Data · 50 states + D.C.

Car sales tax by state (2026)

Vehicle purchases are taxed differently from grocery-store sales in many states. This table lists the statewide vehicle rate, a typical local add-on band, and whether a trade-in reduces the taxable base — as of 2026-07-13.

One-sentence answer: State vehicle tax rates in this file range from 0% (no vehicle sales tax) to high single digits before local add-ons, and trade-in treatment is full, partial, or none depending on the state.

Vehicle sales/excise tax by U.S. state: tax type, state rate, typical local add-on band, and trade-in credit rule. Rates apply to vehicle purchases, which several states tax differently from general retail sales.

Vehicle sales / excise tax by state — as of 2026-07-13
State	Code	Tax type	State rate (%)	Typical local add-on (%)	Trade-in credit	Notes
Alabama	AL	Sales tax (automotive rate)	2	0.5–3.5	Full credit	Automotive rate is lower than Alabama's 4% general rate; county/city automotive rates add on.
Alaska	AK	No state sales tax	0	0–7.5	No vehicle tax	No state sales tax; some boroughs/cities levy a local sales tax that can reach vehicles.
Arizona	AZ	Transaction privilege tax (TPT)	5.6	0.7–3.4	Full credit	County + city TPT add-ons vary; annual VLT (value-based) is charged separately at registration.
Arkansas	AR	Sales tax	6.5	1–5	Full credit	Vehicles priced under $4,000 are exempt; reduced rate band applies from $4,000-$10,000.
California	CA	Sales/use tax	7.25	0–3.5	None	District taxes push combined rates to roughly 7.25-10.75% depending on address.
Colorado	CO	Sales/use tax	2.9	1–8	Full credit	Low state rate but heavy county/city/district add-ons; annual specific ownership tax (value-based) is separate.
Connecticut	CT	Sales tax	6.35	—	Full credit	7.75% on vehicles priced over $50,000. Annual municipal motor vehicle property tax is separate.
Delaware	DE	Vehicle document fee (in lieu of sales tax)	4.25	—	Full credit	No sales tax; the 4.25% DMV document fee functions as the purchase tax.
District of Columbia	DC	Vehicle excise tax	—	—	None	Rate schedule roughly 1-10.1% set by vehicle weight and city MPG (rules updated Feb 2025); EVs pay reduced rates.
Florida	FL	Sales tax	6	0.5–1.5	Full credit	County discretionary surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the price.
Georgia	GA	Title ad valorem tax (TAVT), one-time	7	—	Full credit	One-time tax at titling; no annual ad valorem for vehicles under TAVT.
Hawaii	HI	General excise tax (GET)	4	0–0.5	None	County surcharges up to 0.5%; dealers typically pass GET through at 4.166-4.712%.
Idaho	ID	Sales tax	6	—	Full credit	—
Illinois	IL	Sales/use tax	6.25	0.25–3.5	Full credit	Chicago-area combined rates run roughly 8.25-10.25%.
Indiana	IN	Sales tax	7	—	Full credit	—
Iowa	IA	Fee for new registration (in lieu of sales tax)	5	—	Full credit	5% one-time fee on the purchase price less trade-in, paid at registration.
Kansas	KS	Sales tax	6.5	1–4	Full credit	Annual county property tax on vehicles is separate.
Kentucky	KY	Motor vehicle usage tax	6	—	Partial	Annual ad valorem property tax on vehicles is separate.
Louisiana	LA	Sales tax	5	4–7	Full credit	State rate rose to 5% on Jan 1, 2025; parish/local add-ons are among the highest in the country.
Maine	ME	Sales tax	5.5	—	Full credit	Annual municipal excise tax (value/age-based) is separate.
Maryland	MD	Vehicle excise tax (in lieu of sales tax)	6.5	—	Full credit	Rate rose from 6% to 6.5% effective July 1, 2025; minimum taxable value rules apply.
Massachusetts	MA	Sales/use tax	6.25	—	Full credit	Annual municipal motor vehicle excise ($25 per $1,000 of valuation) is separate.
Michigan	MI	Sales tax	6	—	Partial	—
Minnesota	MN	Motor vehicle sales tax	6.875	—	Full credit	Vehicle sales are exempt from general local sales taxes; a flat $10 in-lieu tax applies to certain older vehicles.
Mississippi	MS	Sales tax (vehicle rate)	5	—	Full credit	5% on cars/light trucks; annual county ad valorem tax on vehicles is separate.
Missouri	MO	Sales tax	4.225	2–6	Full credit	—
Montana	MT	No sales tax	0	—	No vehicle tax	No sales tax; registration fees (age-based) and a luxury-vehicle fee apply instead.
Nebraska	NE	Sales tax	5.5	0.5–2	Full credit	Annual motor vehicle tax (value/age-based) is separate.
Nevada	NV	Sales tax	6.85	0–1.53	Full credit	Combined rates run 6.85-8.375% by county; annual governmental services tax (value-based) is separate.
New Hampshire	NH	No sales tax	0	—	No vehicle tax	No sales tax; town registration permit fee (value/age-based) applies annually.
New Jersey	NJ	Sales tax	6.625	—	Full credit	The former EV sales-tax exemption has been phased out; EVs are now taxed at the full rate.
New Mexico	NM	Motor vehicle excise tax	4	—	Full credit	—
New York	NY	Sales tax	4	3–4.88	Full credit	Tax is charged at the rate of the registrant's home jurisdiction; combined rates typically 7-8.88%.
North Carolina	NC	Highway use tax (HUT)	3	—	Full credit	3% HUT in lieu of sales tax; annual county property tax on vehicles is separate.
North Dakota	ND	Motor vehicle excise tax	5	—	Full credit	—
Ohio	OH	Sales tax	5.75	0.75–2.25	Partial	—
Oklahoma	OK	Excise tax 3.25% + sales tax 1.25%	4.5	—	Full credit	Combined 4.5% on dealer sales; used-vehicle excise uses a $20 floor on the first $1,500.
Oregon	OR	No sales tax (0.5% dealer privilege/use tax on new vehicles)	0.5	—	No vehicle tax	No retail sales tax; dealers owe a 0.5% privilege tax on new-vehicle sales, commonly passed through.
Pennsylvania	PA	Sales tax	6	0–2	Full credit	+1% in Allegheny County, +2% in Philadelphia.
Rhode Island	RI	Sales tax	7	—	Full credit	—
South Carolina	SC	Infrastructure maintenance fee (IMF)	5	—	Full credit	IMF is capped at $500 per vehicle; annual county property tax on vehicles is separate.
South Dakota	SD	Motor vehicle excise tax	4	—	Full credit	—
Tennessee	TN	Sales tax	7	1.5–2.75	Full credit	Local tax applies only to the first $1,600 (max ~$44); state single-article tax of 2.75% applies to the $1,600-$3,200 slice (max $44).
Texas	TX	Motor vehicle sales tax	6.25	—	Full credit	Flat 6.25% statewide; no local add-on on vehicle sales. Private-party used sales use at least 80% of standard presumptive value.
Utah	UT	Sales tax	4.85	2–4.2	Full credit	—
Vermont	VT	Purchase and use tax	6	—	Full credit	—
Virginia	VA	Motor vehicle sales and use tax (SUT)	4.15	—	None	$75 minimum tax; annual local personal property tax on vehicles is separate.
Washington	WA	Sales tax + 0.3% motor vehicle tax	6.8	1.5–4.1	Full credit	6.5% state + 0.3% motor vehicle sales/use tax; combined rates often 8.5-10.6%. RTA excise applies at registration in the Sound Transit district.
West Virginia	WV	Sales tax (privilege tax)	6	—	Full credit	$30 flat on vehicles priced under $500.
Wisconsin	WI	Sales tax	5	0–0.9	Full credit	County taxes add 0.5% in most counties; city of Milwaukee adds more.
Wyoming	WY	Sales tax	4	1–2	Full credit	—

