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This DC vehicle tax calculator is the same page people mean by “dc excise tax calculator,” “dc auto tax calculator,” and “dc registration fee calculator.” The District does not add grocery-style sales tax when you title a car. The tax at title is a motor vehicle excise: NADA Eastern Region fair market value times an official rate that depends on unladen weight and city MPG — or the Electric column for a battery EV. On a 3,200-pound car in the 26–30 city MPG band with $30,000 FMV, that excise is $930.00 at 3.1%. Add the $30.00 title and Class I registration of $70.00 and the estimated tax, title, and registration is $1,030.00. Title plus that Class I fee, before excise, is $100.00. Use the calculator on this page; DC DMV sets the receipt.In this guide
- How much is DC vehicle tax, title, and registration?
- DC excise tax calculator (not grocery sales tax)
- Fair market value, not the invoice
- The city-MPG matrix and the Electric column
- Registration fees by weight class
- Title, lien, and inspection
- Listed exemptions, family transfers, and ROSA
- EVs, hybrids, and Class V
- EITC election
- Renewals vs a first title
- Does DC have vehicle property tax?
- How to calculate tax, title, and registration
- What this page does not estimate
- How to use this calculator
- Two complete buying examples
- Common questions
Estimate your own deal: The DC tax, title, and license calculator on this page is the same calculator as the figures below. Verify amounts on DC DMV vehicle title and excise tax fees, vehicle registration fees, and the March 30, 2026 fee-change notice.
How much is DC vehicle tax, title, and registration?
Short answer: DC vehicle tax at title is motor vehicle excise, not the District’s general sales tax. On $30,000 NADA Eastern FMV for a 3,200-pound car in the 26–30 city MPG band, excise is $930.00 (3.1%). Title is $30.00. Class I registration (3,499 pounds or less) is $70.00. Tax + title + that Class I fee is $1,030.00. Title plus Class I, before excise, is $100.00.
Default figures on this page are excise only. Title, registration, lien, and inspection appear when the sentence is about those fees. That keeps a “dc car tax calculator” quote from mixing a $70.00 registration line into the tax.
| Deal (passenger, NADA Eastern FMV as shown) | Excise | Excise + title + registration |
|---|---|---|
| 3,200 lb, 26–30 city MPG, $30,000 FMV | $930.00 | $1,030.00 |
| Same car, city MPG 20 or less | $2,700.00 | $2,800.00 |
| 4,000 lb, 26–30 city MPG, $30,000 FMV (Class II) | $1,230.00 | $1,435.00 |
| New BEV, 3,800 lb, $40,000 FMV, Class V | $800.00 | $870.00 |
| 5,200 lb, city MPG 20 or less, $50,000 FMV | $5,500.00 | $5,830.00 |
| Listed DMV excise exemption, 3,200 lb | $0.00 | $100.00 |
| Registration renewal, Class II (4,000 lb) | $0.00 | $175.00 |
Example 1 — Excise only on a typical sedan
Unladen weight: 3,200 lb City MPG band: 26–30 NADA Eastern FMV: $30,000 Rate: 3.1% Excise: $930.00
This is the DC vehicle tax people mean. It is not 6% grocery sales tax, and it is not a Ward overlay.
Example 2 — Same FMV, heavier and thirstier
Unladen weight: 5,200 lb City MPG band: 20 or less NADA Eastern FMV: $50,000 Rate: 11% Excise: $5,500.00 Title + Class III: $330.00 Estimated total: $5,830.00
Weight and city MPG move the rate as much as the dollar value does. A heavy, low-MPG transfer is a different bill than a light, efficient one at the same sticker.
DC excise tax calculator (not grocery sales tax)
Search often labels this a “dc vehicle sales tax calculator,” “dc car sales tax,” or “washington dc car sales tax.” Those phrases still point at the motor vehicle excise due when DC DMV issues the title. The District’s general sales tax on other goods is a different Office of Tax and Revenue schedule. You do not stack that grocery rate on top of the DMV matrix.
The official formula is simple to say and easy to get wrong:
- Look up NADA Business Guide Eastern Region fair market value for the year, make, and model.
- Read unladen weight from the manufacturer’s label or the title application.
