Pennsylvania Car Sales Tax Calculator Tax, title & license fees (2026)
State sales/use tax + local (Philadelphia / Allegheny) · 6% state rate
Calculate Pennsylvania car tax & fees
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How much is car sales tax in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania charges 6% sales tax on vehicles. If you live in Allegheny County the total is 7%, and in the City of Philadelphia it's 8%. Sales tax is separate from the title fee and is paid when you title the vehicle.
Subtract your trade-in (traded at the same time) and any Clean Vehicle Credit from the price, then multiply by your rate. Dealer documentary fees aren't taxable.
The certificate of title is $72, and recording a lien adds $36 per lien. Passenger registration is $48 for one year or $96 for two. Some counties add a $5-per-year local use fee.
Electric vehicles pay a road user charge of $250 a year ($500 for two years) and plug-in hybrids $63 ($126). Conventional hybrids pay nothing extra.
- Taxable base = price - same-time trade-in - Clean Vehicle Credit
- Tax = taxable base x combined rate (doc fee is not taxable)
- Title = $72 (+ $36 per lien recorded)
- Registration = $48 per year (+ local use fee) + EV/PHEV road user charge
- Total = tax + title + registration + doc fee
Pennsylvania car tax example with real numbers
Philadelphia resident buying from a dealer
You live in Philadelphia, buy a car for $30,000 and trade in your old one for $6,000.
- Taxable amount: $30,000 − $6,000 = $24,000.
- State tax at 6%: $1,440. Philadelphia's 2% local tax: $480.
- Add the $72 title and $48 one-year registration: $120.
- Estimated total: $2,040 (add $36 if a lien is recorded).
| Taxes | |
|---|---|
| State sales tax6% of $24,000.00 | $1,440 |
| Local sales tax2% of $24,000.00 | $480 |
| Title & registration | |
| Title | $72 |
| Registration (1 year) | $48 |
| Estimated total | $2,040 |
Computed with the calculator on this page using the figures in our data. Local add-ons not mentioned in the example are left out.
Exceptions that change your Pennsylvania tax bill
Gifts
A genuine gift documented on form MV-13ST owes no sales tax. Don't write $1 as the price. A gift from out of state without proof of tax in the other state is taxed on fair market value.
Inheritance
An estate transfer isn't a sale, so no sales tax is due.
New residents
If you owned the vehicle for at least six months before moving, no Pennsylvania tax is due. Under six months, you pay the difference after credit for tax paid elsewhere.
Name changes
Changing the name on a title after marriage or divorce owes no sales tax. You pay the title fee only if you request a new title.
Pennsylvania vehicle sales tax rates
| State rate | 6% |
|---|---|
| Local rate | Allegheny County 7% total; City of Philadelphia 8% total; elsewhere 6% |
Pennsylvania title & registration fees
| Title | $72 |
|---|---|
| Registration annual | $48 |
| Local use fee annual | $5 |
| Road user charge EV |
|
| Road user charge plug-in hybrid |
|
| Dealer doc fee cap electronic | $490 |
| Dealer doc fee cap non electronic | $409 |
| Lien recording | $36 |
| Lien recording note | Per lien, added to the $72 title fee |
| Plate transfer | $11 |
Pennsylvania car tax exemptions & special cases
| Bona fide gift (MV-13ST) | Sales tax $0 |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state gift without reciprocal proof | Use tax on fair market value |
| Inheritance / estate | Sales tax $0 |
| Name change (marriage/divorce) | No tax; title fee only if a new title is requested; no registration |
| New resident who owned vehicle 6+ months before moving | Sales tax $0 |
| New resident who owned vehicle under 6 months | Pennsylvania tax minus tax paid elsewhere |
| Dealer doc fee | Not part of the taxable base |
Pennsylvania car tax FAQ
What is the sales tax on a car in Philadelphia?
8%: the 6% state rate plus 2% local.
What is the sales tax on a car in Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)?
7%: the 6% state rate plus 1% local.
Is the dealer doc fee taxed in Pennsylvania?
No. Documentary fees aren't part of the sales-tax base.
How much is the Pennsylvania EV road user charge?
$250 a year for electric vehicles and $63 for plug-in hybrids.
Sources & verification
We checked these figures against the following official pages on October 7, 2026:
- www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/penndot/documents/public/dvspubsforms/bmv/bmv-form
- www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/vehicle-services/road-user-charge
- www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/penndot/documents/public/dvspubsforms/bmv/bmv-fact
Not yet confirmed on an official page: dealer doc fee caps 490/409. Treat these figures as estimates.
What changed in our last review
- tax.local_rate "Varies by county" -> "Allegheny County 7% total, City of Philadelphia 8% total, elsewhere 6%" (PA DOR/PennDOT)
- title_with_lien 108 -> lien_recording 36 per lien, added to the $72 title fee (same $108 total for one lien; MV-70S)
- plate transfer 11
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll recheck it.