Rhode Island car sales tax calculator
The sales and use tax in Rhode Island is 7.00% of the taxable amount.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
By Mr. Voltage · Data checked Oct 3, 2026 · Page changed Oct 30, 2026
Where will you register the car?
Rhode Island
Example quotes. Pick your place and type yours. Example: three quotes on one car in Harris County, Rhode Island. Pick your own place and type your quotes.
Your deals at a glance
| Deal | Payment | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| $591.10a month | $40,465.81+$761.96 more than Deal C | |
| $533.70a month | $43,426.27+$3,722.42 more than Deal C | |
| $578.40a month | $39,703.85Lowest |
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Your numbers stay in this browser.
$591.10 a month · 60 payments
All-in $40,465.81
$533.70 a month · 72 payments
All-in $43,426.27
$578.40 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,703.85Lowest
Out-the-door $35,648.50
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $36,392.15
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $36,132.00
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Gas · change
Fuel
Gas car. Electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars pay a yearly fee on top of the weight fee
Curb weight
The research’s test car, a 2026 Tucson, is assumed at 3,500 lb; the fee steps at 4,000, 5,000 and each 1,000 lb above
Seats
Five seats: the statute adds 150 lb for each seat to the curb weight
Gas · change
Fuel
Gas car. Electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars pay a yearly fee on top of the weight fee
Curb weight
The research’s test car, a 2026 Tucson, is assumed at 3,500 lb; the fee steps at 4,000, 5,000 and each 1,000 lb above
Seats
Five seats: the statute adds 150 lb for each seat to the curb weight
Gas · change
Fuel
Gas car. Electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars pay a yearly fee on top of the weight fee
Curb weight
The research’s test car, a 2026 Tucson, is assumed at 3,500 lb; the fee steps at 4,000, 5,000 and each 1,000 lb above
Seats
Five seats: the statute adds 150 lb for each seat to the curb weight
$400.00: the most Rhode Island law allows (“The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).”).
Rhode Island calls it a documentary preparation fee.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
$400.00: the most Rhode Island law allows (“The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).”).
Rhode Island calls it a documentary preparation fee.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
$400.00: the most Rhode Island law allows (“The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).”).
Rhode Island calls it a documentary preparation fee.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Lowers the taxable amount in Rhode Island
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city or town car tax: Rhode Island’s motor vehicle excise tax has been repealed in every city and town.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local sales tax: one 7% rate applies statewide.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the trade-in credit for a passenger car.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city or town car tax: Rhode Island’s motor vehicle excise tax has been repealed in every city and town.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local sales tax: one 7% rate applies statewide.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the trade-in credit for a passenger car.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No city or town car tax: Rhode Island’s motor vehicle excise tax has been repealed in every city and town.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No local sales tax: one 7% rate applies statewide.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
- No limit on the trade-in credit for a passenger car.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,948.50 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,051.50 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,997.15 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,002.85 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,882.00 in tax, fees and the doc fee first; $2,118.00 goes toward the price.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
Illustrative rate, not a quote. Your APR depends on your credit, the term, the vehicle and the lender.
60 payments, last $590.91
72 payments, last $533.57
60 payments, last $578.25
cash down plus every payment
+$761.96 more all-in than Deal C
cash down plus every payment
+$3,722.42 more all-in than Deal C
cash down plus every payment
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
6 charges this total leaves out
6 charges this total leaves out
6 charges this total leaves out
What’s different in Rhode Island
Rhode Island calls it the sales and use tax.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Negative equity rolled into the new loan is not taxed.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Rhode Island’s law sets a maximum for the documentary preparation fee of $400.00 (its words: “The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).”).
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
A dealer may charge a doc fee only on a vehicle transaction over $10,000. On a smaller sale no doc fee is allowed.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Worked examples
Each line below is worked by the same engine as the calculator, on the day this page was built (Nov 11, 2026).
