Tax, title and license calculator by state
Tax, title and license is the phrase dealers use for everything the state charges on top of the price of the car. Pick your state to calculate what it adds up to, which depends entirely on where you register it.
Pick your state for the full breakdown
| State | State tax rate | Trade-in credit | TTL on a $25,000 car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2% | Yes | $696.75 |
| Alaska | 0% | Yes | $115 |
| Arizona | 5.6% | Yes | $1,833.50 |
| Arkansas | 6.5% | Yes | $1,662.50 |
| California | 7.25% | No | $2,669.50 |
| Colorado | 2.9% | Yes | $1,235.75 |
| Connecticut | 6.35% | Yes | $1,826.50 |
| Delaware | 5.25% | Yes | $1,387.50 |
| District of Columbia | 3.1% | No | $910 |
| Florida | 6% | Yes | $1,924.35 |
| Georgia | 7% | Yes | $1,788 |
| Hawaii | 4% | No | $1,496.50 |
| Idaho | 6% | Yes | $1,584.25 |
| Illinois | 6.25% | Yes | $1,878.50 |
| Indiana | 7% | Yes | $2,151.35 |
| Iowa | 5% | Yes | $1,557.80 |
| Kansas | 6.5% | Yes | $1,677.75 |
| Kentucky | 6% | New cars only | $1,530 |
| Louisiana | 5% | Yes | $1,376.50 |
| Maine | 5.5% | Yes | $2,043 |
| Maryland | 6.5% | Yes | $1,945.50 |
| Massachusetts | 6.25% | Yes | $2,230 |
| Michigan | 6% | Capped | $1,668 |
| Minnesota | 6.875% | Yes | $2,174 |
| Mississippi | 5% | Yes | $1,288 |
| Missouri | 4.225% | Yes | $1,832.75 |
| Montana | not published | Yes | $244.51 |
| Nebraska | 5.5% | Yes | $1,813.70 |
| Nevada | 6.85% | Yes | $2,487.50 |
| New Hampshire | not published | Yes | $541 |
| New Jersey | 6.625% | Yes | $1,762.75 |
| New Mexico | 4% | Yes | $1,076.50 |
| New York | 4% | Yes | $2,101 |
| North Carolina | 3% | Yes | $863 |
| North Dakota | 5% | Yes | $1,349.50 |
| Ohio | 5.75% | New cars only | $1,874.50 |
| Oklahoma | 3.25% + 1.25% | No | $1,220.25 |
| Oregon | 0.5% | No | $268 |
| Pennsylvania | 6% | Yes | $1,620 |
| Rhode Island | 7% | Yes | $1,855.25 |
| South Carolina | 5% | Yes | $535 |
| South Dakota | 4% | Yes | $1,086 |
| Tennessee | 7% | Yes | $1,875.50 |
| Texas | 6.25% | Yes | $1,659.50 |
| Utah | 4.85% | Yes | $2,029 |
| Vermont | 6% | Yes | $1,633 |
| Virginia | 4.15% | No | $1,083.25 |
| Washington | 7% | Yes | $1,947.75 |
| West Virginia | 6% | Yes | $1,566.50 |
| Wisconsin | 5% | Yes | $1,686.50 |
| Wyoming | 4% | Yes | $1,495 |
The fee that is not the state's
Every figure above goes to the government. The line on a dealer's order that surprises people most does not: the documentation fee. Some states cap it in the low hundreds, some set no limit at all, and none of them require a dealer to charge it. What each state allows a dealer to charge for paperwork.
By car price
The same question asked the other way round: for a given budget, what does it cost to get the car on the road in each state? We worked it out for a $30,000 car in every state. For any other price, pick your state at the top of this page, then enter what you are paying in that state's calculator.
The rule that costs the most
Tax rates get the attention. The rule that actually decides who pays more is whether the state subtracts your trade-in before working out the tax.
Take the same deal in two states: a $30,000 car with a $10,000 trade-in.
| State | Taxed on | Tax | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $20,000 | $589 | $200 saved |
| California | $30,000 | $2,700 | Nothing saved |
California taxes the full price whatever you hand over in part exchange. Most calculators apply the credit anyway and quote a number that is too low, which is a pleasant surprise right up until the counter.
Checking a dealer's whole quote, fees and all? That is the job of the out-the-door price calculator.
What TTL actually covers
Three separate charges that get quoted as one number:
- Tax. Sales or use tax on the purchase, charged once, and by far the biggest part on anything but a cheap car.
- Title. A one-time fee to issue the ownership document in your name.
- License. The registration and plate that make the car legal to drive, charged again every year.
Anything else on the sheet is the dealer's own charge, not the state's. Each state page above sets out which is which.
What dealers add that is not tax, title and license
Tax, title and license is money the state collects. A dealer's out-the-door figure usually contains other things that are not. Knowing which is which is the difference between a fee you cannot argue with and one you can.
| Line on the sheet | What it really is |
|---|---|
| Sales tax | Goes to the state. Fixed by law. Not negotiable. |
| Title fee | Goes to the state agency. Fixed. Not negotiable. |
| Registration and plate | Goes to the state agency. Fixed. Not negotiable. |
| Documentation fee | Goes to the dealer, for paperwork they were going to do anyway. Some states cap it, some do not, and none require it. Negotiable in practice, and often the first thing to come off. |
| Dealer prep | Goes to the dealer, for washing and inspecting the car. The manufacturer already paid them to do this. |
| VIN etching, paint protection, fabric guard | Add-ons. Decline them if you do not want them. |
| Advertising fee | The dealer's marketing budget, passed to you. |
Ask for the out-the-door price in writing, then check the government portion against the state page for where you will register. Whatever is left over is the part worth talking about. What each state lets a dealer charge for paperwork.
Title and registration are not the same thing
| Title | Registration | |
|---|---|---|
| What it proves | That you own the vehicle. | That the vehicle is allowed on public roads. |
| How often you pay | Once, when ownership changes. | Every year, or every two years in some states. |
| What you get | A paper or electronic certificate you keep. | A plate, a sticker and a registration card. |
| If you skip it | You cannot legally sell the car. | You get a ticket, and eventually the car gets towed. |
A financed car adds a third document. The lender's lien is recorded against the title, and you do not hold a clear title until the loan is paid off.
Rolling tax, title and license into a loan
Most buyers finance the whole out-the-door figure rather than paying the tax and fees in cash. That is normal, and it is also how people end up owing more than the car is worth in the first year.
On a $30,000 car, tax and fees can add a couple of thousand to the amount borrowed. That money buys nothing you can resell. If the car is written off in month three, the insurance pays out the value of the car, not the value of the car plus the tax you paid on it. That gap is exactly what gap insurance exists to cover.
Paying tax, title and license in cash and financing only the car keeps the loan matched to something worth money.
Full fee detail by state
These pages answer the TTL question. For renewal costs, license plate prices, electric vehicle fees, late penalties and everything else a state charges, use the full state pages.