Local rates are shown as bands because many states let cities and counties stack their own automotive rates. A buyer in a high-add-on county can see a several-point gap versus a rural ZIP in the same state.

Trade-in credit is often worth more than a small price concession. In a full-credit state, a $5,000 trade allowance at an 8% combined rate saves about $400 in tax; in a no-credit state that same allowance does not shrink the taxable base.

Title ad valorem and hybrid systems are labeled in the tax-type column. Those systems replace a pure sales-tax percentage with a titled-value formula — use the note field and the state agency schedule before treating the percentage as final.

Sources

Compiled as of 2026-07-13. Not tax advice. Confirm with your state department of revenue or motor vehicle agency.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the highest car sales tax?

It depends how you count local add-ons. Several states post a mid-single-digit state rate but allow local rates that push the combined total near or above 10%. Always check the local band in the table, not only the state rate.

Do I pay sales tax on a trade-in?

In full-credit states you usually pay tax only on the difference between the new price and the trade-in allowance. Partial-credit states limit that benefit; none-credit states tax the full price. A handful of states have no vehicle sales tax at all.

Is vehicle tax the same as general sales tax?

Not always. Some states publish a separate automotive rate that is lower than the general merchandise rate. Title ad valorem taxes replace sales tax in a few states.

Are local rates included in the state column?

No. The state rate column is the statewide base only. Typical local add-on bands are listed separately because city and county rates change more often and vary within a state.

How current is this table?

As of 2026-07-13. Rates are compiled from state revenue and motor-vehicle publications listed under Sources. Confirm the final figure on your contract with the dealer and the state agency.