A new car with a trade-in and negative equity
A new car at $32,700.00, with a trade-in allowed at $10,000.00 and $13,000.00 still owed, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Rhode Island’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $32,700.00 |
| Trade-in allowance | $10,000.00 |
| Still owed on the trade-in | $13,000.00 |
| Equity (negative if you owe more than it is worth) | −$3,000.00 |
| Taxable sales price dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $23,100.00 |
| Rhode Island sales tax webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,617.00 |
| Doc fee rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $400.00 |
| Certificate of title webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $50.00 |
| DMV technology surcharge dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $3.50 |
| Registration (by weight), for the full two years webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $80.00 |
| Highway maintenance surcharge webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $40.00 |
| License plates, first issue webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $8.00 |
| Security lien statement webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $50.00 |
| Out-the-door price | $34,948.50 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $32,948.50 |
| Monthly payment | $635.46 |
| Interest over the loan | $5,178.82 |
| Total paid, interest included | $43,127.32 |
A used car from a dealer
A used car, model year 2022, at $21,500.00, $5,000.00 down, financed at 5.90% for 60 months, bought from a dealer and registered in Rhode Island’s example market.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Price | $21,500.00 |
| Taxable sales price dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $21,900.00 |
| Rhode Island sales tax webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $1,533.00 |
| Doc fee rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $400.00 |
| Certificate of title webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $50.00 |
| DMV technology surcharge dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $3.50 |
| Registration (by weight), for the full two years webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $80.00 |
| Highway maintenance surcharge webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $40.00 |
| License plates, first issue webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $8.00 |
| Security lien statement webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 | $50.00 |
| Out-the-door price | $23,664.50 |
| Cash down | $5,000.00 |
| Amount financed | $18,664.50 |
| Monthly payment | $359.97 |
| Interest over the loan | $2,933.67 |
| Total paid, interest included | $26,598.17 |
The rules in Rhode Island
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Name of the tax | sales and use tax dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Rhode Island sales tax | 7.00% of the taxable amount webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| What is taxed | Taxed: the vehicle price, the doc fee, other dealer fees on the order, accessories fitted before delivery, protection packages and loose items sold with the car. Not taxed: service contracts, prepaid maintenance, GAP and government fees. dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Trade-in | A trade-in comes off the amount taxed at its full value, so only the difference is taxed. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Maker’s rebate | A maker’s rebate lowers the amount taxed. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Dealer discount | A dealer discount lowers the amount taxed. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Negative equity | Negative equity rolled into the loan is not taxed. rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Doc fee | The law sets a maximum for the documentary preparation fee of $400.00 (its words: “The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).”). rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Certificate of title | $50.00 webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Registration (by weight) | worked from the rule a year webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Highway maintenance surcharge | $40.00 webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Private-party purchase | 7% use tax at the DMV. For a car 7 years old or less it is on the NADA Clean Retail value or the sale price, whichever is greater; for a car 8 to 29 years old, on the sale price. dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Tax paid to another state | A credit for sales or use tax paid to another state, up to the Rhode Island amount. The buyer pays the difference. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| New resident | No tax on a car bought and used while living elsewhere. Title and register within 30 days of moving, and inspect within 5 days. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Electric and hybrid fees | $200 a year for a battery-electric car, $100 for a plug-in hybrid and $50 for a hybrid, added to the weight fee, from January 1, 2026. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Inspection | $55 every two years, paid at the inspection station. A new car is exempt for 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Yearly car tax | None. The city and town motor vehicle excise was repealed from July 1, 2022. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
| Interest rate markup | No limit on a dealer’s markup of the finance rate was found in the sources reviewed. That is the absence of a rule, not a quoted rule. webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026 |
What has changed
· Watching: Changes from the 2026 legislative session (the FY2027 budget) to vehicle fees or the tax, The online statutes showed amendments only through P.L. 2025 on 2026-10-03; no scheduled change was found.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
· The rules on this page start here. Nothing earlier is loaded.
Questions people ask
How does Rhode Island tax a car, and who pays it?
