What will your car really cost?

Sales tax, title, registration and the yearly fees in your state, added up into one out-the-door price.

Pick your state

More states are on the way.

What’s in the out-the-door price

The sticker price is never what you pay. Every state adds its own mix of taxes and fees when you buy and register a car:

  • Sales tax or its replacement. Most states charge sales tax, often with a county or city rate on top. Georgia and North Carolina use a title tax instead.
  • Trade-in rules. Many states tax only the difference after your trade-in, but California doesn’t, Ohio only does it on new cars, and Michigan caps it.
  • Private sales. Several states tax a private sale on the car’s book value, not just the price you agreed on.
  • Title and registration. Some states charge a flat fee; others price it by weight, by value or by the car’s original list price.
  • Yearly taxes. A few states, like Massachusetts and California, also tax the car every year based on its value.

Each state page shows the rules, a worked example and links to the official sources we used. How we calculate.