Pennsylvania’s statewide sales tax is 6 percent. Almost every county stops there. Philadelphia and Allegheny County add a local 1 or 2 percent, which is why a car titled in Philadelphia is not the same tax as a car titled in Adams County. This guide uses live combined totals and names all 67 counties in the regional walk-through and appendix. Right now the highest combined sales-tax rate is 8% in PHILADELPHIA, and the lowest is 6% in ADAMS / ARMSTRONG / BEAVER / BEDFORD / BERKS / BLAIR / BRADFORD / BUCKS / BUTLER / CAMBRIA / CAMERON / CARBON / CENTRE / CHESTER / CLARION / CLEARFIELD / CLINTON / COLUMBIA / CRAWFORD / CUMBERLAND / DAUPHIN / DELAWARE / ELK / ERIE / FAYETTE / FOREST / FRANKLIN / FULTON / GREENE / HUNTINGDON / INDIANA / JEFFERSON / JUNIATA / LACKAWANNA / LANCASTER / LAWRENCE / LEBANON / LEHIGH / LUZERNE / LYCOMING / MCKEAN / MERCER / MIFFLIN / MONROE / MONTGOMERY / MONTOUR / NORTHAMPTON / NORTHUMBERLAND / PERRY / PIKE / POTTER / SCHUYLKILL / SNYDER / SOMERSET / SULLIVAN / SUSQUEHANNA / TIOGA / UNION / VENANGO / WARREN / WASHINGTON / WAYNE / WESTMORELAND / YORK. Philadelphia is 8%; Allegheny is 7%. If you live in Philadelphia rather than Allegheny, the gap is 1%, or $280.00 on a $28,000 taxable purchase. This guide compares 66 localities across 66 counties. Rates are sourced from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and PennDOT and update in real time so a levy change cannot leave a stale percentage in the prose.
Why the locality on the title changes the bill
PennDOT and DOR look to the address of registration. A cheaper central-Pennsylvania dealer does not erase Philadelphia local tax for a Philly resident. The official rates is one row per county.
Philadelphia sits at 8% while Montgomery sits at 6%. If you live in Philadelphia instead of Montgomery, that is 2% — $560.00 on a $28,000 taxable purchase. People move this gap around without meaning to: a dealer in a cheaper jurisdiction does not rewrite the sourcing rules. The live comparisons below use the same combined sales tax field the calculator uses.
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — sales tax on motor vehicles; REV-16
- 72 P.S. § 7202 — 6 percent state sales tax
- Philadelphia and Allegheny County local sales-tax ordinances as applied to motor vehicles
- PennDOT — title and registration (Form MV-1)
How this state taxes (or fees) a vehicle
The Tax Reform Code of 1971 (72 P.S.) imposes a 6 percent state sales tax on tangible personal property, including motor vehicles. Philadelphia’s local sales tax and Allegheny County’s local sales tax apply in those jurisdictions. Vehicles are titled through PennDOT; tax is paid then (dealers collect on dealer sales). This article’s live figures use total tax (state + local).
Pay at a notary/online messenger or dealer with the title. Form MV-1 / MV-4S packages include the tax. Out-of-state credit is a DOR rule.
Highest and lowest rates right now
Among localities currently loaded for Pennsylvania, the maximum combined sales-tax rate is 8% (PHILADELPHIA) and the minimum is 6% (ADAMS / ARMSTRONG / BEAVER / BEDFORD / BERKS / BLAIR / BRADFORD / BUCKS / BUTLER / CAMBRIA / CAMERON / CARBON / CENTRE / CHESTER / CLARION / CLEARFIELD / CLINTON / COLUMBIA / CRAWFORD / CUMBERLAND / DAUPHIN / DELAWARE / ELK / ERIE / FAYETTE / FOREST / FRANKLIN / FULTON / GREENE / HUNTINGDON / INDIANA / JEFFERSON / JUNIATA / LACKAWANNA / LANCASTER / LAWRENCE / LEBANON / LEHIGH / LUZERNE / LYCOMING / MCKEAN / MERCER / MIFFLIN / MONROE / MONTGOMERY / MONTOUR / NORTHAMPTON / NORTHUMBERLAND / PERRY / PIKE / POTTER / SCHUYLKILL / SNYDER / SOMERSET / SULLIVAN / SUSQUEHANNA / TIOGA / UNION / VENANGO / WARREN / WASHINGTON / WAYNE / WESTMORELAND / YORK). Those names are live. If a district overtakes the leader next quarter, the sentence updates automatically. On a $42,000 taxable price, the high row is $3,360.00 and the low row is $2,520.00.
