California › Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County car sales tax: 10.25% to 11.75%
The rate in Los Angeles County
- Vehicle sales tax in Los Angeles County is not a single number — it runs from 10.25% to 11.75% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 10.25%.
- That is above the 7.25% most California counties charge — about $1,050.00 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- No other county in California charges this rate — Los Angeles sits at number 2 of 58 by combined rate.
Where the rate changes inside Los Angeles County
- 11.75% — Lancaster, Palmdale.
- 11.5% — Santa Fe Springs.
- 11.25% — Santa Monica, Compton, Culver City, Covina, Gardena, Pico Rivera, Calabasas, Glendora and 6 more.
- 11% — Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Whittier, Alhambra, Carson, Lakewood and 26 more.
- 10.75% — Inglewood, Torrance, La Puente, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Avalon, El Segundo.
- 10.25% — Los Angeles, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Northridge, Beverly Hills, Santa Clarita, Canoga Park, Encino and 67 more.
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Los Angeles County can carry different tax on the same car. The calculator resolves it from your ZIP.
What a $35,000 car actually costs in Los Angeles County
- Sales tax (10.25% — Los Angeles, Los Angeles County) — $3,596.21
- Doc fee (state cap) — $85.00
- Registration fee — $76.00
- CHP fee — $34.00
- DMV transfer fee — $15.00
- Vehicle License Fee (VLF) — $227.50
- Transportation Improvement Fee (TIF) — $198.00
- County/district fees (est.) — $25.00
- Dealer smog test fee — $50.00
- Smog certificate fee — $8.25
- Out the door — $39,314.96 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
ZIP codes in Los Angeles County
- 90001, 90002, 90003, 90004, 90005, 90006, 90007, 90008, 90009, 90010, 90011, 90012, 90013, 90014, 90015, 90016, 90017, 90018, 90019, 90020, 90021, 90022, 90023, 90024, 90025, 90026, 90027, 90028, 90029, 90030, 90031, 90032, 90033, 90034, 90035, 90036, 90037, 90038, 90039, 90040, 90041, 90042, 90043, 90044, 90045, 90046, 90047, 90048, 90049, 90050, 90051, 90052, 90053, 90054, 90055, 90056, 90057, 90058, 90059, 90060, and 448 more.
- Any of these resolves to Los Angeles County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
Los Angeles County against nearby counties
- San Mateo County is 9.875% — $131.25 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Los Angeles County.
- Santa Clara County is 10% — $87.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Los Angeles County.
- Alameda County is 10.75% — $175.00 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Los Angeles 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
Common questions
Why is the car sales tax different in parts of Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County it ranges from 10.25% to 11.75%.
What is the car sales tax rate in Los Angeles County?
It ranges from 10.25% to 11.75% depending on the city; most of the county is 10.25%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in Los Angeles County?
About $4,314.96 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $39,314.96 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in California
Santa Clara County
10% on a vehicle purchase
San Mateo County
9.875% on a vehicle purchase
Contra Costa County
9.75% on a vehicle purchase
Alameda County
10.75% on a vehicle purchase
Santa Cruz County
9.5% on a vehicle purchase
Full California out-the-door guide
Rates, doc fees, registration and title for the whole state
How California sales tax works
What sits in the taxable amount, and how the rate is sourced