How we calculate

Our approach

Car taxes look simple until you read the rules: price brackets, local caps, fees that replace sales tax, values that depreciate on a schedule. A single percentage can be off by hundreds of dollars. So each state calculator applies that state's own rules, and every result shows its working, step by step, under the total.

We take rates and rules only from official sources: state departments of revenue, DMVs, county clerks and the state's published rules and rulings. Every state page lists the exact documents we used at the bottom, and shows the date we last checked them next to the calculator.

The formulas, state by state

Arkansas car sales tax

• Taxable price = sale price − trade-in (or the price of a vehicle you sold yourself within 45 days).
• State rate: 6.5%. For used vehicles the sale price picks the bracket: under $4,000 → no tax; $4,000–$9,999.99 → 3.5%; $10,000+ → 6.5%.
• Local tax = your city + county rate × the first $2,500 of the taxable price. Used vehicles under $4,000 pay no local tax either.

Tennessee car sales tax

• Taxable price = price − trade-in on the same purchase.
• State tax = 7% × taxable price.
• Local option tax = your local rate (up to 2.75%) × the first $1,600.
• Single article tax = 2.75% × the portion between $1,600 and $3,200 (at most $44).

Missouri car sales tax

• Taxable price = purchase price − trade-in allowance.
• Tax = taxable price × (4.225% + the local rate for the buyer's home address).
• Fees shown: $8.50 title fee + $9 title processing fee. Registration fees are not included because they depend on the vehicle.
• Late penalty = $25 on day 31, +$25 per additional 30 days, maximum $200.

North Carolina highway use tax and registration

• Dealer sale: 3% × (price + administrative doc fee − trade-in).
• Private sale: 3% × price, with no trade-in credit.
• Moving to NC, owned more than 90 days: 3% × value, maximum $250. Owned less than 90 days: the full 3% minus sales tax paid to another state.
• Title $66.75; standard plate $46.25 ($53.75 in Durham, Orange and Wake, $47.75 in Randolph); plate transfer $25.50.
• Registration renewal = plate fee + vehicle value × (county rate + city rate) ÷ 100.

South Carolina vehicle tax

• Infrastructure maintenance fee = 5% × (price − trade-in), maximum $500. Private sales use fair market value.
• New residents: flat $250.
• Yearly property tax = vehicle value × 6% assessment ratio × millage ÷ 1,000.

Pennsylvania car sales tax

• Tax = (price − trade-in) × 6%, plus 1% in Allegheny County or 2% in Philadelphia.
• Optional: $72 title fee (as listed on PennDOT's MV-70S) and $48 one-year passenger registration.

Alabama car sales tax

• Tax = (price − trade-in) × (2% state automotive rate + the county and city rates you enter).
• $15 penalty when registered more than 20 days after purchase.

Massachusetts sales tax and excise

• Dealer sale: 6.25% × (price − trade-in). Private sale: 6.25% × the higher of the price or book value. $75 title fee.
• Excise = list price × age percentage (50%, 90%, 60%, 40%, 25%, 10%) ÷ 1,000 × $25, minimum $5, prorated by month after January.

Kansas car sales tax

• Tax = (price − trade-in or a vehicle sold within 120 days) × (6.5% + local rate).

South Carolina county vehicle tax (Richland County)

• Tax = value × 6% × the total millage from the county auditor's schedule (Richland 2025, Charleston 2026, Spartanburg 2026 levy sheet, where a levy of 0.4848 = 484.8 mills; the Spartanburg road maintenance fee is user-entered) ÷ 1,000. LOST credits and county fees are not included.

Texas tax, title and license

• Dealer: 6.25% × (price − trade-in). Private sale: 6.25% × the higher of the price or 80% of SPV. New resident $90, gift $10, even exchange $5.
• Late private-sale tax: +5% if paid 1–30 days after the 30-day deadline, +10% after that.
• Fees: title $28 ($33 in emissions counties), registration $51.75 (or $55 for 6,001–10,000 lbs), county local fee from TxDMV Fee Chart 1C (2026), $7.50 inspection replacement, $2.75 emissions (emissions counties), $4.75 processing, $200 EV fee.

