Real Florida deals, worked out
Each example runs through the same calculator above, line by line, so you can check every number yourself.
1Miami-Dade: new car with a trade-in and a $999 dealer fee
A Miami buyer agrees to $35,000 for a new car, trades in $10,000 and is charged a $999 dealer fee, common in Florida. The fee is part of the taxable price, so tax is figured on $25,999: 6% state tax plus Miami-Dade's 1% surtax on just the first $5,000. It's their first Florida-registered car, so the $225 initial registration fee and a new plate apply.
| Vehicle price | $35,000.00 |
| Dealer doc fee | $999.00 |
| State sales tax (6%) on $25,999.00 | $1,559.94 |
| County surtax (1% on first $5,000) | $50.00 |
| Title fee (electronic) | $75.25 |
| Registration (weight-based flat fee) | $32.50 |
| Initial registration fee | $225.00 |
| New license plate | $28.00 |
| Out-the-door | $37,969.69 |
| Due after the $10,000 trade-in | $27,969.69 |
2Hillsborough: private sale with a plate transfer
A Tampa buyer pays a private seller $15,000 for a used sedan between 2,500 and 3,499 pounds and moves the plate from the car they just sold. They pay the 6% tax and Hillsborough's 1.5% surtax on $5,000 at the tax collector's office, but no $225 fee and no new plate.
| Price paid | $15,000.00 |
| State sales tax (6%) on $15,000.00 | $900.00 |
| County surtax (1.5% on first $5,000) | $75.00 |
| Title fee (electronic) | $75.25 |
| Registration (weight-based flat fee) | $22.50 |
| Out-the-door | $16,072.75 |
3Orange County: moving in with a car bought out of state
A buyer moving to Orlando bought a $25,000 used car in their old state a few weeks earlier and paid no sales tax there. Florida taxes it at 6% plus Orange County's 0.5% surtax on $5,000, charges the higher out-of-state title fee and adds the $225 initial registration fee. Had they paid sales tax in the other state, Florida would credit it.
| Vehicle price | $25,000.00 |
| State sales tax (6%) on $25,000.00 | $1,500.00 |
| County surtax (0.5% on first $5,000) | $25.00 |
| Title fee (electronic) | $85.25 |
| Registration (weight-based flat fee) | $32.50 |
| Initial registration fee | $225.00 |
| New license plate | $28.00 |
| Out-the-door | $26,895.75 |
4Palm Beach: used SUV from a dealer
A West Palm Beach buyer pays $28,000 for a used SUV over 3,500 pounds with a $6,000 trade-in and a $799 dealer fee, transferring an existing plate. Palm Beach's surtax dropped to 0.5% on January 1, 2026.
| Vehicle price | $28,000.00 |
| Dealer doc fee | $799.00 |
| State sales tax (6%) on $22,799.00 | $1,367.94 |
| County surtax (0.5% on first $5,000) | $25.00 |
| Title fee (electronic) | $75.25 |
| Registration (weight-based flat fee) | $32.50 |
| Out-the-door | $30,299.69 |
| Due after the $6,000 trade-in | $24,299.69 |
How Florida figures the tax
The 6% state tax applies to the whole taxable price: the selling price plus taxable dealer charges, minus your trade-in. Florida's Department of Revenue lists preparation, settlement and closing fees among the separately itemized charges that are taxed, which covers the dealer fee most Florida stores charge. Government title and registration fees, when listed separately, aren't taxed. A manufacturer rebate doesn't reduce the tax even if you sign it over to the dealer, but a dealer's own rebate that no one reimburses does: the Department's example is a $20,000 car with a $2,000 factory rebate and a $500 dealer rebate, taxed on $19,500.
The county surtax is different. Florida caps it at the first $5,000 of a vehicle's price, so in a 1% county it is never more than $50. The surtax that counts is the one for the county on your title or registration address, not where the dealer is.
2026 surtax by county, and what you really pay on a car
Because of the $5,000 cap, the rate printed on your receipts isn't the rate you pay on a car. The last column shows the effective rate on a $35,000 purchase: in a 7.5% county like Hillsborough or Duval it's only 6.21%. Rates are from the Department of Revenue's 2026 surtax table.
| County | Surtax | Most surtax on a car | Tax on $35,000 | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Duval County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Escambia County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Hillsborough County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Leon County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Marion County | 1.5% | $75.00 | $2,175.00 | 6.214% |
| Brevard County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Broward County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Lake County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Miami-Dade County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Pasco County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Pinellas County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Polk County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Sarasota County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Seminole County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| St. Lucie County | 1% | $50.00 | $2,150.00 | 6.143% |
| Lee County | 0.5% | $25.00 | $2,125.00 | 6.071% |
| Orange County | 0.5% | $25.00 | $2,125.00 | 6.071% |
| Palm Beach County | 0.5% | $25.00 | $2,125.00 | 6.071% |
| Collier County | 0% | $0.00 | $2,100.00 | 6% |
Check the tax on your dealer's quote
Enter the numbers from your buyer's order and your county surtax. The checker applies Florida's rules, including the $5,000 surtax cap and the taxable dealer fee, and explains a mismatch.
