Official fees
Ohio car sales tax chart
State rate
5.75%
flat, statewide
County permissive tax
0.75%–2.25%
adds to the state rate
New-vehicle taxable base
price − trade-in
Used-vehicle taxable base
full price
no trade-in deduction, dealer or private
Private/casual sale
taxed on stated price
county may substitute fair market value if too low
Gift (no consideration)
$0 tax
write "GIFT," not $0, on the application
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county deputy registrar (Ohio BMV) - counties can add small local fees.
- Combined rate
- 6.5%–8%
- Based on
- Buyer's county
- New-car trade-in
- Deducted
- Used-car trade-in
- NOT deducted
- Gift (no cash)
- 0% tax
Overview
The rule that trips up the most buyers: trade-ins only lower your tax bill when you're buying a NEW vehicle. Ohio Administrative Code 5703-9-36 is explicit that used-vehicle purchases - whether from a dealer or a private seller - get no deduction for a trade-in's value; you're taxed on the full price of the used car regardless of what you handed over. Private/casual sales are taxed on the stated price, but the county can substitute a fair-market estimate (KBB/NADA) if that price looks implausibly low. Genuine gifts, with no money changing hands, owe no sales tax at all.
Same state, other costs
More Ohio vehicle costs
Common questions
Ohio car sales tax FAQ
- Is it true Ohio doesn't give a trade-in credit on used cars?
- Yes. Ohio Administrative Code 5703-9-36 spells out that the trade-in allowance reduces the taxable price only on a new-vehicle purchase. Buy a used car and trade in your old one - at a franchise dealer or a private seller - and you owe tax on the used car's full price with no offset.
- How much is sales tax on a $20,000 used car in Ohio?
- Between $1,300 (6.5%, in Butler, Lorain, Stark, or Wayne County) and $1,600 (8%, in Cuyahoga or Franklin County) - on the full $20,000, since a trade-in doesn't reduce a used-car tax base in Ohio.
- Which Ohio counties have the highest and lowest combined rates?
- Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Franklin (Columbus) sit at the top with 8%, partly from added transit levies. Butler, Lorain, Stark, and Wayne counties sit at the bottom with 6.5%. Most of Ohio's other 84 counties land around 7.25%.
- Do I pay Ohio tax based on where I bought the car or where I live?
- Where you live. A dealer in a low-tax county still has to charge you the rate for your county of residence when you register the vehicle there - the dealer's location doesn't set the rate.
- Can the county tax me on more than what I actually paid?
- On a private/casual sale, yes if your stated price looks implausible - the clerk of courts can reference Kelley Blue Book or NADA and assess tax on the vehicle's fair market value instead of your number. Keep a bill of sale that reflects the real price and condition.
- Is a car gifted between non-family members still tax-free?
- The exemption is for transfers with no consideration exchanged, not strictly a family-only rule - a genuine no-money gift to anyone should owe no sales tax, though the clerk of courts may ask for a signed statement or exemption certificate for anything that isn't an obvious family transfer.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
