AutoTaxCalculatorWhat PA tax, title and tags add up to
PA tax, title and tags = sales tax (6%, 7% or 8% of price minus trade-in) + $72 title + registration + any lien, local use or road user fees. A $32,000 car with a $10,000 trade-in, financed, in Allegheny County comes to $1,696.
- Sales tax: $22,000 × 7% = $1,540
- Title: $72
- Lien: $36
- Tags (one-year passenger registration): $48
Pennsylvania charges sales tax on the purchase price or the vehicle's current market value. If you trade a car in to the seller, tax applies only to the difference. Outside Allegheny County and Philadelphia, the rate is 6%. For more on the sales tax, including private sales and gifts, see the Pennsylvania car sales tax calculator.
PA vehicle registration fee chart
| Class | One year | Two years |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger | $48 | $96 |
| Motorcycle | $25 | $50 |
| Motor-driven cycle / motorized pedalcycle | $11 | $22 |
| Motor home, 8,000 lbs or less | $88 | $176 |
| Motor home, 8,001–11,000 lbs | $123 | $246 |
| Motor home, 11,001 lbs or more | $158 | $316 |
| Taxi, ambulance or hearse | $104 | $208 |
Every registration fee includes a standard plate the first time it's issued. Other fees from the same schedule:
- Certificate of title: $72. Duplicate title: $72.
- Recording a lien: $36 per lien.
- Transfer of a registration plate: $11.
- Replacement for a lost or stolen standard plate: $14.
- Duplicate registration card: $2 at registration time, $7 later, free online.
- Fee for local use: $5 a year in participating counties, collected at registration and renewal.
PA pickup truck registration fees
Trucks, including pickups, are registered by registered gross weight in 25 classes. A typical pickup falls in class 1, 2 or 3, depending on the gross weight it's registered at.
| Class | Registered gross weight | One year | Two years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5,000 lbs or less | $82 | $164 |
| 2 | 5,001 – 7,000 | $111 | $222 |
| 3 | 7,001 – 9,000 | $214 | $428 |
| 4 | 9,001 – 10,000 | $278 | $556 |
| 4B | 10,001 – 11,000 | $278 | $556 |
| 5 | 11,001 – 14,000 | $423 | $846 |
| 6 | 14,001 – 17,000 | $501 | $1,002 |
| 7 | 17,001 – 21,000 | $618 | $1,236 |
| 8 | 21,001 – 26,000 | $705 | $1,410 |
Heavier classes run up to class 25 (79,001–80,000 lbs) at $2,935 a year. Farm trucks have their own lower column on the schedule, starting at $143 a year. Apportioned and fleet vehicles can't use the two-year term.
The road user charge for EVs and plug-in hybrids
Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles pay a road user charge (RUC) on top of the regular registration. PennDOT's 2026 flat amounts are:
| Term | Electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year registration | $250 | $63 |
| 2-year registration | $500 | $126 |
The RUC period has to match the registration period. A one-year EV registration renews for $48 + $250 = $298, about six times what the same car would pay with a gas engine.
Reduced and free registration
- $12 processing fee instead of registration: for qualifying owners whose total income doesn't exceed $30,778 a year (form MV-371 or MV-140). It covers one passenger car, or one truck registered at 9,000 lbs or less.
- No fee: for veterans whose total disability is service-connected, veterans who lost a limb or eye or became partially paralyzed in service, former prisoners of war, and recipients of the Medal of Honor or the Purple Heart.
More worked examples
Renewing a half-ton pickup registered at 6,500 lbs for two years
- Class 2 (5,001–7,000 lbs): $111 × 2 = $222
$45,000 electric SUV in Philadelphia, no trade-in, cash, one-year tags
- Sales tax: $45,000 × 8% = $3,600
- Title $72 + registration $48 + road user charge $250
- Total: $3,970
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my old plate on a new car?
Yes. Transferring your registration plate costs $11 instead of a new registration. The tag agent handles it with the title paperwork.
How much is a personalized plate?
Personalization is an extra charge on top of the registration. PennDOT's schedule lists personalization fees of $103 for a standard-issue plate and $136 for most other plates. Specialty and fundraising plates have their own issuance fees.
What does it cost to restore a suspended registration?
The motor vehicle registration restoration fee is $119, or there's a $500 civil penalty in lieu of suspension where it applies.
Sources
- PennDOT: Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees, MV-70S (4-26)
- PennDOT fact sheet: Buying and selling a vehicle (sales tax rates and trade-ins)
- PennDOT fact sheet: Completing form MV-4ST
- PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services: Payments and Fees
This calculator gives an estimate. PennDOT and your tag agent calculate the final amount. How we calculate