New York·Updated for 2026·Figures in USD · your county and vehicle weight set the fees
New York Vehicle Tax, Title and License Calculator (2026)
When you buy a vehicle in New York you pay 4% state sales tax plus your county's rate — set by where you live, not where you buy — a $50 title fee, $25 for plates, and a two-year registration fee that depends on the vehicle's weight, plus a county use tax where one applies. Choose your county and enter the weight to see your estimate.
Your purchase
$
What you pay for the vehicle
$
On a dealer sale a trade-in lowers the taxed price only if the dealer intends to resell it (Publication 838, 2012 edition) — check current New York guidance.
The weight class DMV's chart uses. Check current New York DMV guidance for which weight applies to your vehicle.
lbs
Sets your local sales tax, county use tax and any MCTD fee
Enter the purchase price. Your New York tax, title and license estimate appears here as you type — there is no button to press.
Calculating
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This is a planning estimate, not the exact number a dealer or the DMV will quote. Rates and fees change, so check current New York DMV guidance before you buy.
Figures last verified September 25, 2026. County sales tax rates are from Publication 718, effective March 1, 2025, which New York lists as the current edition. Rates and fees change, so check current New York DMV guidance.
How much is tax, title and license in New York?
Sales tax is the biggest charge, and it depends on your county. On the DMV side you pay a title fee, plates, a two-year registration fee set by weight, and in some counties a use tax and an MCTD fee. Here is a $30,000 vehicle weighing 3,800 lbs in three places, with no trade-in:
Charge
Ontario County
Erie County
New York City
Sales tax
7.5%: $2,250.00
8.75%: $2,625.00
8.875%: $2,662.50
Title fee
$50.00
$50.00
$50.00
Plates
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
Registration (2 years, 3,800 lbs)
$64.00
$64.00
$64.00
County use tax and MCTD fee
$0.00
$20.00
$80.00
Estimated total
$2,389.00
$2,784.00
$2,881.50
Sales tax: your county's rate, not where you buy
New York Tax & Finance says sales tax on a motor vehicle uses the rate where the buyer lives. The rate is the 4%state rate plus your county's, and in the counties of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District it includes a 3/8% MCTD tax. These are combined rates from Publication 718:
Where you live
Combined rate
On $30,000
Ontario County
7.5%
$2,250.00
Albany County
8%
$2,400.00
Erie County
8.75%
$2,625.00
Westchester County (outside Yonkers)
8.375%
$2,512.50
Yonkers
8.875%
$2,662.50
New York City (all five boroughs)
8.875%
$2,662.50
Yonkers has a higher rate than the rest of Westchester County, so the calculator lists it separately. Until you choose a county, the calculator shows the 4% state rate only and says so.
Trade-ins on a New York dealer sale
New York's dealer guide (Publication 838) says a dealer may deduct a trade-in from the taxable amount, but only if the dealer intends to resell the vehicle taken in trade, even to a scrap yard. Its example: a $32,000 vehicle with an $8,500 trade-in is taxed on $23,500. That edition is from 2012, so check current New York guidance before you rely on it. The calculator applies a trade-in on the assumption that your dealer will resell it; a $10,000 trade-in on a $30,000 vehicle in New York City takes the sales tax from $2,662.50 to $1,775.00.
Registration: a two-year fee set by weight
The DMV's registration fee for a passenger vehicle is a two-year amount that depends on the vehicle's weight, from $26.00 up to$140.00. These are a few rows from the DMV chart:
Vehicle weight
Two-year registration fee
2,000 lbs
$32.50
3,000 lbs
$48.50
4,000 lbs
$69.00
5,000 lbs
$93.00
6,000 lbs
$117.00
6,951 lbs or more
$140.00
DMV also sets a minimum two-year fee of $32.50 for vehicles with six or more cylinders and for electric vehicles. From 1,951 lbs up, the chart fee is already $32.50 or more. Check current New York DMV guidance for which weight applies to your vehicle.
County use tax and the MCTD fee
On top of the registration fee, New York City and some counties charge a vehicle use tax that the DMV collects when you register, and the twelve MCTD counties add a $50 two-year supplemental fee. Both are two-year figures on the DMV's chart:
Where you live
County use tax (2 years)
MCTD fee (2 years)
New York City
$30
$50
Nassau County
$30 at any weight
$50
Suffolk and Westchester counties
$30 (up to 3,500 lbs) or $60 (3,501 lbs and up)
$50
Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties
$10 (up to 3,500 lbs) or $20 (3,501 lbs and up)
$50
Orange County
None listed
$50
Most other listed counties, such as Erie and Albany
$10 (up to 3,500 lbs) or $20 (3,501 lbs and up)
None
Counties not on the DMV chart, such as Ontario
None listed
None
What this estimate leaves out
Dealer charges such as documentation fees. Ask your dealer for a full quote.