Washington sales tax and registration

• Sales tax = (price − trade-in) × (6.5% + local rate + 0.3%). Luxury tax = 8% × (price + trade-in − $102,000) when positive.
• Registration = $30 license + weight fee ($35 / $65 / $82.50 / $96) + $6 filing + $11 renewal service fee (or $6.50 + $18 title fees on a transfer) + $150 EV fees + RTA and city fees you enter.

Maine excise and sales tax

• Excise = MSRP × 0.0240 / 0.0175 / 0.0135 / 0.0100 / 0.0065 / 0.0040 for years 1 to 6+. Sales tax = 5.5% × (price − trade-in).

Utah car sales tax

• Tax = (price − trade-in) × the combined rate you enter. Uniform age-based fee from Utah DMV's 2026 table: $150 / $110 / $80 / $50 / $10 by model year.

Connecticut car sales tax

• Rate 6.35%, or 7.75% when the price is over $50,000. Dealer: on price − trade-in. Private: on the higher of the price or NADA value. Family transfers and gifts: $0.
• Optional DMV fees: $120 + $5 + $25 + $10 + $15 + $24, plus $40, $15 and $10 where they apply.

Nebraska car sales tax

• Tax = (price − trade-in − dealer-assigned manufacturer rebate) × (5.5% + local rate).

Maryland excise titling tax

• Purchase: 6.5% × (price − dealer trade-in). New resident: $100 if tax already paid is at least 6.5% of the value, otherwise the difference.

Indiana sales tax and registration

• Sales tax = 7% × (price − trade-in). Registration = $21.35 + $15 infrastructure fee + excise from the BMV class/age table + local surtax + $15 title (new owners) + $242 EV or $81 hybrid fee.

Delaware document fee

• 5.25% × (the higher of price or NADA value − trade-in), minimum $8. Title $35 ($55 with lien), registration $40 a year.

New Hampshire town permit fee

• Rate ($18, $15, $12, $9, $6 or $3 by model year) × MSRP ÷ 1,000, prorated by months registered, plus the state fee you enter and a $3 municipal agent fee.

Wisconsin wheel tax

• Total = municipal wheel tax + county wheel tax from WisDOT's list, added to the $85 automobile registration fee.

Arizona vehicle license tax

• Value = MSRP × 60% × 0.8375 for each year after the first. VLT = value ÷ 100 × $2.80 (year 1) or $2.89 (later years), minimum $10. Plus $8 registration, $1.50 air quality fee and $4 title.

Minnesota registration tax

• $10 + 1.575% × MSRP × the age percentage (100, 95, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 25, 10%); $10 + $20 from year 11. Pre–November 16, 2020 registrations use 1.54% of MSRP plus destination.

Oregon

• No sales tax. New vehicles (7,500 miles or fewer, never titled in Oregon) pay 0.5% privilege tax, or 0.5% use tax if bought new out of state. Title $101–$192 and two-year registration $126–$376 by MPG class; new cars register for four years at double the fee; Multnomah $112 and Washington/Clackamas $60 county fees per two years; plates $26.

Oklahoma

• Excise tax 3.25% of value for a new vehicle, or $20 on the first $1,500 plus 3.25% of the rest for a used one, rounded to the dollar; plus 1.25% vehicle sales tax. No trade-in deduction. Registration $96/$86/$66/$46/$26 by registration year, title $11, insurance fee $1.50, VIN inspection $4.

West Virginia

• 6% titling tax on the price less a trade-in titled in WV, or $30 if the net price is $500 or less. Private sales under 50% of NADA Clean Loan value without a notarized bill of sale, and private sales of vehicles two years old or newer, are taxed on book value. Title $15, lien $10, Class A registration $51.50 (hybrid $151.50, electric $251.50).

Mississippi

• 5% of the price after trade-in (3% for trucks over 10,000 lbs carrying property). Private sales of vehicles under 10 years old are taxed on the state's pre-determined value; 10+ years are exempt. Title $9, first registration $14, privilege tax $15; ad valorem tax is entered by the user.

Georgia

• TAVT = fair market value × 7% (3% new residents, 0.5% family transfers and inheritance). New vehicles: greater of price or manual value, less dealer trade-in and rebates. Used: state manual value, less trade-in only on dealer sales. Title $18, registration $20.

Virginia

• Sales and use tax = 4.15% of the gross sales price after rebates, including the processing fee, without a trade-in deduction; minimum $75. Title $15; registration $30.75 (4,000 lbs or less), $35.75 or $44.75 per year; +$2/yr Northern Virginia emissions; EV highway use fee $135.63/yr.

