Estimate the full cost of buying a car in Texas — 6.25% sales tax, title fee, and registration fees for your county — and see the one number that matters at the dealership: your estimated out-the-door total.
How Texas vehicle tax works
Texas charges a 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on every retail vehicle sale (Texas Tax Code §152.021). What the 6.25% applies to depends on how you buy:
- Dealer purchase: tax is charged on the price minus your trade-in allowance and minus any manufacturer or dealer rebates passed to you. A loan balance on your trade-in does not change this — the full allowance counts. The dealer's doc fee is not taxed.
- Private-party purchase of a used vehicle: there is no trade-in credit. Tax is charged on the greater of the price you paid or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) — TxDMV's guidebook value for the vehicle. If you paid much less than the SPV (for example, a car needing repairs), a certified appraisal (Form 14-128) filed within 30 days can lower the taxable value.
- Special cases replace the 6.25% entirely: new Texas residents pay a flat $90, a qualifying family gift is taxed at a flat $10, and an even exchange of vehicles at a flat $5.
On top of the tax you pay a title fee ($33 in emissions/affected counties, $28 elsewhere) and registration fees. A standard passenger car pays a $50.75 base fee plus a $1 TexasSure fee, a $7.50 inspection replacement fee, a $4.75 processing and handling fee, a county local fee ($0–$21.50 depending on your county), and a $2.75 emissions fee in the 17 emissions counties. New vehicles receive a two-year initial registration, so those annual fees are collected twice at purchase. All-electric vehicles add a $200-per-year EV fee ($400 on a new EV's first registration); hybrids do not pay it.
Worked example — dealer purchase, Harris County (Houston).
Used car at $30,000, no trade-in, gasoline. Sales tax: $30,000 × 6.25% = $1,875.00. Title fee: $33 (emissions county). Registration: $50.75 + $1 + $7.50 + $2.75 emissions + $11.50 county + $4.75 processing = $78.25. Doc fee: $150. Total taxes & fees: $2,136.25 — estimated out-the-door total: $32,136.25.
Worked example — private-party purchase, Dallas County.
Used car bought for $12,000 with an SPV of $16,000. Taxable value is the greater of $12,000 or 80% × $16,000 = $12,800, so sales tax = $12,800 × 6.25% = $800.00. Title fee $33; registration $78.25 (Dallas county fee $11.50). Total due at the county within 30 days: $911.25. The seller collects nothing — the buyer pays the County Tax Assessor-Collector.
Texas fee tables (2026)
Registration base fee by vehicle weight
| Vehicle | Annual fee |
|---|
| Passenger car / light truck — 6,000 lbs or less | $50.75 |
| All vehicles — 6,001 to 10,000 lbs | $54.00 |
| 10,001 – 18,000 lbs | $110.00 |
| 18,001 – 25,999 lbs | $205.00 |
| 26,000 – 40,000 lbs | $340.00 |
| 40,001 – 54,999 lbs | $535.00 |
| 55,000 – 70,000 lbs | $740.00 |
| 70,001 – 80,000 lbs | $840.00 |
| Motorcycle / moped | $30.00 |
| Trailer / travel trailer — 6,000 lbs or less | $45.00 |
Fees added to every registration
| Fee | Amount |
|---|
| TexasSure insurance verification | $1.00 |
| Inspection replacement fee (two-year fee on new vehicles: $16.75) | $7.50 |
| Emissions inspection fee — emissions counties only | $2.75 |
| Processing and handling (per transaction) | $4.75 |
| County local fee — set by each county; highest are Bexar and Cameron at $21.50, eight counties charge $0 | $0 – $21.50 |
| Electric vehicle fee — all-electric only, per year ($400 on a new EV's two-year first registration) | $200.00 |
Title and flat taxes
| Item | Amount |
|---|
| Title application fee — emissions / affected counties | $33.00 |
| Title application fee — all other counties | $28.00 |
| New resident tax (flat, instead of 6.25%) | $90.00 |
| Gift tax (flat, eligible family gifts) | $10.00 |
| Even exchange tax (flat) | $5.00 |
Deadlines and penalties. Title and tax are due within 30 calendar days of purchase (60 for active-duty military). Paying the sales tax 1–30 days late adds a 5% penalty; more than 30 days late adds 10%. A late title application adds $25, plus $25 for each additional 30 days, capped at $250.
