Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$20,000 vehicle
$239.00
Title $12.00, Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less) $217.00, Highway patrol salary and retention fee $10.00.
Not included yet: County option tax.
What a vehicle purchase costs in Montana, itemized and sourced.
Sales tax, title and registration for a vehicle registered in Montana. 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 Montana estimate is $239.00 in taxes and fees (title $12.00, registration (vehicle 4 years old or less) $217.00, highway patrol salary and retention fee $10.00).
Estimate / Montana
Reviewed Oct 24, 2026
- Title[1] sourceCheck sourceTitle issuance fee on Yellowstone County's page. The state fiscal brochure does not list a title fee.$12.00
- Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less)[2] source[1] source$217.00
- Highway patrol salary and retention fee[1] sourceCheck sourceCharged with annual registration on Yellowstone County's page.$10.00
Total taxes and fees$239.00
Not the full cost. This total leaves out 1 item, listed below.
Price plus these items: $30,239.00.
Costs not in this total
- County option tax. Counties may charge up to a set share of the vehicle's taxable value, which is based on the original price and age. Six counties charge none. It is left out because the calculator does not ask for the original price.
Sources
- [1]Motor vehicle fee schedulesSupports: Title, Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less), Registration (vehicle 5 to 10 years old), Registration (vehicle 11 years or older), Highway patrol salary and retention fee, County option tax
- [2]Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Supports: State sales tax rate, Trade-in rule, Local tax, Tax paid to another state, Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less), Registration (vehicle 5 to 10 years old), Registration (vehicle 11 years or older), County option tax
What changed
- Oct 24, 2026Added state with no sales tax, title and the yearly registration fee by vehicle age (a new vehicle age input). The county option tax and luxury fee are not included.
How Montana works out this bill
Montana has no sales tax. You pay a title fee and a yearly registration fee that falls as the vehicle gets older, and your county may add a local option tax on the vehicle's value.
The state has no sales tax, so the price of the vehicle is not taxed when you buy it.
Source: Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
The yearly registration fee depends on the vehicle's age. It is highest for a vehicle four years old or less and drops in two steps as the vehicle ages.
Source: Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
Counties may charge a local option tax on the vehicle's value. A few counties charge none.
Source: Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
All figures this calculator uses (9)
- State sales tax rate0%VerifiedThe state's fiscal division brochure says Montana has no sales tax.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
- Trade-in reduces taxable priceNoVerifiedNot applicable: Montana has no sales tax.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
- Local taxNoneCheck sourceThere is no local sales tax. Counties may charge a local option tax on the vehicle's value at registration, which is not included.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
- Title$12Check sourceTitle issuance fee on Yellowstone County's page. The state fiscal brochure does not list a title fee.Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
- Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less)$217VerifiedAnnual light vehicle registration fee.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
- Registration (vehicle 5 to 10 years old)$87VerifiedAnnual light vehicle registration fee.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
- Registration (vehicle 11 years or older)$28VerifiedAnnual light vehicle registration fee. A permanent registration is available for $87.50 instead.Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
- Highway patrol salary and retention fee$10Check sourceCharged with annual registration on Yellowstone County's page.Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
- County option taxUnknownNot verifiedMontana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)Yellowstone County, Montana - Motor vehicle fee schedules
Common questions
Is there sales tax on a car in Montana?
No. Montana has no sales tax.
Source: Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
Why does registration cost less for an older vehicle?
The fee is set in age bands, and older vehicles fall in cheaper bands.
Source: Montana Legislative Fiscal Division - Vehicle fee brochure (Aug 31, 2021)
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, no trade-in
$30,000 vehicle
$239.00
Title $12.00, Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less) $217.00, Highway patrol salary and retention fee $10.00.
Not included yet: County option tax.
Gas vehicle, no trade-in
$50,000 vehicle
$239.00
Title $12.00, Registration (vehicle 4 years old or less) $217.00, Highway patrol salary and retention fee $10.00.
Not included yet: County option 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
- A luxury fee of $825 a year applies to light vehicles with a retail value above $150,000, which is not included.
- The county option tax, a 3% state administrative fee on payments and new plate fees are not included.
- Registration fees follow the vehicle's age; enter the vehicle's age in years to pick the right fee.