Ohio

• Tax = (price − trade-in on a new vehicle only) × (5.75% + county and transit rate where the buyer lives), less tax legally paid to another state. County rates from the Department of Taxation's October 2026 table.

South Dakota

• Excise tax = 4% × (price − trade-in) on every sale; exempt if 11+ model years old and sold for $2,500 or less. Plates = monthly rate by weight ($3/$6/$9/$12, 30% less at 10+ years) × 12. Title $10, lien $10, technology/solid waste/highway patrol fees $4, EV $100.

Washington DC

• Excise tax = NADA fair market value × rate from the February 17, 2025 grid (1.5%–11% by unladen weight and city MPG; EVs 1%–3%). EITC recipients may use 6/7/8% by weight if lower. Title $30, lien $20, registration by class from March 30, 2026 ($70/$175/$300/$550/EV $40).

Wyoming

• County fee = 3% × factory price × 60/50/40/30/20/15% by year of service (minimum $5); state fee $30; EV decal $100, plug-in hybrid $50; optional sales tax at the user's rate plus $15 title.

Nevada

• GST = 4% × (35% of MSRP × depreciation 100/95/85/75/65/55/45/35/25/15%), minimum $16, rounded to the dollar; supplemental GST 1% in Clark and Churchill; registration $33; dealer sales taxed at the county rate; first Nevada title $28.25.

Vermont

• Tax = 6% × (price − qualifying trade-in − private sale within three months), less tax paid to another state. Title $42, lien $14, registration $89 (1 year) or $163 (2 years), battery EV fee equal to registration through 2026, plug-in hybrid half.

Hawaii

• Yearly = $46 state fee + state weight tax (1.75¢/lb up to 4,000 lbs, 2.00¢ to 7,000, 2.25¢ to 10,000, applied to the full net weight; $300 flat above) + $5 Safe Routes surcharge + county weight tax (Honolulu 7.0¢, Maui 3.5¢ with $15 minimum, Hawaii County 1.25¢ with $12 minimum, Kauai user-entered) + county fees. EVs add the $50 flat road usage charge option, other alternative fuels $50, and Maui EVs/hybrids $100/$50. Back tax = yearly × years owed + county penalty per year (Maui and Hawaii County $8; Kauai 20% of county and state weight tax). Purchases: dealer GET pass-on up to 4.712% (shown, not added); imports 4.5% use tax on landed value less tax paid elsewhere.

Idaho

• Tax = 6% × (price − dealer trade-in allowance − manufacturer rebate applied at sale), plus an optional user-entered local option rate. Title $14 + county admin fee (user-entered); $20 late title penalty after 30 days. Registration $69 (1–2 years old), $57 (3–6), $45 (7+) + $1.25 EMS + $3.00 ISP; EV +$140, plug-in hybrid +$75; plates $3.75 each; county highway district fee user-entered.

New Mexico

• Excise tax = 4% × (price − trade-in); private sales use the N.A.D.A. value when the price is under 80% of it; less tax paid to another state; × 1.5 if titled after 90 days. Registration per year (66-6-2 from July 1, 2026): $33.75 / $48.75 / $70 by shipping weight (≤2,000, 2,001–3,000, over 3,000 lbs), $26.25 / $38.75 / $56.25 after five years, + $1.50 tire recycling fee; optional 5% online discount on the registration fee.

North Dakota

• Excise tax = 5% × (price − trade-in or insurance statement of loss − manufacturer rebate applied at sale); no local tax. Registration from the NDDOT 2026 passenger schedule (MVD-2) by year first registered (2021+, 2018–20, 2015–17, 2014 and older), weight class and months registered; EV road use fee $120, plug-in hybrid $50. Title and other DMV fees are user-entered.

Pennsylvania registration

• From PennDOT MV-70S (4-26): passenger $48/yr, motorcycle $25, motor homes $88/$123/$158, trucks by registered gross weight class ($82 class 1 to $2,935 class 25), × 2 for a two-year term. 2026 road user charge $250 (EV) / $63 (PHEV) per year. Title $72, lien $36, plate transfer $11, fee for local use $5/yr where charged; $12 processing fee in lieu of registration for qualifying low-income owners. Sales tax 6% (7% Allegheny, 8% Philadelphia) on price less trade-in.

