Texas·Updated for 2026·Figures in USD · fees vary by county
Texas Vehicle Tax, Title and License Calculator (2026)
When you buy a vehicle in Texas you owe 6.25% sales tax on the price minus any trade-in, plus a title fee and a registration fee that both vary by county. This calculator estimates your total, and flags when your number could be higher — for example on a private-party sale priced well under market value.
Your purchase
$
What you pay for the vehicle
$
The allowance you are given — it lowers the price your tax is worked from
County fees are not loaded yet — showing the statewide range
Enter the purchase price. Your Texas tax, title and license estimate appears here as you type — there is no button to press.
Calculating
Show the mathsSee how this was worked outHide
This is a planning estimate, not the exact number a dealer or county will quote. Fees vary by county — verify with your county tax assessor-collector's office before you buy. Title and local fees are shown as ranges because county fee tables are not loaded yet.
Updated ·Source: Texas DMV·Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded
This is the first of a fifty-state series. Vehicle taxes and fees differ a lot from state to state — some tax the full price, some subtract a trade-in, and a few have no state sales tax at all — so each state gets its own page with its own rules and sources. Other states are coming.
Buying a vehicle in Texas, in plain English
How much is tax, title and license in Texas?
Three charges make up the total: motor vehicle sales tax, a title fee and a registration fee. Sales tax is exact — 6.25%of the price minus any trade-in. The title and registration fees vary by county, which is why the calculator shows them as ranges. This is an estimate, not what your dealer or county office will charge.
Charge
How it works
On a $30,000 vehicle
Sales tax
6.25% of the price minus any trade-in
$1,875.00
Title fee
$28 or $33, depending on the county
$28–$33
Registration
$50.75 base fee for cars and light trucks
$50.75
Local county fees
Up to $31.50, depending on the county
$0.00–$31.50
Estimated total
Everything above
$1,953.75–$1,990.25
Heavier vehicle classes pay a higher base registration fee — TxDMV lists $54 for pickup trucks of 6,001–10,000 lbs, for example. Title and local fees vary by county, so verify with your county tax assessor-collector's office before you buy.
What if I bought from a private party?
On a private-party purchase — from anyone other than a licensed dealer — Texas does not simply tax the price you paid. It taxes the greater of the price or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value (SPV), which is TxDMV's estimate of what the vehicle is worth. So if you paid less than 80% of the SPV, your tax is worked from 80% of the SPV instead.
Vehicle SPV $20,000
Tax is worked from
Sales tax
You paid $10,000
80% of SPV = $16,000 (not the $10,000 you paid)
$1,000.00, not $625.00
You paid $18,000
The $18,000 you paid, because it is above $16,000
$1,125.00
Sales by a licensed dealer are not subject to SPV. If you paid less than 80% of the SPV, you may be able to use a certified appraisal instead (Form 14-128, obtained within 30 calendar days of purchase), though tax cannot be worked from a value lower than the price you paid. To see the SPV for a specific vehicle, use the TxDMV SPV tool. The calculator lets you enter it once you have it; until you do, it warns that your tax could be higher.
If you also have a trade-in, the Comptroller's guidance doesn't spell out how it combines with the SPV rule. We compare 80% of the SPV with the price before the trade-in, then subtract the trade-in — and when both apply, the calculator flags the figure as directional. Confirm with your county tax office before you budget.
Why does my county's fee differ?
Title and registration are collected by your county tax assessor-collector, and counties set part of the charge. The title fee is$28 or $33 depending on the county. Local county fees — which can include county road and bridge funds (up to $10), transportation fees (up to $20) and child safety fees (up to $1.50) — add up to $31.50 on top of the $50.75 base registration fee. County-by-county tables are not loaded yet, so the calculator shows the statewide range. Your county office can give you the exact figure.
Trade-ins and how they lower your tax
In Texas the tax is 6.25% of the price minus any trade-in allowance, as long as the trade-in is part of the same transaction. The Comptroller's own example: buy a $25,000 vehicle and trade in a $10,000 one, and you owe tax on the$15,000 difference — $937.50, instead of $1,562.50 with no trade-in. A trade-in worth more than the price brings the tax to zero, never below. It does not change your title or registration fees.
Texas vehicle tax FAQ
How much is sales tax on a car in Texas?
Texas charges 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on the price minus any trade-in allowance. On a $30,000 vehicle with no trade-in that is $1,875.00.
Why are the title and registration fees shown as ranges?
Both vary by county. The title fee is $28 or $33 depending on the county, and local county fees add up to $31.50 to the $50.75 base registration fee. County-by-county fee tables are not loaded yet. Verify with your county tax assessor-collector's office.
Does a trade-in lower my title and registration fees?
No. A trade-in only lowers the price your sales tax is worked from. The title and registration fees are separate charges that do not depend on the price.
What if I bought from a private party for less than the vehicle is worth?
Texas taxes the greater of the price you paid or 80% of the vehicle's Standard Presumptive Value (SPV). Pay less than 80% of the SPV and your tax is worked from 80% of the SPV instead. Look up the SPV in the TxDMV SPV tool before you budget.
What is the standard presumptive value?
It is TxDMV's estimate of what a used vehicle is worth, based on statewide sales data and a valuation guide. It applies to private-party purchases, not to sales by a licensed dealer.
Will this match what my dealer or county office quotes?
Not necessarily. This is a planning estimate. Your dealer or county office may charge other fees, and your county's title and local fees may differ from the ranges shown. Verify with your county tax assessor-collector's office.
Are you covering other states?
Yes. This is the first calculator in a fifty-state series, and other states are coming. Each one will use that state's own rules — some tax the full price, some subtract a trade-in, and a few have no state sales tax at all.
Sales tax: 6.25% of the sales price minus any trade-in allowance, provided the trade-in is part of the same transaction (Texas Comptroller). Private-party sales: tax on the greater of the price paid or 80% of the Standard Presumptive Value (Texas Comptroller). Title application fee: $28 or $33 depending on the county (TxDMV). Base registration fee: $50.75 for passenger cars and light trucks (TxDMV); heavier vehicle classes pay more, for example $54 for pickup trucks of 6,001–10,000 lbs. Local county fees: TxDMV lists up to $31.50 depending on the county of registration — county road and bridge funds (up to $10), transportation fees (up to $20) and child safety fees (up to $1.50). County-by-county fee tables are not loaded yet, so the title fee and local fees are shown as ranges. The order in which a trade-in and the SPV floor combine on a private-party sale is not spelled out in the Comptroller's guidance; see the interpretive gap noted in the methodology.
