Motor vehicle SUT 4.15% (min $75.00) · Title $15.00 · Passenger tags from $30.75/year · Virginia DMV
This tax title tags and fees calculator Virginia is the DMV visit people mean by “virginia vehicle sales tax calculator,” “virginia dmv fee calculator,” and “how much does it cost to tag and title a car in virginia.” Virginia does not add a city sales tax on top of the car bill. The tax at titling is a statewide motor vehicle sales and use tax of 4.15% (Virginia statewide SUT (no local SUT stack)), with a minimum of $75.00. On a $38,000 purchase that tax is $1,577.00. Add a title of $15.00 and one-year passenger tags of $30.75 (empty weight 4,000 lbs or less) and the estimated tax, title, and tags is $1,622.75. A $3,000 trade-in does not change the 4.15% line. Use the calculator on this page; Virginia DMV sets the receipt.In this guide
- How much are tax, title, tags, and fees in Virginia?
- Virginia’s 4.15% motor vehicle sales and use tax
- Title fee: $15
- Registration, tags, and DMV fees
- Highway Use Fee for EVs and efficient cars
- Trade-ins, rebates, and dealer processing
- Used cars and private sales
- Family gifts, inheritance, and new residents
- Local car tax vs the DMV titling tax
- This is Virginia, not West Virginia
- How to calculate tax, title, and tags
- What this page does not estimate
- Taxes de carro en Virginia
- How to use this calculator
- Two complete buying examples
- Common questions
Estimate your own deal: The Virginia tax, title, tags, and fees calculator on this page is the same calculator as the figures below. Verify amounts on Virginia DMV’s Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax page, the DMV-201 fee table, and DMV’s own fee calculator.
How much are tax, title, tags, and fees in Virginia?
Short answer: Virginia car tax at titling is 4.15% of gross sale price — minimum $75.00 — not grocery sales tax and not your county’s annual car tax. On $38,000 that is $1,577.00. Title is $15.00. One-year passenger tags start at $30.75. Title plus those tags is $45.75 before tax. Tax + title + light tags on $38,000 is $1,622.75. An EV adds Highway Use Fee $135.63: $1,758.38.
Default figures on this page are sales and use tax only. Title, tags, Northern Virginia’s $2.00 emissions add-on, and Highway Use Fee appear when the sentence is about those fees. That keeps “virginia car sales tax calculator” from mixing a $30.75 tag into a tax quote.
| Deal (passenger ≤4,000 lbs, no HUF, no local PPT unless noted) | SUT | Tax + title + tags |
|---|---|---|
| $38,000 dealer purchase | $1,577.00 | $1,622.75 |
| $18,500 with a $3,000 trade-in | $767.75 | $813.50 |
| $18,500 with a $500 manufacturer rebate | $747.00 | $792.75 |
| $38,000 battery EV (adds HUF) | $1,577.00 | $1,758.38 |
| $38,000, 4,001–6,500 lbs | $1,577.00 | $1,627.75 |
| Qualifying family gift (spouse / parent / child) | $0.00 | $45.75 |
| $1,000 sale (hits the $75 minimum) | $75.00 | $120.75 |
Example 1 — Tax only on a $38,000 car
Rate: 4.15% SUT: $1,577.00
This is the Virginia vehicle sales tax people mean. It is a DMV titling tax, not the general retail rate on other goods.
Example 2 — Same car with title and one-year tags
Tax: $1,577.00 Title: $15.00 1-year passenger tags (≤4,000 lbs): $30.75 Estimated total: $1,622.75
Two taxes, two offices. The 4.15% line is what DMV collects when you title. Your city or county’s annual personal property “car tax” is a separate bill from the Commissioner of the Revenue. Do not add a guessed county millage on top of $1,577.00 unless you type the locality’s actual amount.
Virginia’s 4.15% motor vehicle sales and use tax
When someone searches “virginia motor vehicle sales and use tax 4.15%,” “virginia dmv sales tax calculator,” or “what is the sales tax on a car in virginia,” they want the titling SUT in Code of Virginia § 58.1-2402. For a typical passenger car the rate is 4.15% of gross sale price, with a floor of $75.00. There is no county or city SUT stacked on that line (0% local; Virginia statewide SUT (no local SUT stack)).
