Tax, title and license calculator
By Mr. Voltage · Page changed Oct 10, 2026
Where will you register the car?
Harris County, Texas
Example quotes. Pick your place and type yours. Example: three quotes on one car in Harris County, Texas. Pick your own place and type your quotes.
Your deals at a glance
| Deal | Payment | All-in |
|---|---|---|
| $581.67a month | $39,900.30+$760.58 more than Deal C | |
| $525.30a month | $42,821.70+$3,681.98 more than Deal C | |
| $569.00a month | $39,139.72Lowest |
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.
$581.67 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,900.30
$525.30 a month · 72 payments
All-in $42,821.70
$569.00 a month · 60 payments
All-in $39,139.72Lowest
Out-the-door $35,159.75
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,898.19
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
Out-the-door $35,650.38
Estimate. Your dealer’s buyer’s order and your lender’s disclosures are the numbers that count. Check them against this.
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Doc fee stated on its own line
Buyer’s orders list the doc fee on its own line, which is what keeps it untaxed in Texas
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Doc fee stated on its own line
Buyer’s orders list the doc fee on its own line, which is what keeps it untaxed in Texas
New · 2026 · Gas · change
New or used
The sheet starts with a new car; each deal sets its own
Model year
A new car is the current or next model year
Fuel
Gas car. Electric and hybrid cars pay more in some states
Doc fee stated on its own line
Buyer’s orders list the doc fee on its own line, which is what keeps it untaxed in Texas
$225.00: what Texas presumes reasonable.
Texas calls it a documentary fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Texas requires with this fee
A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO BUYERS FOR HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SALE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE MAY NOT EXCEED A REASONABLE AMOUNT AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
$225.00: what Texas presumes reasonable.
Texas calls it a documentary fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Texas requires with this fee
A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO BUYERS FOR HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SALE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE MAY NOT EXCEED A REASONABLE AMOUNT AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
$225.00: what Texas presumes reasonable.
Texas calls it a documentary fee.
It must be the same whether you pay cash or finance.
law.cornell.edu · checked Oct 2, 2026
The notice Texas requires with this fee
A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FEE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE IS NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, BUT MAY BE CHARGED TO BUYERS FOR HANDLING DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE SALE. A DOCUMENTARY FEE MAY NOT EXCEED A REASONABLE AMOUNT AGREED TO BY THE PARTIES. THIS NOTICE IS REQUIRED BY LAW.
Assumes etching, nitrogen and paint protection applied before delivery are taxed like parts added to the car. No Texas ruling names them. If they aren’t taxed, the tax is 6.25% of their price less.
- No city, county or transit sales tax applies to a car in Texas.
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No city, county or transit sales tax applies to a car in Texas.
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
- No city, county or transit sales tax applies to a car in Texas.
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Assumes the $1 TexasSure fee is paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If it is paid once, a new car’s fees are $1 less.
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Assumes the $1 TexasSure fee is paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If it is paid once, a new car’s fees are $1 less.
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026
Assumes the $1 TexasSure fee is paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If it is paid once, a new car’s fees are $1 less.
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes the county fees are paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If they are paid once, a new car’s fees are one year of the county fees less ($11.50 in Harris County).
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes the county fees are paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If they are paid once, a new car’s fees are one year of the county fees less ($11.50 in Harris County).
txdmv.gov · checked Oct 2, 2026 · Harris County figures pulled Oct 8, 2026
Assumes the county fees are paid for each year of a new car’s two-year first registration. If they are paid once, a new car’s fees are one year of the county fees less ($11.50 in Harris County).
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,459.75 in tax, title, license and the doc fee first; $2,540.25 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,503.19 in tax, title, license and the doc fee first; $2,496.81 goes toward the price.
Your $5,000.00 down covers the $2,400.38 in tax, title, license and the doc fee first; $2,599.62 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 $581.77
72 payments, last $525.40
60 payments, last $568.72
cash down plus every payment
+$760.58 more all-in than Deal C
cash down plus every payment
+$3,681.98 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.
3 charges this total leaves out
3 charges this total leaves out
3 charges this total leaves out
Questions people ask
What does tax, title and license include?
Three things. The tax is the sales or use tax, or the state’s own name for it. The title fee puts the car in your name. The license is the registration and plates, with local fees in some places. The calculator above lists each as its own line, with where the figure came from and the day it was checked.
How much are title and registration fees?
It depends on the state and, in many, on the county and the car. Type your price and pick your state and place in the calculator above: each fee appears as its own line with its source and date. The state pages work two example deals through the same engine.
Is tax, title and license part of the out-the-door price?
Yes. The calculator’s out-the-door total adds the car’s price, any add-ons, the dealer’s doc fee, the tax and the government’s title and registration fees. If a figure is missing, the total says it is so far, and what it leaves out.
Can you finance tax, title and license?
Often these charges are part of the amount financed, but that is a decision for you, the dealer and the lender, not a rule of the tax. In the calculator, cash down pays the taxes and fees first, and what is left of them is part of the amount financed. A charge you pay at a state office can be set apart from the loan.
Why is the dealer's tax, title and license figure different from the state's?
A dealer’s figure is a quote for the whole deal, and it can differ for several reasons: it may include the doc fee or other charges, it may use a different county or tax rate than yours, or it may be an estimate. Put each line of the quote beside the calculator’s lines, which show the tax, the title and registration fees and the doc fee separately.