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Ohio car sales tax and fees

Ohio charges 5.75% state sales tax on a vehicle purchase. County, city and district tax adds between 0.75% and 2.25% depending on where you live (1.5% is typical).

State vehicle tax
5.75%
Local tax
Up to 2.25%
Trade-in lowers tax
Yes
Doc fee cap
$398
Title fee
$18.00
EV fee
$200

How Ohio taxes a car purchase

  • State rate: 5.75% of the price.
  • County, city and district tax adds between 0.75% and 2.25% depending on where you live (1.5% is typical).
  • Ohio taxes the price minus your trade-in, so a trade-in lowers the tax.

Fees

  • Title: $18.00.
  • Registration: Passenger car: $20 license tax + $16 administration fee (HB 96, from 1 Jan 2026) + $8 deputy registrar service fee. Local permissive tax of $5-$30 by taxing district is not modelled.
  • Dealer documentation fees are capped at $398. Dealers typically charge about $250. The doc fee is not taxed.
  • Electric vehicles pay an extra $200, plug-in hybrids $150.

Drafted from the state's tax table and its fee schedule. Not every figure has been checked by hand yet, so confirm with the dealer or the DMV before you sign.

Worked example

Out-the-door

Estimate

A $40,000 gas car (destination included, 3,500 lb) bought in Cleveland, ZIP 44101, no trade-in

Vehicle price$40,000.00
Documentation fee (typical here)$250.00
Title$18.00
Registration$44.00
Sales tax (5.75% state + 2.25% local)$3,200.00
Total$43,512.00

What this estimate rests on

1 item is missing or approximate, so the real figure will differ.

  • Approximate

    No documentation fee was entered, so the typical OH dealer figure of $250 is used (the state caps it at $398). Enter the fee on your quote to replace it.

  • Unchecked

    Fee rules for OH have not been checked against the state's own notice.

  • Unchecked

    This rate has not been checked against the taxing authority’s published table.

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Buying in Ohio

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Common questions

What is the sales tax on a car in Ohio?

Ohio charges 5.75% state sales tax on a vehicle purchase. County, city and district tax adds between 0.75% and 2.25% depending on where you live (1.5% is typical).

Does Ohio tax the trade-in?

Ohio taxes the price minus your trade-in, so a trade-in lowers the tax.

What is the out-the-door price of a $40,000 car in Ohio?

About $43,512 in Cleveland, including $3,200 of sales tax and state title and registration fees.

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