Gross sale price is the total paid for the vehicle. Dealer processing is in that base. Manufacturer rebates come out. Trade-ins and unpaid liens do not. New and used cars use the same 4.15% unless the transfer is a qualifying family gift, inheritance, or new-resident exemption.
A cheap sale still owes the minimum. $1,000 × 4.15% would be under $75.00, so DMV collects $75.00.
Example 1 — $38,000 dealer car
$38,000 × 4.15% = $1,577.00
Same rate on a used car at the same price. Virginia does not cut 4.15% because the car is used.
Example 2 — $1,000 sale (minimum tax)
Raw 4.15% of $1,000 is below the floor SUT charged: $75.00 With title and light tags: $120.75
Official: Virginia DMV Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax; Code of Virginia § 58.1-2402 (4.15% and $75.00 minimum).
Title fee: $15
“Title fee virginia,” “virginia dmv title fee $15,” and “how much does it cost to title a car in virginia” all land on the same DMV certificate: $15.00. Original, substitute, and replacement titles use that amount. A supplemental lien title is another $15.00.
Title does not change with a $38,000 or $18,500 price. You still pay it on a qualifying family gift when SUT is $0.00.
Example 1 — First title on a purchase
Title: $15.00 Plus 1-year light tags: $30.75 Title + tags (no tax): $45.75
Example 2 — Title plus a lien notation
Title: $15.00 Supplemental lien title: $15.00
If the lender needs a lien on the title, budget both $15.00 lines. Ask DMV if any other title notation fee applies.
Official: DMV Title Your Vehicle and DMV-201 — title $15.00.
Registration, tags, and DMV fees
“Virginia dmv registration fee calculator,” “how much are tags in virginia,” and “cost to register a car in virginia” point at the passenger / pickup rows on DMV-201. Posted one-year state registration:
| Vehicle | 1-year state tags |
|---|---|
| Passenger, empty weight 4,000 lbs or less | $30.75 |
| Passenger or pickup, 4,001–6,500 lbs | $35.75 |
| Pickup, 6,501–10,000 lbs GVW | $44.75 |
Northern Virginia localities listed on DMV-201 add an emissions fee of $2.00 (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford Counties, plus Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park). On a $38,000 light car that is $1,624.75 instead of $1,622.75.
Some cities also sell a local tag. That dollar is locality-set. Enter it if your commissioner charges one; this page leaves it at $0 until you do.
Example 1 — Light vs mid-weight on $38,000
≤4,000 lbs: $1,622.75 4,001–6,500 lbs: $1,627.75
The extra $35.75 versus $30.75 is the only change. SUT stays $1,577.00.
Example 2 — Pickup 6,501–10,000 lbs
State tags: $44.75 Tax + title + those tags: $1,636.75
Official: DMV-201 passenger and pickup registration; Northern Virginia emissions $2.00.
Highway Use Fee for EVs and efficient cars
“Virginia highway use fee calculator” is a real DMV line, not a second sales tax. Fuel-efficient vehicles (combined 25 MPG or more), battery EVs, and low-speed vehicles pay an annual Highway Use Fee instead of — or on top of — gas-tax they would have paid at the pump.
- Battery EV (FY 1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027): $135.63
- Low-speed vehicle: $25.00
- Gas or diesel under 25 MPG combined: $0.00 — no HUF on this page
- Gas 25 MPG or more: look up the combined MPG on DMV’s HUF chart and enter that dollar here
Example 1 — $38,000 gasoline car under 25 MPG
HUF: $0.00 Tax + title + tags: $1,622.75
Example 2 — Same price, battery EV
HUF: $135.63 Tax + title + tags + HUF: $1,758.38
SUT is still $1,577.00. The EV extra is the Highway Use Fee, not a higher 4.15%.
Official: DMV Highway Use Fee and the 2026 HUF chart.
Trade-ins, rebates, and dealer processing
Virginia is not a “price minus trade, then tax” state. Code of Virginia § 58.1-2401 defines sale price without any allowance for trade-ins or unpaid liens. An $18,500 car with a $3,000 trade still taxes $767.75 — the same as $767.75. The trade-in field here is for a loan illustration, not a Virginia tax subtraction.
