Out-the-door price calculator: tax, title and fees by state

The out-the-door (OTD) price is everything you actually pay to drive away: the vehicle price plus sales tax, the dealer doc fee, and title and registration, minus any trade-in credit and rebates. It is almost always higher than the advertised price.

Sales tax is a percentage of the taxable amount. In most states the taxable amount is the price after your trade-in credit, so a trade-in lowers the tax you owe; a few states tax the full price. Pick your state to load its own rules, county surtax included, or toggle "tax after the trade-in credit" yourself if you type a rate.

In most states, yes: you only pay tax on the difference between the car price and your trade-in value. This calculator applies that credit when the toggle is on, and always subtracts the full trade-in value from the out-the-door total.

It is a close estimate. Tax rates and fees vary by state, county, and dealer, and some fees are capped by law. Always confirm the final out-the-door figure on the buyer’s order from the selling dealer.

In some states. Several set a dollar cap, some adjusted every year with inflation, and others set no cap but require a sign, a separate line on the buyer’s order or a notice that it is not a government fee. Pick your state above to see its rule next to the doc fee field.

A state title fee is usually one fixed amount. Registration is flat in some states and figured from the car’s weight, value, age or fuel in most, with county fees on top. The table above shows each state’s title fee and whether registration is flat or varies.