Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$20,000 vehicle
$1,133.50
Arizona sales tax (5.6%) $1,120.00, Title $4.00, Registration fee $8.00, Air quality fee (1 year) $1.50.
Not included yet: Vehicle license tax.
What a vehicle purchase costs in Arizona, itemized and sourced.
Sales tax, title and registration for a vehicle registered in Arizona. Every line cites the page it came from and the day we opened it.
On a $30,000.00 gas vehicle with no trade-in, the Arizona estimate is $1,693.50 in taxes and fees (arizona sales tax (5.6%) $1,680.00, title $4.00, registration fee $8.00, air quality fee (1 year) $1.50).
Estimate / Arizona
Reviewed Oct 24, 2026
- Arizona sales tax (5.6%)[1] source[2] source$1,680.00
- Title[3] source$4.00
- Registration fee[3] source$8.00
- Air quality fee (1 year)[3] sourceCheck sourceDoes not apply to electrically powered vehicles. A separate $0.25 compliance fee applies in non-attainment areas.$1.50
Total taxes and fees$1,693.50
Not the full cost. This total leaves out 1 item, listed below.
Price plus these items: $31,693.50.
Costs not in this total
- Vehicle license tax. Arizona figures it from the vehicle's original list price (60% of it, then reduced each year since first registration, times $2.80 or $2.89 per $100). The calculator does not ask for list price or age, so it is left out.
Sources
- [1]Motor vehicle sales (transaction privilege tax)Supports: State sales tax rate, Local tax
- [2]Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables, effective Oct 1, 2026 (ADOR 11249)Supports: State sales tax rate, Local tax, County excise tax rate
- [3]Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026Supports: Title, Registration fee, Air quality fee (1 year), Vehicle license tax
- [4]Transaction privilege tax ruling TPR 96-1Supports: Trade-in rule
- [5]Vehicle Use Tax Calculator brochureSupports: Trade-in rule, Tax paid to another state
What changed
- Oct 24, 2026Added city privilege tax for 96 cities and towns, including the lower rate many charge on the part of a single item above a set price. Rates come from the October 2026 state table; the wording for some price tiers is not fully explicit, so the local rate stays marked partly verified.
- Oct 24, 2026Added state with the 5.6% state rate, county rates from the October 2026 table, title and registration fees. The vehicle license tax and city tax are not included.
How Arizona works out this bill
Arizona charges 5.6% state sales tax on a vehicle, plus a county rate, a small title fee and a small registration fee. A yearly vehicle license tax based on the vehicle's list price is the largest ongoing cost.
The state rate is 5.6%. A trade-in lowers the price the tax is figured on. Counties add their own rate, and cities charge a separate tax that varies by city.
Source: Arizona DOR - Motor vehicle sales (transaction privilege tax)Arizona DOR - Transaction privilege tax ruling TPR 96-1Arizona DOR - Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables, effective Oct 1, 2026 (ADOR 11249)
If you buy from a dealer in another state and register the vehicle here, you owe use tax at the same state rate. The state reduces it by the tax you already paid in the other state.
The vehicle license tax is charged when you register and again each year. It is figured from the vehicle's original list price and gets smaller as the vehicle ages.
Source: Arizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
All figures this calculator uses (7)
- State sales tax rate5.6%VerifiedArizona DOR - Motor vehicle sales (transaction privilege tax)Arizona DOR - Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables, effective Oct 1, 2026 (ADOR 11249)
- Trade-in reduces taxable priceYesVerifiedThe state ruling taxes the sales price less the value traded in. The use tax calculator also asks only for the trade-in value.Arizona DOR - Transaction privilege tax ruling TPR 96-1Arizona DOR - Vehicle Use Tax Calculator brochure
- Local taxVaries by locationCheck sourceCounty excise tax is the retail rate for the county minus the state rate. City privilege tax also applies to vehicle sales and varies by city, with lower rates on the part of a single item above a set amount. It is not modeled, so use the state's rate look-up tool.Arizona DOR - Motor vehicle sales (transaction privilege tax)Arizona DOR - Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables, effective Oct 1, 2026 (ADOR 11249)
- Title$4VerifiedArizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
- Registration fee$8VerifiedArizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
- Air quality fee (1 year)$1.50Check sourceDoes not apply to electrically powered vehicles. A separate $0.25 compliance fee applies in non-attainment areas.Arizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
- Vehicle license taxUnknownNot verifiedArizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
Common questions
Does a trade-in lower the sales tax in Arizona?
Yes. The state taxes the sales price less the value of the vehicle traded in.
Source: Arizona DOR - Transaction privilege tax ruling TPR 96-1
What if I buy a car in another state?
Arizona charges use tax when you register it here, and reduces it by the sales tax you paid elsewhere. Enter that amount in the calculator.
Why is the vehicle license tax not in the total?
It depends on the vehicle's original list price and age, which the calculator does not ask for, so it is shown as not included.
Source: Arizona MVD - Fees (T&R) Overview, updated Oct 21, 2026
Is city tax included?
No. Cities charge their own tax on vehicle sales and rates differ by city, so it is shown as not included.
Source: Arizona DOR - Motor vehicle sales (transaction privilege tax)
How often is this page updated?
The data on this page was last reviewed on Oct 24, 2026. Pages get a changed-page check each month and a full re-verification each January and July.
Worked examples
Gas vehicle with a trade-in
$30,000 vehicle, $8,000 trade-in
$1,245.50
Tax is charged on $22,000, so the trade-in saves $448.00 in sales tax.
Not included yet: Vehicle license tax.
Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$50,000 vehicle
$2,813.50
Arizona sales tax (5.6%) $2,800.00, Title $4.00, Registration fee $8.00, Air quality fee (1 year) $1.50.
Not included yet: Vehicle license tax.
Each example runs the same calculation as the calculator above. Local tax and county fees are left out unless the example says otherwise, because they depend on where you live. Estimates only.
What this calculator does not cover
- The vehicle license tax is the largest ongoing cost in Arizona and depends on list price and age, so it is not included.
- City tax is included only when you pick your city. Rates for part of a single item above a set price follow the state's table wording; where it says only "Single Item Over", the calculator treats it as the part above the price. Queen Creek Special District is not modeled.