- Read city MPG, rounded down — not highway, not combined, and not MPGe.
- Find the cell on DC DMV’s weight × MPG table (or the Electric column for a battery EV).
- Multiply FMV × that percentage.
DC DMV also publishes an online excise estimator. Use it when you have the exact NADA line; use this page when you want the same matrix with title and registration sitting next to it.
Do not treat the handshake price as the tax base. Excise is NADA Eastern FMV times the matrix. A dealer discount, a private “as-is” price, or a trade-in on the buyer’s order does not rewrite that FMV the way a sales-tax state rewrites a taxable invoice.
Example 1 — “Sales tax” wording, excise math
People search: dc car sales tax calculator What DC actually charges: motor vehicle excise $30,000 FMV × 3.1% = $930.00
If someone quoted you a flat 6% of the purchase price, that is not this table.
Example 2 — Washington, DC vs Maryland vs Virginia
A “washington dc vehicle sales tax” search is still the District schedule — one citywide matrix, no county add-on (District of Columbia (districtwide — no county layer)). Maryland titles a car with a different excise, and Virginia uses a different titling tax. Crossing the river to a dealer does not pull those rates onto a DC title. If the car will be titled at DC DMV, use this calculator.
Official sources: DC DMV Vehicle Title and Excise Tax Fees (matrix effective February 17, 2025); D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.03; OCFO Tax Facts.
Fair market value, not the invoice
NADA Eastern Region FMV is the number DC DMV uses for excise. It can sit above or below what you wrote on the bill of sale. This calculator multiplies the FMV you enter; it does not download a NADA book for your VIN. Pull the Eastern guide value (or use DMV’s estimator), then type that dollar amount here.
Example 1 — Invoice below NADA
Handshake / invoice: $25,000 NADA Eastern FMV you must use: $30,000 Excise still uses FMV: $930.00 If FMV really were $25,000: $775.00
If the invoice is $25,000 and NADA Eastern is $30,000, excise is still $930.00 at this weight and MPG. Do not hope the clerk uses the lower handshake price.
Example 2 — Same car, two FMV entries
$30,000 FMV, 3,200 lb, 26–30 MPG: $930.00 $40,000 FMV, same weight and MPG: $1,240.00
The rate stays 3.1%. Only the base changes. Title stays $30.00 and Class I stays $70.00 unless weight crosses a class line.
A trade-in can change how much cash you bring to the dealer. It does not, on this page, shrink DC excise the way a sales-tax credit would. Enter the NADA FMV of the vehicle being titled, not purchase minus trade.
The city-MPG matrix and the Electric column
Rates effective February 17, 2025 sit on a grid: three unladen-weight rows and six columns (five city-MPG bands plus Electric). City MPG is rounded down. MPGe for a plug-in is not a substitute for the Electric column — a battery EV uses Electric; a conventional hybrid uses its gasoline city MPG.
| Unladen weight | ≤20 MPG | 21–25 | 26–30 | 31–39 | ≥40 | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,499 lb or less | 9% | 5% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1% |
| 3,500–4,999 lb | 10% | 6% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 2% |
| 5,000 lb or more | 11% | 7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 3% |
Battery EVs are not excise-exempt. Older write-ups still say electric vehicles skip this tax. They use the Electric column: 1% / 2% / 3% by weight. That is usually lower than a thirsty gasoline column, but it is not zero.
Example 1 — MPG band gap on the same $30,000 FMV
3,200 lb, 26–30 city MPG: $930.00 3,200 lb, city MPG 20 or less: $2,700.00 Extra excise for the low-MPG band: $1,770.00
Read the window sticker’s city number and round down. A 26.9 city rating is still the 26–30 band, not 31–39.
Example 2 — Hybrid vs battery EV at the same weight
Hybrid, 3,800 lb, 26–30 city MPG, $40,000 FMV: Rate 4.1% Excise $1,640.00 Battery EV, 3,800 lb, $40,000 FMV: Rate 2% Excise $800.00
A gas-electric hybrid does not get the Electric column. It uses city MPG like any other gasoline car.