Bexar County note: Bexar (San Antonio) begins emissions testing on November 1, 2026. Its title fee is already $33 as an affected county; the $2.75 emissions inspection fee applies there from that date.
Texas vehicle tax — frequently asked questions
How much is sales tax on a car in Texas?
6.25% of the taxable price. At a dealer, that is the price minus your trade-in allowance and any rebates passed to you. On a $30,000 car with no trade-in, the tax is $1,875 — before title, registration and dealer fees.
How much tax do I pay on a $20,000 car in Texas?
At a dealer with no trade-in or rebates: $20,000 × 6.25% = $1,250 in sales tax, plus a $28–$33 title fee, roughly $69–$84 of registration fees for a used car, and the dealer's doc fee. Enter your county above for an exact itemized estimate.
Does a trade-in really lower my Texas sales tax?
Yes — at a dealer, you are taxed only on the difference between the price and your trade-in allowance. Trading in a $10,000 car on a $30,000 purchase cuts the tax from $1,875 to $1,250. The credit only applies to a vehicle traded to the seller in the same transaction; selling your old car privately first gives no credit, and a loan balance on the trade-in does not reduce the allowance.
What is SPV and why is my private-party tax higher than expected?
For private-party sales of used vehicles, Texas taxes the greater of your purchase price or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value — a guidebook value TxDMV sets, which ignores the vehicle's condition. A bargain purchase can therefore be taxed above the price paid. A certified appraisal (Form 14-128) filed within 30 days can bring the taxable value down toward what you paid.
Who collects the tax — and when is it due?
Dealers collect the tax at the time of sale for most vehicles. In a private-party sale the buyer pays the County Tax Assessor-Collector with the title application (Form 130-U) within 30 calendar days of purchase — 60 days for active-duty military.
How much is the title fee in Texas?
$33 if your county of residence is an emissions or affected county, $28 in all other counties (Texas Transportation Code §501.138). The calculator above applies the right amount automatically when you pick your county.
How much does registration cost in Texas?
A passenger car pays a $50.75 base fee per year, plus $1 TexasSure, $7.50 inspection replacement, $4.75 processing and handling, a county local fee of $0–$21.50, and $2.75 if you live in an emissions county. New cars are registered for two years at purchase, so the annual amounts are collected twice.
What is the Texas EV fee?
All-electric cars and trucks with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less pay $200 per year. A new EV pays $400 at its first registration because that registration covers two years. Hybrids and plug-in hybrids do not pay this fee.
Is the dealer doc fee capped in Texas?
No. Texas law sets no dollar cap; the fee must be a reasonable amount agreed by buyer and seller, it must be charged to cash and credit buyers alike, and it is not subject to sales tax. State rule treats $150 as the presumed-reasonable amount, but many dealers charge more — it is one of the few negotiable lines on the deal sheet.
I bought my car in another state. What do I owe Texas?
Texas residents who buy out of state owe the 6.25% use tax, with credit for sales or use tax legally paid to the other state, due within 30 days of bringing the vehicle into Texas. If you are a new resident bringing a car you already registered in your name elsewhere, you pay the flat $90 new-resident tax instead.
What if a family member gives me a car?
A qualifying gift from close family (spouse, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and specified in-laws and guardians) is taxed at a flat $10, with a gift affidavit (Form 14-317). If you take over a loan on the car, it is no longer treated as a pure gift.
What happens if I title the car late?
The sales tax is penalized 5% if paid 1–30 days late and 10% if more than 30 days late. The title application itself adds a $25 late fee, plus $25 for each additional 30-day period, up to $250.
Sources and method
Every figure on this page comes from an official Texas source, checked on October 9, 2026 and re-checked quarterly: the Texas Comptroller's motor vehicle sales and use tax guidance and private-party / SPV guidance; TxDMV's registration guidance and Registration Fee Chart 1C (effective January 1, 2026), which lists the local fee for all 254 counties; and the Texas Tax and Transportation Codes (§152.021, §152.0412, §501.138). OutTheDoorCalc is an independent calculator and is not affiliated with TxDMV, the Comptroller, or any dealership. Results are estimates — your County Tax Assessor-Collector determines the final amount.
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