $2,691 | $1,300 | 0% to 4.25% | $501 | $10 | $30 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $1,842 | $1,200 | None | $575 cap | $15 | $51.50 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $1,880 | $1,400 | None | $400 cap | $50 | $30 |
| 39 | Vermont | $1,887 | $1,200 | None | $554 | $42 | $91 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $1,895 to $2,925 | $1,000 | 1.85% to 7% | $436 cap | $68.50 | $20 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $1,896 | $1,250 | None | $541 | $75 | $30 |
| 42 | Washington | $1,900 to $2,520 | $1,400 | 1.1% to 4.2% | $200 cap | $15 | $65 |
| 43 | Illinois | $1,941 to $2,441 | $1,250 | 0% to 2.5% | $378 cap | $165 | $148 |
| 44 | Nevada | $2,019 to $2,324 | $1,370 | 0% to 1.525% | $588 | $28.25 | $33 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $2,051 | $1,270 | None | $716 | $25 | $40 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $2,134 | $1,325 | None | $713 | $60 | $35.50 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $2,145 to $2,157 | $1,400 | 2% to 2.75% | $670 | $14 | $29 |
| 48 | Florida | $2,194 to $2,294 | $1,200 | 0% to 2% | $909 | $70 | $14.50 |
| 49 | Georgia | $2,204 | $1,400 | None | $766 | $18 | $20 |
| 50 | Maryland | $2,381 | $1,300 | None | $800 cap | $200 | $80.50 |
| - | District of Columbia | Not ranked | Not verified | None | $800 | $30 | $70 |
Not ranked yet, because a figure could not be verified against a state source: District of Columbia (state tax).
How we worked it out
- A $20,000 used passenger car bought from a dealer, with no trade-in, add-ons or financing.
- The state's vehicle sales, use or excise tax at its published rate, plus the lowest local rate anyone in the state pays (and, separately, the highest). A few states tax vehicles under a different name, such as Georgia's title ad valorem tax and North Carolina's highway use tax; each state page explains its own.
- The dealer documentation fee at the statutory cap where the state sets one, otherwise the typical figure for the state in our dataset.
- The title fee and the lowest published first-year registration for a passenger car.
- Every figure comes from the state's own revenue or motor vehicle site, or a secondary source that cites the statute, and the source for each is linked on that state's page. Verified September 15, 2026; the dataset is re-checked quarterly.
- Same arithmetic as our out-the-door price calculator, which works it out for any price and lets you enter your own local rate and fees.
Questions
Which state is cheapest for tax and fees on a used car?
Alaska: $315 in tax, doc fee, title and first registration on a $20,000 used car, against $2,381 in Maryland, the most expensive of the 50 states we could rank. The median state is $1,696. Figures from state sources verified September 15, 2026.
Why is the doc fee in this total?
Because it is on almost every dealer buyer’s order and buyers rarely see it until the end. Where a state caps it, we use the cap; where it does not, we use the typical figure dealers charge in that state. It is negotiable in states without a cap, and the difference between the cheapest and dearest states is as much about doc fees as tax.
Does this include local sales tax?
The ranked total includes the lowest local rate anyone in the state pays, and the table shows the total with the highest local rate too, because local tax depends on where you register the car. States where we could not verify the local floor are listed but not ranked.
Can I use these figures?
Yes, with a credit and a link: "Source: CarWorthIt, What a $20,000 used car costs to drive away in each state, https://carworthit.com/drive-away-cost-by-state". The full table is downloadable as a CSV. Press: media@carworthit.com.
Using these figures: credit "CarWorthIt" and link to this page. The full table is in the CSV. Press and data questions: media@carworthit.com.
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