AutoTaxCalculatorHow Ohio vehicle sales tax works
Ohio car sales tax = (price − trade-in on a new car) × your county's total rate. In Franklin County (8%), a $35,000 new car with a $10,000 trade-in owes $2,000. The same car bought used owes $2,800, because the trade-in isn't deducted.
The tax has two layers: Ohio's 5.75% state rate, and the permissive rate set by your county, plus a transit authority rate in some areas. For vehicles, the rate is set by the county where you live. A Columbus resident pays Franklin County's 8% even when buying from a dealer in Butler County at 6.5%. You pay the tax at the county clerk of courts title office when the title is issued. Dealers handle this for their sales.
The trade-in rule: new vehicles only
Ohio is stricter than most states. Under R.C. 5739.01(H)(2), the value of a vehicle traded in on the purchase of a new motor vehicle from a dealer is deducted from the taxable price. When the vehicle you're buying is used, you're taxed on the full price, whatever you trade in. The BMV Title Division decides whether a vehicle counts as new or used.
The difference is real money. On a $35,000 purchase with a $10,000 trade-in at 7.25%, the tax is $1,812.50 if the car is new and $2,537.50 if it's used, a gap of $725.
Private sales are taxed too
Most things you buy from another person in Ohio are exempt as a "casual sale". Motor vehicles are specifically excluded from that exemption, so a car bought from a neighbor or online seller is taxed. You pay sales or use tax to the clerk of courts when the title is transferred, at your county's rate on the price you paid. Swaps count too: if two people trade cars with no money changing hands, tax is due on the value exchanged.
Worked examples
New $35,000 car in Franklin County with a $10,000 trade-in
- Taxable price: $35,000 − $10,000 = $25,000
- Tax: $25,000 × 8.00% = $2,000.00
Used $20,000 SUV in Butler County with a $5,000 trade-in
- Used vehicle: the trade-in isn't deducted, so the taxable price is $20,000
- Tax: $20,000 × 6.50% = $1,300.00
Private sale: $8,000 car, buyer lives in Cuyahoga County
- Tax: $8,000 × 8.00% = $640.00, paid at the title office
Buying out of state or moving to Ohio
If you legally paid sales or use tax to another state, Ohio credits it. Bring proof to the clerk of courts, and you pay only the difference if Ohio's rate is higher. If you're moving to Ohio with a vehicle you bought at least six months before the move, no Ohio sales tax is due when you title it here.
Ohio vehicle sales tax rates by county
Effective October 1, 2026. Fifty-one counties are at 7.25%. Warren County went from 6.75% to 7.25% on October 1, 2026.
| County | County rate | Transit rate | Total with 5.75% state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Allen | 1.00% | 0.10% | 6.85% |
| Ashland | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Ashtabula | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Athens | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Auglaize | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Belmont | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Brown | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Butler | 0.75% | — | 6.50% |
| Carroll | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Champaign | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Clark | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Clermont | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Clinton | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Columbiana | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Coshocton | 2.00% | — | 7.75% |
| Crawford | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Cuyahoga | 1.25% | 1.00% | 8.00% |
| Darke | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Defiance | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Delaware | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Erie | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Fairfield | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Fayette | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Franklin | 1.25% | 1.00% | 8.00% |
| Fulton | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Gallia | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Geauga | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Greene | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Guernsey | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Hamilton | 1.25% | 0.80% | 7.80% |
| Hancock | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Hardin | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Harrison | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Henry | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Highland | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Hocking | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Holmes | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Huron | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Jackson | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Jefferson | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Knox | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Lake | 1.00% | 0.50% | 7.25% |
| Lawrence | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Licking | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Logan | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Lorain | 0.75% | — | 6.50% |
| Lucas | 1.50% | 0.50% | 7.75% |
| Madison | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Mahoning | 1.50% | 0.25% | 7.50% |
| Marion | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Medina | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Meigs | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Mercer | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Miami | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Monroe | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Montgomery | 1.25% | 0.50% | 7.50% |
| Morgan | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Morrow | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Muskingum | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Noble | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Ottawa | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Paulding | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Perry | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Pickaway | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Pike | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Portage | 1.00% | 0.25% | 7.00% |
| Preble | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Putnam | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Richland | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Ross | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Sandusky | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Scioto | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Seneca | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Shelby | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Stark | 0.50% | 0.25% | 6.50% |
| Summit | 0.50% | 0.50% | 6.75% |
| Trumbull | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Tuscarawas | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Union | 1.25% | — | 7.00% |
| Van Wert | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Vinton | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Warren | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Washington | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Wayne | 0.75% | — | 6.50% |
| Williams | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
| Wood | 1.00% | — | 6.75% |
| Wyandot | 1.50% | — | 7.25% |
Parts of Delaware, Fairfield, Licking and Union counties also have a 1.00% COTA transit levy covering the sections of Columbus, Westerville, Reynoldsburg and Dublin that extend into them. The City of Rossford in Wood County has a 0.50% transit tax, for a total of 7.25%. If you live in one of those areas, your rate is higher than the county figure.
Titling deadline
Apply for the title within 30 days of the sale. After that, the title office adds a $5 late fee. If you financed the car, the lien is noted on the title at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my county matter if I bought the car in another county?
Ohio taxes vehicle purchases at the rate where the buyer lives. The title office uses your address on the title application.
Can I get a trade-in credit buying a used car from a dealer?
No. Ohio law allows the trade-in deduction only against the price of a new motor vehicle. The trade still lowers what you pay the dealer, just not the tax.
Which Ohio counties have the lowest car sales tax?
Butler, Lorain, Stark and Wayne counties, at 6.50%. Cuyahoga and Franklin are highest at 8.00%.
Sources
- Ohio Department of Taxation: Sales and use tax rate map and county table, October 2026 (PDF)
- Ohio Department of Taxation: Tax Expenditure Report 2026–2027, motor vehicle trade-ins (PDF)
- Ohio Department of Taxation: Sales of vehicles and common vehicle exemptions (PDF)
- Ohio BMV 3774: Application for certificate of title (PDF)
This calculator gives an estimate. The county clerk of courts title office calculates the final amount. How we calculate