Registration fees by weight class
Annual passenger registration in the District is a weight class, not a percentage of value. After March 30, 2026, Class I (3,499 pounds or less) is $70.00 — older charts still show $72. Class II through Class IV step up with unladen weight. A new battery EV under 5,000 pounds can use Class V ($40.00) for the first two registration years only.
| Class | Unladen weight | Annual registration |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | 3,499 lb or less | $70.00 |
| Class II | 3,500–4,999 lb | $175.00 |
| Class III | 5,000–5,999 lb | $300.00 |
| Class IV | 6,000 lb or more | $550.00 |
| Class V | New BEV under 5,000 lb, first two years | $40.00 |
Class IV starts at $550.00. DC DMV adds more when unladen weight runs past 10,000 pounds. An 11,000-pound renewal on this page is $625.00 — not the Class I $70.00.
Example 1 — Crossing 3,500 pounds
3,200 lb, $30,000 FMV, 26–30 MPG Registration: $70.00 Total: $1,030.00 4,000 lb, same FMV and MPG Registration: $175.00 Total: $1,435.00
The heavier car also sits in a higher excise row (4.1% vs 3.1%), so both the tax and the tag move.
Example 2 — Cost to register, without mixing in excise
Class I only: $70.00 Class II only: $175.00 Class III only: $300.00 Title + Class I (no excise in this line): $100.00
“How much to register a car in DC” is this class table on a renewal. On a first title you still owe excise unless a listed exemption applies.
Official sources: DC DMV Vehicle Registration Fees; March 30, 2026 fee-change notice (Class I $70.00, title $30.00).
Title, lien, and inspection
A standard title is $30.00 after the March 30, 2026 fee change. Recording a lien is $20.00 per lien. A two-year safety inspection, when you include it, is $35.00 per OCFO Tax Facts. Paying by card adds 2.5% of the amount due.
Example 1 — Cash purchase, no lien
Excise: $930.00 Title: $30.00 Class I: $70.00 Estimated total: $1,030.00
Example 2 — Financed, plus inspection
Same 3,200 lb / 26–30 MPG / $30,000 FMV With lien: $1,050.00 With inspection (no lien): $1,065.00 Lien line by itself: $20.00 Inspection line by itself: $35.00
If you model a loan, this page uses 7.14% — the Federal Reserve G.19 60-month new-car bank average. Your contract APR will differ. It is not a table of Washington, DC dealer rates.
Listed exemptions, family transfers, and ROSA
DC DMV publishes an official list of excise exemptions. Common ones include certain family transfers and other categories the Department names. This calculator zeroes excise only when you mark a listed exemption. Title of $30.00 and registration of $70.00 (at 3,200 pounds) still appear unless DMV separately waives them.
Example 1 — Taxable purchase vs listed exemption
Taxable, $30,000 FMV, 3,200 lb, 26–30 MPG: Excise $930.00 Total $1,030.00 Listed exemption, same car: Excise $0.00 Total $100.00
Example 2 — ROSA and other named programs
A “ROSA exemption DC” search is a question for DC DMV’s published exemption list, not a separate dollar this page can guess. If your transfer is on that list, mark the listed-exemption path and bring the documents DMV names. If it is not on the list, excise is the matrix amount — $930.00 on the $30,000 / 3,200 lb / 26–30 MPG example.
EVs, hybrids, and Class V
Two EV rules get mixed together. Excise uses the Electric column and is never skipped just because the car plugs in. Registration Class V ($40.00) is only for a new battery EV under 5,000 pounds, and only for the first two registration years. After that, the same EV pays Class I or Class II by weight. A hybrid or plug-in hybrid that is not a battery EV does not get Class V and does not get a 1,000-pound weight subtraction.
Example 1 — New BEV with Class V
3,800 lb BEV, $40,000 FMV Electric-column rate: 2% Excise: $800.00 Class V registration: $40.00 Title: $30.00 Estimated total: $870.00
Example 2 — Same BEV after Class V expires
Same 3,800 lb BEV (Class II weight), no Class V: Registration $175.00 Total $1,005.00 With Class V still in the first two years: Total $870.00
Excise does not come back at renewal. The jump is the registration class, from $40.00 to $175.00 at this weight.