Private-party purchases. New York's DMV collects the sales tax on those (form DTF-802), and that handling is not covered here.
The registration fee and county use taxes are DMV's two-year figures: the fee chart is for 2 years, and the county use taxes are listed "for 2 years".
DMV sets a minimum 2-year registration fee of $32.50 for vehicles with six or more cylinders and for electric vehicles. From 1,951 lbs up, the chart fee is already $32.50 or more.
A county that is not on DMV's county use tax chart is shown with no county use tax.
The trade-in rule comes from a 2012 dealer guide, so check current New York guidance.
New York vehicle tax FAQ
How much is sales tax on a car in New York?
It is the 4% state rate plus your county's rate. On the rates in Publication 718 the combined rate runs from 7% (Saratoga, Warren and Washington) to 8.875% (New York City and Westchester (Yonkers)). On a $30,000 vehicle that is $2,100.00 at the low end and $2,662.50 at the high end; in Ontario County, at 7.5%, it is $2,250.00.
Do I pay sales tax where I buy the car or where I live?
Where you live. New York Tax & Finance says sales tax on motor vehicles is worked out at the rate in effect where the buyer lives. That is why the calculator asks for your county.
Does a trade-in reduce sales tax in New York?
On a dealer sale it can, but only if the dealer intends to resell the vehicle taken in trade. New York's dealer guide (Publication 838, 2012 edition) gives this example: a $32,000 vehicle with an $8,500 trade-in is taxed on $23,500. That guide is old, so check current New York guidance. On $30,000 with a $10,000 trade-in in New York City, the tax falls from $2,662.50 to $1,775.00.
How much is DMV registration for a car in New York?
The DMV's two-year fee is set by vehicle weight, from $26.00 for a vehicle up to 1,650 lbs to $140.00 for one of 6,951 lbs or more. A 3,000 lb vehicle pays $48.50, and a 4,000 lb vehicle pays $69.00. County use taxes and, in some counties, an MCTD fee are added.
How much is the New York title fee?
$50. The DMV lists a title certificate fee of $50.00 on an original registration, and $25 for a set of plates.
What is the MCTD fee?
A supplemental fee of $50 for two years ($25 a year) that residents of the twelve counties in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District pay: the five New York City counties, plus Dutchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester. The sales tax rates in those counties also include a 3/8% MCTD tax.
What is the county vehicle use tax?
A charge the DMV collects for New York City and some counties when you register. It is listed for two years and depends on weight: for example $10 (3,500 lbs or less) or $20 (3,501 lbs or more) in Erie County, $30 in New York City, and $30 or $60 in Suffolk and Westchester. A county that is not on the DMV's chart is shown with no county use tax.
How do I find my exact sales tax rate?
Choose your county in the calculator, which uses Publication 718. To confirm your rate by address, use the New York Tax & Finance jurisdiction and rate lookup. The one difference inside a county that we handle is Yonkers, which has a higher rate than the rest of Westchester.
Does this work for a private-party purchase?
It is built for a dealer purchase. On a private sale the DMV calculates and collects the sales tax, using form DTF-802, and we have not covered that handling here.
Are you covering other states?
Yes. Texas and California are live too, and more states are coming. Each state uses its own published rules. Pick your state on the vehicle tax, title and license calculator by state.
Sales tax: 4% state rate plus your county's rate, from the buyer's home jurisdiction (Publication 718, effective March 1, 2025; the New York rates in the MCTD counties include the 3/8% MCTD tax). A trade-in reduces the taxed price on a dealer sale only if the dealer intends to resell it (Publication 838, 2012 edition). Title: $50 and plates: $25 (New York DMV). Registration: the DMV's 2-year fee chart by vehicle weight, from $26.00 to $140.00, plus county vehicle use taxes of $10 to $60 for two years and a $50 two-year MCTD supplemental fee in the twelve MCTD counties (New York DMV). Counties not on the DMV use tax chart show no county use tax. Dealer charges and private-party purchases are not covered.