A manufacturer rebate or incentive does come out of the SUT base. $18,500 minus a $500 rebate is $747.00. Cash down does not change the tax.
Dealer processing (doc) fees have no statewide dollar cap. If the dealer charges one, it is in the SUT base. A $38,000 price plus $500 processing taxes $1,597.75 instead of $1,577.00.
Example 1 — Trade-in does not cut SUT
Price $18,500, trade $3,000 SUT on this page: $767.75 With title and light tags: $813.50
Example 2 — Rebate vs processing
$18,500 with $500 rebate: $747.00 $38,000 with $500 processing: $1,597.75
Do not subtract the trade from Virginia SUT. If a dealer worksheet shows a lower taxable amount, that is not how § 58.1-2401 works unless the difference is a manufacturer rebate. Confirm on DMV’s SUT page.
Used cars and private sales
Used-car sales tax in Virginia is still 4.15% on sale price (minimum $75.00). A private $18,500 sale is $767.75, then title $15.00 and tags. Total with one-year light tags: $813.50.
If the car is under five model years old and the stated price is not within $1,500 of NADA trade-in value, DMV can require affidavit SUT-1A and tax the guide value as a floor. A $18,500 private price with a $20,000 NADA floor is $830.00 — still no trade-in credit.
Example 1 — Private $18,500, no NADA floor
SUT: $767.75 Title: $15.00 Tags: $30.75 Estimated total: $813.50
Example 2 — Same sale, NADA floor $20,000
SUT: $830.00
Enter the NADA figure DMV will use. Do not guess a different book.
Family gifts, inheritance, and new residents
A gift to a spouse, parent, son, or daughter can drop SUT to $0.00. You still pay title and tags: $45.75. A gift to a sibling, grandparent, or friend is generally taxable — that is a purchase at 4.15%, not a family exemption. Except for a gift to a spouse, the exemption typically fails if the recipient assumes an unpaid loan on the car.
Inheritance to a spouse or heir is the same $0 SUT path on this page: $0.00, with $45.75 for title and tags. When the heir later sells to a third party, that buyer pays ordinary SUT.
New residents who title a vehicle already in their name, owned more than 12 months (or less than 12 months with proof of tax paid elsewhere), owe SUT of $0.00. If you bought within 12 months and cannot show tax paid to the other state, Virginia taxes fair market value at 4.15% — on a $38,000 FMV that is $1,577.00.
Example 1 — Parent-to-child gift
SUT: $0.00 Title + 1-year tags: $45.75
Compared with buying the same car, you skip $1,577.00 of SUT.
Example 2 — New resident, owned over 12 months
SUT: $0.00 Title + tags still due: $45.75
Official: Code of Virginia § 58.1-2403 (gift (7), new resident (10), inheritance (26)).
Local car tax vs the DMV titling tax
“Virginia property tax car calculator,” “virginia car tax rates by county,” and “calculate virginia car tax” often mean the annual personal property tax your city or county bills, not the 4.15% DMV collects at title. Those are different taxes, different offices, and different due dates.
This page estimates the DMV titling stack. Local PPT stays at $0 until you enter the amount your Commissioner of the Revenue publishes for that vehicle. Paying PPT does not zero DMV SUT. Some localities will not issue a local tag until PPT is paid.
Example 1 — What DMV collects on a $38,000 purchase
SUT $1,577.00 + title $15.00 + tags $30.75 = $1,622.75. That is tax, title, and tags on this page — not county PPT.
Example 2 — Later tag renewal
State renewal is the registration row again — $30.75 for a light passenger car, plus HUF if you owe it — not another 4.15% of last year’s purchase price. Ask your locality for the personal property bill.
Official: Virginia Tax property-tax FAQ — PPT is local; contact the locality.
This is Virginia, not West Virginia
Search results mix “west virginia vehicle sales tax” and “west virginia dmv vehicle sales tax 6%” into this page. West Virginia is a different state with a different DMV. This calculator is Commonwealth of Virginia: 4.15% motor vehicle SUT, title $15.00, passenger tags from $30.75.