Iowa

• Fee for new registration = $10 + 5% × (price − qualifying trade-in − applied manufacturer rebate); gifts exempt. Title $30. Annual fee = 1% of list value + $0.40 per 100 lbs or fraction; value part 75% after 7 model years and 50% after 9 (minimum $50); flat $50 at 12+ years. BEV +$130, PHEV +$65.

Alaska

• Two-year non-commercial passenger registration $100 + local motor vehicle registration tax from the DMV's 2026 chart by area and model year (not prorated). Title $15, lien $15, in-person renewal $10, Permanent Z-tab $25. Areas not on the chart pay no MVRT.

Tennessee registration

• Registration = $26.50 standard plate + county wheel tax (CTAS 2026 list for all 95 counties) + EV fee ($200 for renewals through 2026, $274 in 2027) or hybrid/PHEV fee ($100), at renewal. Purchases add the 7% + local (first $1,600) + 2.75% single article sales tax, the title ($14 as listed by Knox County) and an $11 lien notation.

Massachusetts registration

• Plate fee from the RMV Schedule of Fees (May 2025): Passenger Normal or Electric $60 for two years, Reserved $100, Motorcycle $20 a year; $25 to transfer a registration; $75 title; 6.25% sales tax after trade-in; first excise estimated at $25 per $1,000 of the MGL 60A value, prorated by months; $20 RMV fee to clear a late-excise flag.

Florida

• Tax = 6% × (price − trade-in) + county surtax (DR-15DSS, 2026) × the first $5,000. Annual private-auto registration tax and fees $27.60 / $35.60 / $45.60 by net weight (HSMV 83140); $225 initial registration fee when no plate is transferred; $28 metal plate; title $77.25 new, $75.25 transfer, $85.25 used original; lien $2, paper title $2.50, fast title $10.

Kentucky

• Usage tax = 6% × retail price (KRS 138.450): new vehicles at total consideration including any trade-in (or 90% of MSRP without an affidavit); used vehicles at consideration less trade-in, at least 50% of the book-value difference; new residents and gifts at book trade-in value. Credit for similar tax paid to another state; $6 minimum. Title $9 (speed title $25), lien $22, registration $21. Yearly property tax not included.

Michigan registration

• First-year tax by list price under MCL 257.801(1)(p): $36 up to $6,000, then $40 to $178 in $1,000 bands up to $30,000, plus $6 per $1,000 or fraction above. Second, third and fourth-and-later registrations are each 90% of the previous one, rounded to a whole dollar (50¢ down, 51¢ up). Plus $2.25 and $5.75 until October 1, 2027. EV $100 / plug-in hybrid $30 (8,000 lbs or less) plus $5 / $2.50 per cent of gas tax above 19¢ (user-entered rate). Optional $15 title, $10 late fee, $15 Recreation Passport.

Michigan

• Tax = 6% × (full price − dealer discounts − trade-in credit). 2026 trade-in credit = the lesser of the agreed value or $12,000, licensed dealers only; manufacturer rebates are not deducted. Title $15, +$1 lien, +$5 expedited; plate transfer $10 or $15; $15 late fee after 15 days; optional Recreation Passport $15. New-plate registration fees are entered by the user from the SOS calculator.

Rhode Island

• Tax = 7% × (price − trade-in) at a dealer, trade-in only for passenger vehicles, motorcycles and motor homes. Private sales: 7% × the greater of price or NADA Clean Retail for vehicles 7 years old or less, 30+ years or on the CPI list; 7% × price for 8–29 years. Title $53.50, security lien statement $53.50. Two-year registration = 2 × annual weight fee ($30 up to 4,000 lbs, then $40/$48/$56/$64/$70/$78) + $3.50 technology surcharge + $40 DOT surcharge + $200/$100/$50 per year for BEV/PHEV/hybrid. First registrations are prorated by the DMV; we show the full term.

New York

• Two-year registration = 2 × (81¢ per 100 lbs up to 3,500 + $1.21 per 100 lbs above, remainder over 50 lbs counts as 100), minimum $12.95/yr ($16.18 six-plus cylinders/EV), maximum $70.08/yr, rounded to $0.50. Plus county use tax and $50 MCTD fee. New registrations add $25 plates, $50 title and sales tax at the buyer's local rate on price less trade-in.

