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Indiana · What a car really costs

Buying a car in Indiana.

Indiana charges sales tax of 7% statewide on vehicles, with no local add-on. A trade-in does reduce the taxable price, which is real money on the deal.

7%
Sales tax on a vehicle
Full credit
Trade-in reduces the taxable price
$15.00
Title fee
$430
Registration, typical new car
$251
Doc fee, capped by law

How the tax works.

No local sales tax on vehicles in Indiana.

Manufacturer rebates paid to the dealer are included in the taxable selling price; rebates paid directly to the customer after the sale are not (Bulletin #28S).

Nonresident buyers pay the lesser of Indiana's 7% or their home state's rate under IC 6-2.5-5-39.

Trade-ins: Like-kind trade-in (motor vehicle for motor vehicle) is deducted from the taxable selling price (Sales Tax Information Bulletin #28S).

At the DMV.

FeeAmount
Title$15.00
Registration (mixed-based)~$430
Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Fee (annual)$15.00
Passenger registration $21.35 + Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Fee $15, plus the annual vehicle excise tax (based on MSRP class and age; several hundred dollars for a new $35,000-$45,000 car in year 1) and any county wheel tax/surtax. Hybrids add $81 and EVs $242 per year.
Annual value-based tax: {"name":"Vehicle excise tax (plus county/municipal vehicle excise or wheel tax)","rate":"Flat amount from a table keyed to MSRP class and vehicle age (IC 6-6-5); declines each year","notes":"Collected by BMV with registration in lieu of property tax; exact amount depends on the MSRP bracket."}

Leasing in Indiana.

Lease tax applies to each monthly payment rather than to the full price of the car, so you pay it as you go.

Cities in Indiana.

Pick your city for the exact combined rate where you register, plus what title and registration run there.

IndianapolisMarion CountyFort WayneAllen CountyEvansvilleVanderburgh CountySouth BendSt. Joseph CountyAndersonMadison CountyBloomingtonMonroe CountyGaryLake CountyJeffersonvilleClark CountyTerre HauteVigo CountyMuncieDelaware County
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Questions.

How much is sales tax on a car in Indiana?

7%. Indiana applies one rate statewide on vehicles, so it does not change from city to city.

Does a trade-in lower the sales tax in Indiana?

Like-kind trade-in (motor vehicle for motor vehicle) is deducted from the taxable selling price (Sales Tax Information Bulletin #28S).

What are title and registration fees in Indiana?

Title is $15.00. Passenger registration $21.35 + Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Fee $15, plus the annual vehicle excise tax (based on MSRP class and age; several hundred dollars for a new $35,000-$45,000 car in year 1) and any county wheel tax/surtax. Hybrids add $81 and EVs $242 per year.

Is the doc fee capped in Indiana?

Yes, at $251. Secretary of State enforcement threshold, CPI-adjusted: $251.05 effective July 2025 (secondary report of the SOS memo; the July 2024 memo set $245.28).

How is a lease taxed in Indiana?

Tax applies to each monthly payment rather than the whole price of the car, so the tax is spread across the lease.

Where these numbers come from.

Rates, fees, and rules change. These figures are estimates for planning, not tax advice; confirm the final numbers with the dealer and your state's motor vehicle agency before you buy.