EITC election
If you receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, DC DMV lets you elect older weight-class percentages when they beat the MPG matrix: 6% at 3,499 pounds or less, 7% from 3,500 to 4,999, 8% at 5,000 pounds and up. You need Office of Tax and Revenue proof. This page uses the lower of the matrix and that election when you turn the election on.
Example 1 — Low-MPG light car, election helps
3,200 lb, city MPG 20 or less, $30,000 FMV Matrix rate: 9% Matrix excise: $2,700.00 EITC rate at this weight: 6% EITC excise: $1,800.00
Example 2 — Efficient car, election may not help
3,200 lb, 26–30 city MPG, $30,000 FMV Matrix rate: 3.1% Matrix excise: $930.00 EITC rate: 6%
3.1% is already below 6%, so the election does not cut this example. Bring OTR documents anyway if you qualify — DMV decides from the file, not from a web estimate.
Renewals vs a first title
Excise is a titling tax. A registration renewal does not run the MPG matrix again and does not collect another $30.00 title. You pay the weight-class registration — $70.00, $175.00, $300.00, or $550.00 as the scale requires.
Example 1 — First title on a Class I car
$1,030.00 (excise $930.00 + title $30.00 + Class I $70.00)
Example 2 — Class II renewal
4,000 lb renewal: $175.00 Excise on renewal: $0.00
That $175.00 is the “dc registration fee calculator” number for this weight. It is not a second excise bill.
Does DC have vehicle property tax?
The District does not send an annual millage bill on the car the way some counties do. The value-based charge is the excise at title. The yearly charge after that is registration by weight class — $70.00 at 3,200 pounds, $175.00 at 4,000 pounds, and so on. Those are DMV fees, not a property-tax assessor’s millage.
Example 1 — What you pay the year you title
$1,030.00 on the $30,000 / 3,200 lb / 26–30 MPG example — excise plus title plus Class I.
Example 2 — What you pay the next year (same Class I car)
A Class I renewal is $70.00, not another $930.00 of excise.
How to calculate tax, title, and registration
Walk the same steps DC DMV uses. Keep excise on its own line until you add fees on purpose.
Walkthrough 1 — Light gasoline car
- Confirm NADA Eastern FMV. Here, $30,000.
- Unladen weight 3,200 pounds → Class I row and Class I registration $70.00.
- City MPG in the 26–30 band → 3.1%.
- Excise = $930.00.
- Add title $30.00.
- Estimated total $1,030.00.
3.1% × $30,000 FMV = $930.00 + $30.00 title + $70.00 Class I = $1,030.00
Walkthrough 2 — New battery EV
- FMV $40,000. Weight 3,800 pounds.
- Battery EV → Electric column 2%, not a gasoline MPG band.
- Excise $800.00.
- If it is a new BEV under 5,000 pounds in the first two years, registration is Class V $40.00, not Class II $175.00.
- Estimated total $870.00.
2% × $40,000 FMV = $800.00 + $30.00 title + $40.00 Class V = $870.00
What this page does not estimate
This calculator is for on-highway cars and light trucks titled or renewed at DC DMV. For anything else, ask the office that actually bills it:
- Real-estate transfer tax — a “dc transfer tax calculator” is almost always a house closing (recordation / transfer), not this motor-vehicle excise. Ask the Recorder of Deeds or your closer.
- DC estimated income tax — “pay dc estimated taxes online” is an Office of Tax and Revenue voucher, not a title visit.
- DC ID and driver credentials — “how much is a dc id” is a different DMV counter and fee list.
- Residential Parking Permits — RPP is billed separately from Class I–V registration.
- Local auto-loan rate tables — this page uses 7.14% from Federal Reserve G.19 when you model financing. Shop your own APR.
- A ROSA dollar amount — check DC DMV’s official exemption list and bring the documents that list names. This page only zeroes excise when you mark a listed exemption.
Compare your NADA line with DC DMV’s own excise estimator before you pay.
How to use this calculator
- Enter NADA Eastern Region fair market value, not a guess at grocery sales tax.
- Enter unladen weight so the matrix row and the registration class match the scale.
- Pick the city-MPG band (rounded down) or battery-EV / Electric.
- Turn on Class V only for a new BEV under 5,000 pounds in the first two registration years.
- Mark a listed exemption only if DMV’s list actually covers the transfer.