If you title the car in West Virginia, use the West Virginia vehicle tax, title, and license calculator. Do not apply Virginia’s 4.15% there, and do not apply West Virginia’s tax here.
Example 1 — Titling in Richmond, Virginia
Use this page. $38,000 SUT is $1,577.00.
Example 2 — Titling in Charleston, West Virginia
Open the West Virginia calculator. Harrison County, West Virginia, is not a Virginia DMV office.
How to calculate tax, title, and tags
- Start with gross sale price. Add dealer processing. Subtract a manufacturer rebate only. Do not subtract the trade-in. Multiply by 4.15%, then apply the $75.00 floor if the result is smaller. $38,000 → $1,577.00. $18,500 → $767.75.
- Add title $15.00. Add a second $15.00 if a lien will be noted.
- Pick empty weight (or pickup GVW) for one-year state tags: $30.75 / $35.75 / $44.75.
- If you live in a listed Northern Virginia locality, add $2.00. If the vehicle is an EV, add $135.63. If it is 25+ MPG gasoline, enter the chart amount from DMV.
- Enter local PPT and local tag only if you have those bills. They are not inside 4.15%.
Example 1 — Walkthrough on $38,000, light ICE, 1-year
Tax: $1,577.00 Title: $15.00 Tags: $30.75 Total: $1,622.75
Example 2 — Walkthrough on $18,500 used, $3,000 trade, NoVA emissions
Tax (trade ignored): $767.75 Title: $15.00 Tags: $30.75 NoVA emissions: $2.00 Total: $815.50
What this page does not estimate
This calculator is Virginia passenger vehicles and light pickups titled with DMV. For everything else, ask the office that bills it.
- Real-estate grantor and transfer tax. “Virginia transfer tax calculator” and “virginia grantor tax calculator” are house closings, not car titles.
- Title insurance. That is a lender product on real estate, not DMV’s $15.00 certificate.
- Permanent trailer tags, motorcycles, and 26,001+ lb trucks. Ask DMV-201’s trailer / motorcycle / IRP rows. Passenger $30.75 is not a trailer plate.
- A 3-year registration package. This page uses the annual DMV-201 passenger amounts. Ask DMV’s fee calculator for a multi-year term.
- Fuel-efficient ICE HUF by MPG band beyond the EV $135.63 and LSV $25.00 rows. Enter the chart dollar.
- County personal property millage as a statewide default. Enter your locality’s bill.
- West Virginia privilege tax, inspection, and plates. Use the West Virginia calculator.
Example 1 — House grantor tax
A Virginia home sale uses recordation and grantor tax. It is not 4.15% of a car price and not $15.00.
Example 2 — Trailer tags
Ask DMV what a permanent trailer plate costs. Do not use passenger $30.75 as a trailer quote.
Taxes de carro en Virginia
El impuesto al titular en Virginia es 4.15% (mínimo $75.00), no el impuesto general de ventas. En un carro de $38,000 eso es $1,577.00. El título cuesta $15.00. Las placas de pasajero de un año (hasta 4,000 lb) cuestan $30.75. El total estimado de impuesto, título y placas es $1,622.75. Un regalo a cónyuge, padre o hijo deja el impuesto en $0.00 y el paquete de título y placas en $45.75. Los tipos de placas (peso, EV, Northern Virginia) cambian las filas de $30.75, $135.63 y $2.00. DMV cobra el monto final.
Ejemplo 1 — Compra de $38,000
Impuesto: $1,577.00 Total con título y placas: $1,622.75
Ejemplo 2 — Venta de $18,500 con intercambio de $3,000
El intercambio no baja el impuesto: $767.75 Total: $813.50
How to use this calculator
- Enter the gross sale price DMV will verify. Virginia has no city SUT picker — the rate is statewide 4.15%.
- Leave the deal as a purchase unless it is a qualifying family gift, inheritance, or new-resident title.
- Pick shipping weight. Turn on EV or enter HUF from the DMV chart if the car is 25+ MPG.
- Turn on Northern Virginia emissions if you live in a listed locality.
- Turn on title and full registration when you want tax + tags + title, not tax alone. Optional financing uses a Federal Reserve G.19 APR of 7.14% for illustration only.
