Car Buying Guides by State
Sales tax, dealer doc fee caps, registration steps, and inspection rules all vary by state — and they change the real cost of a car more than most buyers expect. We're building out a guide for every state; here's what's live so far.
Alabama
2% state base rate
Alaska
No state sales tax in Alaska. Some boroughs and muni...
Arizona
5.6% state base rate
Arkansas
6.5% state base rate
California
7.25% state base rate
Colorado
2.9% state base rate
Connecticut
6.35% flat state rate on most vehicle purchases
Delaware
No state or local sales tax on vehicle purchases — D...
Florida
6% state rate plus a county discretionary surtax
Georgia
7% Title Ad Valorem Tax
Hawaii
4% state General Excise Tax
Idaho
6% flat state rate
Illinois
6.25% state rate plus local home-rule taxes — the Ch...
Indiana
7% flat state rate
Iowa
Iowa doesn't charge a traditional sales tax on vehic...
Kansas
6.5% state base rate
Kentucky
6% flat motor vehicle usage tax
Louisiana
4.45% state base rate
Maine
5.5% flat state rate
Maryland
6.5% excise tax on the vehicle's total purchase price
Massachusetts
6.25% flat state rate
Michigan
6% flat state use tax
Minnesota
6.5% Motor Vehicle Sales Tax
Mississippi
5% flat state rate with no local add-on — Mississipp...
Missouri
4.225% state base rate
Montana
No statewide sales or use tax — Montana is one of on...
Nebraska
5.5% state base rate
Nevada
6.85% state base rate
New Hampshire
New Hampshire charges no state sales tax on vehicle...
New Jersey
6.625% flat state rate with no local add-ons — New J...
New Mexico
4% flat Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
New York
4% state rate plus county and city add-ons — New Yor...
North Carolina
3% state Highway Use Tax
North Dakota
5% flat motor vehicle excise tax collected once at t...
Ohio
5.75% state base rate
Oklahoma
3.25% state motor vehicle excise tax
Oregon
No state or local sales tax on vehicle purchases — O...
Pennsylvania
6% state rate; Allegheny County
Rhode Island
7% flat state rate with no local or municipal add-on
South Carolina
5% Infrastructure Maintenance Fee
South Dakota
4% flat motor vehicle excise tax on the purchase price
Tennessee
7% state base rate
Texas
6.25% flat state motor vehicle sales tax — this is a...
Utah
4.85% state base rate
Vermont
6% flat Purchase and Use Tax
Virginia
4.15% Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
Washington
6.5% state base rate
West Virginia
6% state privilege tax on vehicle purchases
Wisconsin
5% state base rate
Wyoming
4% state base rate