New Jersey

• Sales tax 6.625% of price less trade-in. LFIS 0.4% of price before trade-in on new vehicles at $45,000+ (unless over 40 MPG) or under 19 MPG, not ZEVs. Registration $46.50/$71.50, or $59/$84 within two years of model year, $7 less for seniors; ZEV fee $270 from July 1, 2026; title $60 ($85 with lien).

Wisconsin purchase

• Tax = (price − trade-in) × (5% + county tax 0.5%, Milwaukee County 0.9%, City of Milwaukee +2%). Title $214.50, lien $10, registration $85, hybrid +$75, EV +$175, plus the wheel tax the user enters.

Minnesota sales tax

• 6.875% of price less trade-in and manufacturer rebate; $10 for a passenger car in its 10th+ year worth under $3,000; $150 collector vehicles; optional $20 county excise on dealer sales.

Louisiana

• Sales tax = (price − trade-in − manufacturer rebate) × (5% state + local rate where the buyer lives). Plate = 0.1% of selling price per year, value rounded to the nearest $1,000 with a $10,000 minimum, sold for two years. Title $68.50, handling $8, UCC lien $15.

Colorado registration

• SOT = 85% of MSRP × 2.1/1.5/1.2/0.9/0.45% by year of service, $3 from year 10; road safety $12.30/$19.30/$24.30 and bridge safety $13/$18/$23 by weight; age fee $12/$10/$7; clerk, county road and bridge, emissions, EMS, POST and insurance fees; EV fee $63.05 + road usage $26 (BEV) or $13 (PHEV). Base fee is entered by the user.

Arizona sales tax

• (Price − trade-in) × (5.6% state + county and city rate at the dealer's location). No TPT on private sales between individuals.

California sales tax

• (Price − dealer discount) × (7.25% + district rate at the registration address). Trade-ins aren't deducted and assigned manufacturer rebates stay taxable. Purchases from qualifying family members are exempt.

Montana

• Registration $217 (0–4 years), $87 (5–10), $28 (11+), +$825 over $150,000 MSRP; $10 fee; $9 parks fee unless declined; EV $130/$190 or PHEV $70/$100 by weight class; county local option tax at the user's rate on MSRP × the 61-3-503 depreciation multiplier (minimum $500 value); title and plates $12 each.

Illinois

• Dealer sales: (price − trade-in) × the dealer location rate. Private sales: RUT-50 Table A by age under $15,000 or Table B by price; $15 for qualifying family transfers; plus Chicago and Cook County private party taxes by age.

California registration

• Fixed fees: $76 registration (including $3 alternative fuel/technology fee) and $34 CHP fee.
• Value = price paid × the depreciation percentage for the registration year (100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 25%, 20%, then 15%).
• Vehicle license fee = 0.65% × value. Transportation improvement fee = $33, $66, $132, $198 or $231 by value tier.
• Optional: $121 road improvement fee (ZEV 2020+, not on first dealer registration), $20 smog abatement, county fees you enter, and the DMV's late penalty table.

The any-state calculator

The homepage calculator doesn't know your state's rules. It multiplies the taxable amount by the rate you enter, with checkboxes for the two rules that vary most (trade-in credit and taxable doc fees). Use a state calculator when one exists for your state.

What a calculator can't know

Our results are estimates, and these are the most common reasons the official amount differs:

• The value the state uses. Some states tax a book value instead of the price you paid if the price looks low, and counties use their own valuation guides for property tax.
• Your exact local rate. Rates can differ between neighboring addresses because of city limits and special districts.
• Exemptions. Family transfers, gifts, military status, disability plates and farm use can lower or remove tax in ways a calculator can't confirm.
• Fees outside our scope. Plate fees by vehicle type, specialty plates, inspection fees and dealer charges vary widely.
• Changes in the law. States change rates and fees, usually on January 1 or July 1. We recheck each state on a schedule, but a change can take effect before we update.

How we keep rates current

Each state calculator is rechecked against its official sources at least every three months, and again around January 1 and July 1, when most changes take effect. When a rule changes we update the calculator, the page text and the "checked" date together. If you spot something out of date, please tell us and include a link to the official source if you have one. Corrections are our top priority.

Rounding

We round each line to the nearest cent and add the rounded lines, which is how most state offices present their totals. Results can differ by a few cents from a state's own system.