Rhode Island charges its 7% sales tax on a car bought from a dealer, and the same 7% as use tax on a private or out-of-state purchase. There is one statewide rate and no city or town tax. The tax is on the price including destination, accessories, the doc fee and the title preparation fee, less the trade-in allowance and a manufacturer’s rebate. By law the dealer may not add the tax to the sale price; the buyer pays it to the DMV at registration. In practice the dealer usually collects the tax and fees at signing and sends them to the DMV with the registration packet. It is due before you register, or by the 20th day of the month after the purchase, whichever comes first. There is no yearly car tax: the city and town motor vehicle excise was repealed from July 1, 2022.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
Is the Rhode Island dealer doc fee capped?
Yes. A dealer rule of the Department of Revenue lets a dealer charge a documentary preparation fee only on vehicle transactions over $10,000, and says “The fee may not exceed four hundred dollars ($400.00).” The cap is a fixed figure in the rule. It rose from $200 to $400 in 2020, when the threshold rose from $7,500 to $10,000. The fee must be stated separately on the invoice, and it is part of the price the 7% tax is figured on. The rule says nothing about whether a buyer may decline it. A dealer may also charge a separately itemized title preparation fee. The dealer rule allows up to $20, but a statute says no one may charge more than $10 for obtaining a certificate of title, so the two figures differ. Complaints go to the Dealers’ License and Regulations Office of the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 14, 2026
Does a trade-in lower Rhode Island sales tax?
Yes, in full, with no dollar cap. The trade-in allowance comes off the price when a private passenger car is traded to the selling dealer toward another one, new or used. A truck traded in gets no credit. The dealer must take the trade itself: there is no credit if a third party pays you, the dealer never takes possession, or the title does not pass to the dealer. The full allowance comes off even if you still owe on the trade, and the payoff added to the loan is not taxed. No Rhode Island source says this about negative equity in words; it follows from the rule. A manufacturer’s rebate comes off too, with no condition that it be assigned to the dealer.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
How is a private car sale taxed in Rhode Island?
The buyer pays the 7% use tax at the DMV before registering. For a car 7 years old or less, the tax is 7% of the NADA Clean Retail book value or the sale price, whichever is greater. For a car 8 to 29 years old it is the sale price. You may ask for a redetermination within 30 days of paying. The statute’s floor reads as covering every used car, but the regulation and the DMV apply it only to private sales. No tax is due when the buyer is the seller’s spouse, parent, sibling or child, and a documented gift is not taxed. A trade given to a private seller also comes off. That follows from the regulation, and it is rare in practice.
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
I bought a car out of state. What do I pay in Rhode Island?
A Rhode Island resident who buys from an out-of-state dealer pays Rhode Island use tax at the DMV, on form T-334-1, before the car can be registered. Tax paid to the other state is credited up to the Rhode Island amount, and you pay the difference. Proof of payment is required. The car must pass a Rhode Island inspection within 5 business days of registration, and a car titled in another state needs a VIN check, $10. A new resident pays no tax on a car bought and used while living elsewhere, but must get a Rhode Island title and registration within 30 days of moving. A nonresident buying from a Rhode Island dealer is exempt unless the home state taxes Rhode Island residents’ purchases; then the dealer collects at the home-state rate, at most 7%.
rules.sos.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
What do title and registration cost in Rhode Island?
The title is $50. Registration is for two years and goes by gross weight: $30 a year up to 4,000 lb and $40 a year over 4,000 up to 5,000 lb. The law counts a passenger car’s gross weight as its weight plus 150 lb for each adult seat; the DMV asks for the door-sticker weight. A new registration is prorated to the owner’s expiry date, set by the first letter of the last name. The DMV’s schedule is not published, so the exact amount is not confirmed and the sheet shows the full two years. The highway maintenance surcharge is $40 per two-year registration, from January 1, 2026. A standard plate is $8. The DMV adds a $3.50 technology surcharge; whether it is charged once or on each item is not confirmed. A financed car has a $50 security lien statement; whether the DMV charges it on a first title from a dealer is not confirmed. Electric cars pay $200 a year, plug-in hybrids $100 and hybrids $50, from January 1, 2026.
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
dmv.ri.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026
webserver.rilegislature.gov · checked Oct 3, 2026