Treat a raw maximum with care when official tables include special districts, CID parcels, or vehicle types other than a passenger car. The regional sections below prefer ordinary cities and counties you would actually put on a title. The appendix remains the complete searchable list.
Southeast Pennsylvania
This cluster is where many readers actually live. Philadelphia is 8% in the current official rates. The comparisons that follow keep names in the sentence and live amounts in the same sentence.
If you live in Philadelphia rather than Montgomery, the combined sales-tax rate is 8% versus 6% — a gap of 2%. On a $28,000 taxable price that is $560.00.
A household deciding between Bucks and Delaware is not deciding between identical local bills. Bucks is 6%; Delaware is 6%. On $28,000 that is $1,680.00 versus $1,680.00, a cash gap of $0.00.
If you live in Chester rather than Lancaster, the combined sales-tax rate is 6% versus 6% — a gap of 0%. On a $28,000 taxable price that is $0.00.
A household deciding between Berks and Lehigh is not deciding between identical local bills. Berks is 6%; Lehigh is 6%. On $28,000 that is $1,680.00 versus $1,680.00, a cash gap of $0.00.
From one end of this cluster to the other — Philadelphia versus Northampton — the combined sales-tax rate runs 8% against 6%, a gap of 2% or $840.00 on $42,000.
Named in this section: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia. Other rows that belong to the same counties still live in the appendix table.
Example 1: Philadelphia versus Montgomery
Scenario: Two buyers each pay $28,000 for the same used SUV. One titles in Philadelphia (8%); the other titles in Montgomery (6%).
Philadelphia combined sales-tax rate (8%): $2,240.00
Montgomery combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Gap if you live in Philadelphia rather than Montgomery: $560.00
The statewide pieces discussed above do not create this gap. The local combined sales tax does.
Example 2: A cheaper vehicle and a dearer one
Scenario: Same two places, but the car is only $3,900. Local tax still applies to the taxable price (there is no Florida-style $5,000 surtax cap in Pennsylvania unless a separate statute says otherwise).
$3,900 in Montgomery: $234.00
$42,000 in Philadelphia: $3,360.00
$42,000 in Montgomery: $2,520.00
Watch how the dollar gap grows with price when the levy is a percentage, and how it does not when a neighboring state uses a flat fee instead.
Pittsburgh and the west
This cluster is where many readers actually live. Allegheny is 7% in the current official rates. The comparisons that follow keep names in the sentence and live amounts in the same sentence.
Cross from Westmoreland into Allegheny and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 7%. That 1% swing is $280.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Washington is currently 6%; Butler is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Washington, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Butler.
From one end of this cluster to the other — Allegheny versus Erie — the combined sales-tax rate runs 7% against 6%, a gap of 1% or $420.00 on $42,000.
Named in this section: Allegheny, Butler, Erie, Washington, Westmoreland. Other rows that belong to the same counties still live in the appendix table.
Example 1: Allegheny versus Westmoreland
Scenario: Two buyers each pay $28,000 for the same used SUV. One titles in Allegheny (7%); the other titles in Westmoreland (6%).
Allegheny combined sales-tax rate (7%): $1,960.00
Westmoreland combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Gap if you live in Allegheny rather than Westmoreland: $280.00
The statewide pieces discussed above do not create this gap. The local combined sales tax does.
Example 2: A cheaper vehicle and a dearer one
Scenario: Same two places, but the car is only $3,900. Local tax still applies to the taxable price (there is no Florida-style $5,000 surtax cap in Pennsylvania unless a separate statute says otherwise).