Example 1 — Tax-only quote
$38,000 purchase: $1,577.00.
Example 2 — DMV fee-estimator quote
Title + 1-year light tags (no tax): $45.75. Full $38,000 ICE deal: $1,622.75. EV: $1,758.38.
Two complete buying examples
Example 1 — $18,500 used, $3,000 trade, 4,000 lbs or less, one-year tags
SUT (4.15%, trade ignored): $767.75 Title: $15.00 1-year tags: $30.75 Estimated total: $813.50
Example 2 — $38,000 new EV, Fairfax County (NoVA emissions), two HUF + title + tags
SUT: $1,577.00 Title: $15.00 Tags: $30.75 NoVA emissions: $2.00 Highway Use Fee: $135.63 Estimated total: $1,760.38
The same ICE car without HUF or NoVA is $1,622.75. Fairfax still bills annual personal property tax separately — enter that amount if you have it.
Common questions
How much are tax, title, and tags on a $38,000 car in Virginia?
SUT $1,577.00. With passenger title and one-year light tags: $1,622.75. An EV is $1,758.38.
What is the Virginia motor vehicle sales and use tax rate in 2026?
4.15%, minimum $75.00, on gross sale price. That rate has been in § 58.1-2402 since July 1, 2016. It is not 5.3% grocery sales tax.
How much is a Virginia title?
$15.00 for original, substitute, or replacement. A supplemental lien title is another $15.00.
How much are tags in Virginia?
One-year state registration: $30.75 / $35.75 / $44.75 by weight. Northern Virginia adds $2.00 where listed.
Does a trade-in reduce Virginia sales tax on a car?
No. $18,500 with a $3,000 trade is still $767.75. A manufacturer rebate does reduce the base: $747.00.
What is the used-car sales tax rate?
The same 4.15%, minimum $75.00. Private sales can hit a NADA floor if the stated price is too far below book.
How much is the Virginia Highway Use Fee?
Battery EV $135.63 for 1 Jul 2026–30 Jun 2027. Low-speed vehicle $25.00. Gasoline under 25 MPG: $0.00.
Does Virginia have property tax on cars?
Localities bill annual personal property tax. That is not the 4.15% DMV titling tax on this page. Ask your Commissioner of the Revenue.
Do I pay tax on a family gift?
Spouse, parent, son, or daughter: SUT $0.00. Title and tags are still $45.75. A sibling gift is generally taxable.
I just moved to Virginia. How much is the tax?
If the vehicle was already in your name and owned more than 12 months (or you show tax paid elsewhere): $0.00. Otherwise expect 4.15% of fair market value.
Is this the West Virginia calculator?
No. This page is Virginia DMV. West Virginia titles use the West Virginia calculator.
What APR does this calculator use if I finance?
7.14% — Federal Reserve G.19 60-month new-car bank average, not a Virginia cap. There is no official used-car APR series. Enter your contract rate.
Before you sign
- Use 4.15%, not 5.3% or 6%, on a Virginia passenger-car title.
- Use $15.00 for the title — that $15 figure is current on DMV-201.
- Do not subtract a trade-in from the SUT base.
- Do not skip $135.63 on a battery EV.
- Do not treat county PPT as if it were the DMV 4.15% line.
- If the title is West Virginia, leave this page.
- Virginia DMV’s receipt wins.
Complete reference list
- Virginia DMV Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax — 4.15%; $75.00 minimum; gross price; trade not deducted
- Virginia DMV Title Your Vehicle — title $15.00
- DMV-201 fee table — tags $30.75 / $35.75 / $44.75; NoVA $2.00
- DMV fee calculator — official title / registration / SUT / HUF estimate
- DMV Highway Use Fee — EV $135.63; LSV $25.00
- Code of Virginia § 58.1-2402, § 58.1-2401, § 58.1-2403
- Virginia Tax property-tax FAQ
- Federal Reserve G.19 (7.14%)
Figures on this page are estimates that follow Virginia DMV amounts used by this calculator: motor vehicle sales and use tax 4.15% (minimum $75.00; $1,577.00 on a $38,000 purchase), title $15.00, and passenger tags from $30.75. Virginia DMV sets the amount you pay.