Ohio sales tax and fees
Ohio car sales tax and fees calculator
Ohio charges 5.75% state sales tax plus a county rate on vehicle purchases, for a combined 6.50% to 8.25% depending on where you live (Q4 2026). On top of tax you pay an $18 title fee ($23 in some counties), registration of $36 for a passenger vehicle plus an $8 service fee and up to $30 in local tax, and any dealer documentary fee, which Ohio caps.
- State rate
- 5.75%
- Combined range
- 6.50% to 8.25%
- Title fee
- $18 ($23 some counties)
- Doc fee taxed?
- No
Calculator
Your out-the-door price, line by line
Enter the price, pick the county where you live, and choose new plates or a plate transfer.
Ohio caps this fee. Ours is $250.
Transit-area rows apply only inside those city limits.
$0
Ohio sales tax on a pre-owned purchase is calculated here on the full price; Ohio's trade-in credit has applied to new vehicles. Rates: Ohio Department of Taxation, Q4 2026. Fees: Ohio BMV schedule (Jan. 5, 2026) and ORC 4505.09.
How Ohio car sales tax works
- It follows where you live. The rate is the combined state and county rate for the county where the buyer resides, not where the dealer is.
- It is paid when the car is titled. A dealer collects it and files the title for you. In a private sale, you pay it at the county title office.
- It applies to the purchase price. Ohio's trade-in credit has applied to new vehicles bought from a dealer, so on a pre-owned purchase plan on tax on the full price unless your dealer confirms otherwise.
- Documentary fees are not taxed. Since May 2023, a dealer's documentation charge on a vehicle sale is excluded from the taxable price.
Example: a $45,000 BMW bought by a Franklin County resident carries $3,600 in sales tax at 8.00%. The same car bought by a Stark County resident carries $2,925 at 6.50%.
Title and registration fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certificate of title, including a lien notation filed with it | $18.00 |
| Certificate of title in counties with the optional local fee | $23.00 |
| Late title application, after 30 days | $5.00 |
| Passenger vehicle registration, per year | $36.00 |
| Deputy registrar service fee, 1-year registration | $8.00 |
| Local permissive tax, per year | $0 to $30 |
| Hybrid / plug-in hybrid / electric, per year | $100 / $150 / $200 |
| Plate transfer to your new car | $9.00 |
| Temporary tag | $23.00 |
| Out-of-state vehicle inspection | $8.00 |
Dealer documentary fees in Ohio
Ohio law caps the documentary service charge a dealer may add. The cap is the lesser of an inflation-adjusted dollar amount, which started at $250 in 2006 and is recalculated each year, or 10% of the contract amount before tax, title and registration. Our documentary fee is $250, shown on every out-the-door estimate.
Every Ohio county's combined rate, Q4 2026
Transit-area rows apply only inside the cities named for that transit authority. If you are not sure, use the main county row and we will confirm from your address.
| County | Combined rate | Tax on $40,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Allen | 6.85% | $2,740 |
| Ashland | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Ashtabula | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Athens | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Auglaize | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Belmont | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Brown | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Butler | 6.50% | $2,600 |
| Carroll | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Champaign | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Clark | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Clermont | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Clinton | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Columbiana | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Coshocton | 7.75% | $3,100 |
| Crawford | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Cuyahoga | 8.00% | $3,200 |
| Darke | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Defiance | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Delaware | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Delaware (COTA) | 8.00% | $3,200 |
| Erie | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Fairfield | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Fairfield (COTA) | 7.75% | $3,100 |
| Fayette | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Franklin | 8.00% | $3,200 |
| Fulton | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Gallia | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Geauga | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Greene | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Guernsey | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Hamilton | 7.80% | $3,120 |
| Hancock | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Hardin | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Harrison | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Henry | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Highland | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Hocking | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Holmes | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Huron | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Jackson | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Jefferson | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Knox | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Lake | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Lawrence | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Licking | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Licking (COTA) | 8.25% | $3,300 |
| Logan | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Lorain | 6.50% | $2,600 |
| Lucas | 7.75% | $3,100 |
| Madison | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Mahoning | 7.50% | $3,000 |
| Marion | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Medina | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Meigs | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Mercer | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Miami | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Monroe | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Montgomery | 7.50% | $3,000 |
| Morgan | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Morrow | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Muskingum | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Noble | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Ottawa | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Paulding | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Perry | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Pickaway | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Pike | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Portage | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Preble | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Putnam | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Richland | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Ross | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Sandusky | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Scioto | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Seneca | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Shelby | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Stark | 6.50% | $2,600 |
| Summit | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Trumbull | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Tuscarawas | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Union | 7.00% | $2,800 |
| Union (COTA) | 8.00% | $3,200 |
| Van Wert | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Vinton | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Warren | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Washington | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Wayne | 6.50% | $2,600 |
| Williams | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Wood | 6.75% | $2,700 |
| Wood (TARTA) | 7.25% | $2,900 |
| Wyandot | 7.25% | $2,900 |
Buy from us and we file all of it
We collect the right tax for your county, title the car and handle your plates, then deliver it anywhere in Ohio.
Ohio sales tax questions
What is the sales tax on a car in Ohio?
5.75% state tax plus your county's rate, for a combined 6.50% to 8.25% in Q4 2026. Franklin and Cuyahoga counties are 8.00%, Montgomery is 7.50%, and Butler, Lorain, Stark and Wayne are 6.50%.
Do I pay sales tax on a private car sale in Ohio?
Yes. The buyer pays sales tax on the purchase price at the county title office when transferring the title.
Is there a cap on dealer documentary fees in Ohio?
Yes. Ohio limits it to the lesser of an inflation-adjusted amount set each year or 10% of the contract amount, excluding tax, title and registration. Documentary fees are not subject to sales tax.
How much is the title fee in Ohio in 2026?
$18, or $23 in counties that adopted the optional local fee, effective Jan. 1, 2026. A lien notation filed with the title application is included.