- Turn on EITC only if you have OTR proof and the election is lower than the matrix.
- Add title, registration, lien, and inspection when you want the full DMV stack — read excise first so a “dc auto tax calculator” number stays a tax number.
Two complete buying examples
Complete example A — $30,000 FMV gasoline sedan
NADA Eastern FMV: $30,000.00 Weight: 3,200 lb (Class I) City MPG band: 26–30 Excise at 3.1%: $930.00 Title: $30.00 Class I registration: $70.00 Title + Class I: $100.00 Estimated tax, title, and registration: $1,030.00
Add a lien and that total becomes $1,050.00. Add inspection instead of a lien and it becomes $1,065.00.
Complete example B — $40,000 FMV new battery EV
NADA Eastern FMV: $40,000.00 Weight: 3,800 lb Powertrain: battery EV (Electric column) Excise at 2%: $800.00 Title: $30.00 Class V (first two years): $40.00 Estimated tax, title, and registration: $870.00
If Class V does not apply, registration is $175.00 and the stack is $1,005.00.
Common questions
What is the DC vehicle tax in 2026?
Motor vehicle excise: NADA Eastern FMV × the official weight × city-MPG (or Electric) matrix. On $30,000 FMV at 3,200 pounds and 26–30 city MPG it is $930.00 (3.1%). It is not grocery sales tax.
How do I use a DC excise tax calculator?
Enter FMV, unladen weight, and city MPG (or battery EV). This page is that calculator: $930.00 on the sedan example. Confirm the NADA line with DC DMV’s estimator before you pay.
How much is tax, title, and registration on a $30,000 car?
$1,030.00 for 3,200 pounds and 26–30 city MPG. A 4,000-pound car in the same MPG band is $1,435.00.
How much are DC title and registration fees?
Title $30.00. Class I $70.00. Together, before excise, $100.00 on a Class I car. Class II is $175.00; Class III is $300.00.
How much does it cost to register a car in DC?
On a renewal, the weight class only — $70.00 at 3,499 pounds or less, $175.00 at 4,000 pounds. On a first title, add excise and $30.00.
Is there DC sales tax on cars?
The titling tax is excise from the MPG matrix, not the general sales-tax rate. “Dc car sales tax calculator” and “washington dc auto sales tax” searches still belong on this page.
Are electric cars exempt from DC excise tax?
No. They use the Electric column: 2% at 3,800 pounds, which is $800.00 on $40,000 FMV. Class V registration ($40.00) is a separate, two-year tag discount for new BEVs under 5,000 pounds.
Does a trade-in reduce DC excise?
Not on this page. Excise is FMV × the matrix. Enter the NADA Eastern value of the vehicle being titled.
Does DC have vehicle property tax?
No annual millage bill. Value is captured as excise at title; yearly cost is the weight-class registration.
What APR does this calculator use if I finance?
7.14% — Federal Reserve G.19 60-month new-car bank average. Your contract rate will differ.
Before you sign
- Use NADA Eastern FMV, not grocery sales tax and not the handshake price alone.
- Use city MPG rounded down, or the Electric column for a battery EV — never skip EV excise.
- Class I is $70.00 after March 30, 2026, not the older $72 chart.
- Title is $30.00; a lien is $20.00.
- Class V is two years, new BEV under 5,000 pounds, not a hybrid.
- A listed exemption needs DMV’s list and documents.
- DC DMV sets the amount you pay.
Complete reference list
- DC DMV Vehicle Title and Excise Tax Fees — MPG/EV matrix (effective February 17, 2025); title $30.00; lien $20.00
- DC DMV Vehicle Registration Fees — Class I $70.00; Class II $175.00; Class III $300.00; Class IV $550.00; Class V $40.00
- DC DMV March 30, 2026 fee-change notice
- D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.03
- OCFO Tax Facts — inspection $35.00
- Federal Reserve G.19 (7.14%)
Figures on this page are estimates that follow DC DMV amounts used by this calculator: motor vehicle excise from NADA Eastern FMV × the official weight and city-MPG matrix ($930.00 on a $30,000 FMV, 3,200-pound, 26–30 MPG example), title $30.00, and Class I registration $70.00. DC DMV sets the amount you pay.