$3,900 in Westmoreland: $234.00
$42,000 in Allegheny: $2,940.00
$42,000 in Westmoreland: $2,520.00
Watch how the dollar gap grows with price when the levy is a percentage, and how it does not when a neighboring state uses a flat fee instead.
Central Pennsylvania
This cluster is where many readers actually live. Dauphin is 6% in the current official rates. The comparisons that follow keep names in the sentence and live amounts in the same sentence.
A household deciding between Dauphin and Cumberland is not deciding between identical local bills. Dauphin is 6%; Cumberland is 6%. On $28,000 that is $1,680.00 versus $1,680.00, a cash gap of $0.00.
If you live in York rather than Centre, the combined sales-tax rate is 6% versus 6% — a gap of 0%. On a $28,000 taxable price that is $0.00.
From one end of this cluster to the other — Dauphin versus Centre — the combined sales-tax rate runs 6% against 6%, a gap of 0% or $0.00 on $42,000.
Named in this section: Centre, Cumberland, Dauphin, York. Other rows that belong to the same counties still live in the appendix table.
Example 1: Dauphin versus Cumberland
Scenario: Two buyers each pay $28,000 for the same used SUV. One titles in Dauphin (6%); the other titles in Cumberland (6%).
Dauphin combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Cumberland combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Gap if you live in Dauphin rather than Cumberland: $0.00
The statewide pieces discussed above do not create this gap. The local combined sales tax does.
Example 2: A cheaper vehicle and a dearer one
Scenario: Same two places, but the car is only $3,900. Local tax still applies to the taxable price (there is no Florida-style $5,000 surtax cap in Pennsylvania unless a separate statute says otherwise).
$3,900 in Cumberland: $234.00
$42,000 in Dauphin: $2,520.00
$42,000 in Cumberland: $2,520.00
Watch how the dollar gap grows with price when the levy is a percentage, and how it does not when a neighboring state uses a flat fee instead.
Northeast Pennsylvania
This cluster is where many readers actually live. Luzerne is 6% in the current official rates. The comparisons that follow keep names in the sentence and live amounts in the same sentence.
Luzerne is currently 6%; Lackawanna is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Luzerne, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Lackawanna.
Named in this section: Lackawanna, Luzerne. Other rows that belong to the same counties still live in the appendix table.
Example 1: Luzerne versus Lackawanna
Scenario: Two buyers each pay $28,000 for the same used SUV. One titles in Luzerne (6%); the other titles in Lackawanna (6%).
Luzerne combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Lackawanna combined sales-tax rate (6%): $1,680.00
Gap if you live in Luzerne rather than Lackawanna: $0.00
The statewide pieces discussed above do not create this gap. The local combined sales tax does.
Example 2: A cheaper vehicle and a dearer one
Scenario: Same two places, but the car is only $3,900. Local tax still applies to the taxable price (there is no Florida-style $5,000 surtax cap in Pennsylvania unless a separate statute says otherwise).
$3,900 in Lackawanna: $234.00
$42,000 in Luzerne: $2,520.00
$42,000 in Lackawanna: $2,520.00
Watch how the dollar gap grows with price when the levy is a percentage, and how it does not when a neighboring state uses a flat fee instead.
Counties and localities covered here
Current official data covers 66 distinct county/parish labels and 66 total rows. Names, as printed:
ADAMS, ALLEGHENY, ARMSTRONG, BEAVER, BEDFORD, BERKS, BLAIR, BRADFORD, BUCKS, BUTLER, CAMBRIA, CAMERON, CARBON, CENTRE, CHESTER, CLARION, CLEARFIELD, CLINTON, COLUMBIA, CRAWFORD, CUMBERLAND, DAUPHIN, DELAWARE, ELK, ERIE, FAYETTE, FOREST, FRANKLIN, FULTON, GREENE, HUNTINGDON, INDIANA, JEFFERSON, JUNIATA, LACKAWANNA, LANCASTER, LAWRENCE, LEBANON, LEHIGH, LUZERNE, LYCOMING, MCKEAN, MERCER, MIFFLIN, MONROE, MONTGOMERY, MONTOUR, NORTHAMPTON, NORTHUMBERLAND, PERRY, PHILADELPHIA, PIKE, POTTER, SCHUYLKILL, SNYDER, SOMERSET, SULLIVAN, SUSQUEHANNA, TIOGA, UNION, VENANGO, WARREN, WASHINGTON, WAYNE, WESTMORELAND, YORK.
