Official fees
Washington D.C. car sales tax chart
≤3,499 lbs, 20 mpg or less
9.0%
≤3,499 lbs, 40+ mpg
1.5%
≤3,499 lbs, electric
1.0%
3,500–4,999 lbs, 20 mpg or less
10.0%
3,500–4,999 lbs, electric
2.0%
5,000+ lbs, 20 mpg or less
11.0%
5,000+ lbs, electric
3.0%
EITC-certified alternative
6% / 7% / 8%
flat by weight, whichever is lower
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the DC DMV - counties can add small local fees.
- Rate range
- 1.0%–11.0%
- Taxable base
- NADA book value, not price
- EVs
- 1.0%–3.0% (no longer exempt)
- Trade-in credit
- None
- EITC option
- Flat 6% / 7% / 8%
Overview
The base isn't your purchase price - it's the vehicle's NADA Eastern Region book value at the time you title it. That single fact reshapes how every other rule in DC works: no trade-in credit (nothing to subtract from a book-value tax), gifts between qualifying family are only excise-exempt if the car is already DC-titled, and a private-party '$1 sale' still gets taxed on full book value, not the token price.
Same state, other costs
More Washington D.C. vehicle costs
Common questions
Washington D.C. car sales tax FAQ
- What is D.C.'s actual car sales tax rate?
- There isn't a flat rate - D.C. has no separate vehicle sales tax. Instead it charges excise tax from 1.0% to 11.0% of the vehicle's NADA book value, set by a grid crossing unladen weight against EPA city MPG. Two identically-priced cars can owe wildly different amounts.
- Is a hybrid taxed the same as a full EV in D.C.?
- No. Hybrids are taxed on the same MPG-band grid as gas vehicles - a 42-mpg hybrid at 3,400 lbs pays 1.5%, the grid's best gas-vehicle rate - while a 100% battery-electric vehicle of the same weight pays 1.0%. Plug-in hybrids follow their EPA city MPG rating, not the EV column.
- Why did D.C. start taxing electric vehicles again?
- The Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Amendment Act of 2024, effective February 17, 2025, replaced the old flat EV exemption with weight-based EV rates (1%–3%) as part of rebalancing the CleanEnergy DC fee structure. EVs remain the cheapest bracket on the grid, just not free.
- I bought a car for well under its book value - do I still pay tax on the higher number?
- Yes. DC calculates excise tax against the current NADA Eastern Region guide value at the time of titling, regardless of your actual purchase price. There's no appeal process comparable to a certified-appraisal exception in some other states - the book value stands.
- Can I subtract my trade-in before calculating excise tax?
- No. Because the tax is based on the new vehicle's own book value rather than 'price minus trade-in,' D.C. is one of the few jurisdictions where a trade-in has zero effect on the vehicle tax bill - even though it obviously reduces what you owe the dealer.
- Does the DC EITC credit reduce excise tax for everyone?
- Only for filers who obtain EITC certification from the DC Office of Tax and Revenue before titling. They can then choose the flat 6%/7%/8% weight-only schedule instead of the MPG grid - useful mainly for EITC filers buying a low-MPG vehicle, since the MPG grid would otherwise charge more.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
