Mobile County car sales tax: 3% to 5.5%

The rate in Mobile County

Vehicle sales tax in Mobile County is not a single number — it runs from 3% to 5.5% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 4.75%.
That is above the 3% most Alabama counties charge — about $612.50 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
1 other county in Alabama charge the same rate, out of 67.

Where the rate changes inside Mobile County

5.5% — Satsuma, Semmes.
5.25% — Saraland.
5% — Creola, Dauphin Island.
4.75% — Mobile.
4.5% — Chickasaw.
4% — Bayou La Batre.
3.875% — Citronelle.
3.5% — Mount Vernon.
3.25% — Prichard.
3% — Theodore, Axis, Bucks, Chunchula, Coden, Eight Mile, Grand Bay, Irvington and 2 more.
This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Mobile County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 5 of its ZIP codes the boundary runs through the middle so the ZIP alone cannot settle it. The calculator asks you which side you are on.

What a $35,000 car actually costs in Mobile County

Sales tax (4.75% — Mobile, Mobile County) — $1,696.80
Doc fee (typical) — $722.00
Title fee — $15.00
Title agent's commission — $1.50
License tax and registration fee (est.) — $23.00
County issuance fee — $1.25
Temporary tag — $2.25
Out the door — $37,461.80 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.

ZIP codes in Mobile County

36505, 36509, 36512, 36521, 36522, 36523, 36525, 36528, 36541, 36544, 36560, 36568, 36571, 36572, 36575, 36582, 36587, 36590, 36601, 36602, 36603, 36604, 36605, 36606, 36607, 36608, 36609, 36610, 36611, 36612, 36613, 36615, 36616, 36617, 36618, 36619, 36628, 36633, 36640, 36641, 36644, 36652, 36660, 36663, 36670, 36671, 36675, 36685, 36688, 36689, 36691, 36693, 36695.
Any of these resolves to Mobile County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.

Mobile County against nearby counties

Crenshaw County is 4.5% — $87.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Mobile County.
Pickens County is 4.667% — $29.05 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Mobile County.
Choctaw County is 5% — $87.50 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Mobile County.
Sumter County is 5.25% — $175.00 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Mobile County.
This follows where you REGISTER, not where the dealer is, so a lower rate nearby only helps if you actually live there. It is not something you can choose at the dealership.

Run your own numbers

Vehicle price

$

The negotiated or advertised price, before tax and registration.

Your ZIP code

Tax and registration follow where YOU register — not the dealership.

Dealer's ZIP code (optional)

A few states tax at the dealer's location instead of yours. If you know the dealer's ZIP, enter it for an exact tax.

Condition

New Used CPO

Fuel

EV/PHEV surcharges apply in many states.

More options — trade-in, rebates, doc fee, add-ons

Common questions

Why is the car sales tax different in parts of Mobile County?

Cities inside the county can levy their own rate on top of the county and state rate, so the combined figure changes at the city line. In Mobile County it ranges from 3% to 5.5%.