If a name is long, truncated, or includes a district tag, that is how the official locality is labeled. Look it up in the appendix rather than shortening the official name.
More named comparisons
The regional sections cannot quote every locality. These additional pairs still use live rates and real place names, so you can see how neighbors diverge without scrolling the appendix yet.
Cross from Allegheny into Philadelphia and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 7% to 8%. That 1% swing is $420.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Montgomery is currently 6%; Bucks is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Montgomery, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Bucks.
Cross from Lancaster into Delaware and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Chester is currently 6%; Dauphin is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Chester, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Dauphin.
Cross from Northampton into Lehigh and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Berks is currently 6%; York is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Berks, that is the extra (or the savings) versus York.
Cross from Luzerne into Westmoreland and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Lackawanna is currently 6%; Erie is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Lackawanna, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Erie.
Cross from Washington into Cumberland and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Butler is currently 6%; Centre is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Butler, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Centre.
Cross from Armstrong into Adams and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $42,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Beaver is currently 6%; Bedford is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $42,000 vehicle. If you live in Beaver, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Bedford.
A longer tour of named places
One more pass across named places, still in comparison sentences, still live:
Allegheny is currently 7%; Adams is 6%. The difference is 1%, or $280.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Allegheny, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Adams.
Cross from Beaver into Armstrong and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Bedford is currently 6%; Berks is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Bedford, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Berks.
Cross from Bradford into Blair and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Bucks is currently 6%; Butler is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Bucks, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Butler.
Cross from Cameron into Cambria and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Carbon is currently 6%; Centre is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Carbon, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Centre.
Cross from Clarion into Chester and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Clearfield is currently 6%; Clinton is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Clearfield, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Clinton.
Cross from Crawford into Columbia and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Cumberland is currently 6%; Dauphin is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Cumberland, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Dauphin.
Cross from Elk into Delaware and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Erie is currently 6%; Fayette is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Erie, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Fayette.
Cross from Franklin into Forest and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Fulton is currently 6%; Greene is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Fulton, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Greene.
Cross from Indiana into Huntingdon and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Jefferson is currently 6%; Juniata is 6%. The difference is 0%, or $0.00 on a $28,000 vehicle. If you live in Jefferson, that is the extra (or the savings) versus Juniata.
Cross from Lancaster into Lackawanna and the combined sales-tax rate moves from 6% to 6%. That 0% swing is $0.00 on a $28,000 purchase — large enough to notice on a buyer’s order, small next to a statewide percentage if the gap is thin.
Two complete examples
These two walk-throughs use the same live rate as the regional boxes. They are not a substitute for a clerk’s calculator, but they show the arithmetic behind the live dollar figures.
Complete example A: $28,000 in Philadelphia
Scenario: Taxable or assessed amount $28,000 in Philadelphia.
Combined sales-tax rate 8%
Result: $2,240.00
Same amount in Allegheny (7%): $1,960.00
Gap: $280.00
This is the local (or combined) rate line only.
Complete example B: $42,000 in Allegheny
Scenario: Step the amount to $42,000 and keep the same two places.
Philadelphia: $3,360.00
Gap: $420.00
Percentage and millage gaps scale with the base. Flat-fee states in this series do not.
What these rates do not include
PennDOT title and registration fees, Philadelphia city use/parking taxes, and county property tax on vehicles (Pennsylvania does not levy typical personal-property tax on cars) are not the sales-tax totals compared here.
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — sales tax on motor vehicles; REV-16
- 72 P.S. § 7202 — 6 percent state sales tax
- Philadelphia and Allegheny County local sales-tax ordinances as applied to motor vehicles
- PennDOT — title and registration (Form MV-1)
Common questions
Is Pittsburgh a different rate from the rest of Allegheny County? This official rates is county-level. Allegheny is one combined row here.