The quote leaves the doc fee out of the taxable price. In Florida the doc fee is taxed, so expect $17.94 more tax than this quote shows.
Title and registration fees
An electronic original title is $75.25 for a new car or one last titled in Florida, and $85.25 for a car last titled in another state. A printed paper title adds $2.50. The yearly registration tax depends on weight: $14.50 under 2,500 pounds, $22.50 from 2,500 to 3,499 pounds and $32.50 at 3,500 pounds and up, plus small service fees added by county tax collectors.
The biggest one-time cost is the $225 initial registration fee, charged when a car is registered in Florida and there's no existing Florida plate to transfer to it. A new plate is $28. Moving your plate from a car you sold or traded avoids both.
Buying out of state or from a private seller
If you buy a car in another state and bring it to Florida, you get credit for sales tax you already paid to that state and pay the difference if Florida's tax is higher. On a private sale you pay the 6% tax and your county's surtax to the county tax collector when you title and register the car.
Common mistakes in Florida estimates
These are easy mistakes to make when estimating Florida car tax, and what each one does to the number.
| Common mistake | What the rule is | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Applying the county surtax to the whole price | The surtax only applies to the first $5,000 | $450 too high on $35,000 in a 1.5% county |
| Leaving the dealer fee out of the taxable price | Dealer preparation and closing fees are taxed | $59.94 too low on a $999 fee |
| Forgetting the $225 initial registration fee | Charged on a first Florida registration with no plate to transfer | $253 too low with the new plate |
| Using the dealer's county surtax | The surtax follows the buyer's title address | Up to $75 off |
| Subtracting a manufacturer rebate | Factory rebates are taxed; only a dealer's own discount isn't | $60 too low per $1,000 of rebate |
| Using Palm Beach's old 1% surtax | Palm Beach dropped to 0.5% on January 1, 2026 | $25 too high |
Florida taxes and fees at a glance
Officialfrom a state agency sourceEst.varies or not yet confirmed
| Item (miami-dade: new car with a trade-in and a $999 dealer fee) | Status | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| State sales tax (6%) | Official | $1,559.94 |
| County surtax (1% on first $5,000) | Official | $50.00 |
| Title fee (electronic) | Official | $75.25 |
| Registration (weight-based flat fee) | Official | $32.50 |
| Initial registration fee | Official | $225.00 |
| New license plate | Official | $28.00 |
| Total taxes and fees | $1,970.69 |
Florida car tax FAQ
What is the car sales tax in Florida?
6% of the price after trade-in, plus your county's discretionary surtax on the first $5,000 only.
Does the county surtax apply to the whole price of a car?
No. Florida caps the surtax at the first $5,000 of a vehicle's price, so in a 1.5% county it's at most $75.
Is the dealer fee taxed in Florida?
Yes. Dealer preparation, settlement and closing fees are part of the taxable sales price in Florida.
What is the $225 fee in Florida?
It's the initial registration fee, charged the first time a car is registered in Florida when you have no existing plate to transfer to it.
Does Florida charge sales tax on a trade-in?
No. At a dealer, tax is due only on the difference between the price and your trade-in allowance, if the trade-in is a motor vehicle, mobile home or boat.
How much is a title in Florida?
An electronic original title is $75.25, or $85.25 if the car was last titled in another state. A printed paper title adds $2.50.
Sources
We build every number from these agency pages. If something has changed, tell us and we'll fix it.
- Florida DOR – Sales and Use Tax on Motor Vehicles (GT-800030)
- Florida DOR – Discretionary Sales Surtax Information 2026 (DR-15DSS)
- Florida DOR – Palm Beach County surtax rate update
- Florida DOR – Discretionary Sales Surtax
- Florida DOR – TIP 03A01-20 (manufacturer and dealer rebates)
- FLHSMV – Fees
- FLHSMV – Form HSMV 83140 (Rev. 08/26)
- Florida Statutes – Chapter 320 (2026)
Rules and fees checked on