Do the other 65 counties really match? If the live local column is zero, yes — they share the 6 percent state rate on this export. Confirm if a new local tax is enacted.
Can I trust a screenshot of this article in six months? Trust the live rates on this page, not a PDF. Highest and lowest names update when official rates change.
What if a rate shows as unavailable? The locality name may not match official spelling. Search the appendix and use the official city or county label.
Does a dealer in the cheap locality save me money? Almost never, if sourcing follows residence or first use. Philadelphia still pays 8% when that is where the vehicle belongs.
How these rates stay current
Every rate and dollar amount in this article is pulled live from current official data used by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and PennDOT. When an official levy changes, the figures on this page update in real time. Highest and lowest locality names also update automatically.
This is an educational estimator, not a clerk’s receipt. Effective dates, exemptions, trade-in rules, and assessment fractions can be more precise than a single combined rate. When you title, the state’s collecting office is the authority.
Appendix: searchable rate table
Use this as a search box, not as a substitute for the comparisons above. Filter by city, county, or location name.
| County | Total sales tax |
|---|---|
| ALLEGHENY | 7% |
| ADAMS | 6% |
| ARMSTRONG | 6% |
| BEAVER | 6% |
| BEDFORD | 6% |
| BERKS | 6% |
| BLAIR | 6% |
| BRADFORD | 6% |
| BUCKS | 6% |
| BUTLER | 6% |
| CAMBRIA | 6% |
| CAMERON | 6% |
| CARBON | 6% |
| CENTRE | 6% |
| CHESTER | 6% |
| CLARION | 6% |
| CLEARFIELD | 6% |
| CLINTON | 6% |
| COLUMBIA | 6% |
| CRAWFORD | 6% |
| CUMBERLAND | 6% |
| DAUPHIN | 6% |
| DELAWARE | 6% |
| ELK | 6% |
| ERIE | 6% |
| FAYETTE | 6% |
| FOREST | 6% |
| FRANKLIN | 6% |
| FULTON | 6% |
| GREENE | 6% |
| HUNTINGDON | 6% |
| INDIANA | 6% |
| JEFFERSON | 6% |
| JUNIATA | 6% |
| LACKAWANNA | 6% |
| LANCASTER | 6% |
| LAWRENCE | 6% |
| LEBANON | 6% |
| LEHIGH | 6% |
| LUZERNE | 6% |
| LYCOMING | 6% |
| MCKEAN | 6% |
| MERCER | 6% |
| MIFFLIN | 6% |
| MONROE | 6% |
| MONTGOMERY | 6% |
| MONTOUR | 6% |
| NORTHAMPTON | 6% |
| NORTHUMBERLAND | 6% |
| PERRY | 6% |
| PHILADELPHIA | 8% |
| PIKE | 6% |
| POTTER | 6% |
| SCHUYLKILL | 6% |
| SNYDER | 6% |
| SOMERSET | 6% |
| SULLIVAN | 6% |
| SUSQUEHANNA | 6% |
| TIOGA | 6% |
| UNION | 6% |
| VENANGO | 6% |
| WARREN | 6% |
| WASHINGTON | 6% |
| WAYNE | 6% |
| WESTMORELAND | 6% |
| YORK | 6% |
Conclusion
Pennsylvania does not have one vehicle-tax number. Philadelphia is 8%; Allegheny is 7%; the live high is 8% and the live low is 6%. If you live in the high place, you feel it on a $28,000 taxable purchase; if you live in the low place, you still owe whatever statewide tax or fee the statutes below impose. Walk the region that matches your address, then confirm the live row in the appendix before you sign.
- Complete reference list
- Pennsylvania Department of Revenue — sales tax on motor vehicles; REV-16
- 72 P.S. § 7202 — 6 percent state sales tax
- Philadelphia and Allegheny County local sales-tax ordinances as applied to motor vehicles
- PennDOT — title and registration (Form MV-1)
This guide is an educational estimator. It is not legal, tax, or DMV advice. Figures shown inline are sourced from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and PennDOT and related official rate data, update in real time, and can change when a locality’s levy changes. Confirm amounts with the collecting agency cited above before you pay.