California › Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County car sales tax: 9.75% to 10.5%
The rate in Santa Clara County
- Vehicle sales tax in Santa Clara County is not a single number — it runs from 9.75% to 10.5% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 10%.
- That is above the 7.25% most California counties charge — about $962.50 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- No other county in California charges this rate — Santa Clara sits at number 3 of 58 by combined rate.
Where the rate changes inside Santa Clara County
- 10.5% — Campbell.
- 10% — San Jose, Milpitas.
- 9.875% — Los Gatos.
- 9.75% — Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Los Altos, Cupertino, Gilroy, Morgan Hill and 9 more.
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Santa Clara County can carry different tax on the same car. The calculator resolves it from your ZIP.
What a $35,000 car actually costs in Santa Clara County
- Sales tax (10% — San Jose, Santa Clara County) — $3,508.50
- 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 — $39,227.25 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
ZIP codes in Santa Clara County
- 94022, 94023, 94024, 94035, 94039, 94040, 94041, 94042, 94043, 94085, 94086, 94087, 94088, 94089, 94301, 94302, 94304, 94305, 94306, 94309, 95002, 95008, 95009, 95011, 95013, 95014, 95015, 95020, 95021, 95025, 95026, 95030, 95031, 95032, 95033, 95035, 95036, 95037, 95038, 95042, 95044, 95046, 95050, 95051, 95052, 95053, 95054, 95055, 95056, 95070, 95071, 95101, 95103, 95106, 95108, 95109, 95110, 95111, 95112, 95113, and 49 more.
- Any of these resolves to Santa Clara County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
Santa Clara County against nearby counties
- Contra Costa County is 9.75% — $87.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Santa Clara County.
- San Mateo County is 9.875% — $43.75 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Santa Clara County.
- Los Angeles County is 10.25% — $87.50 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Santa Clara County.
- Alameda County is 10.75% — $262.50 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County it ranges from 9.75% to 10.5%.
What is the car sales tax rate in Santa Clara County?
It ranges from 9.75% to 10.5% depending on the city; most of the county is 10%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in Santa Clara County?
About $4,227.25 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $39,227.25 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in California
San Mateo County
9.875% on a vehicle purchase
Los Angeles County
10.25% on a vehicle purchase
Contra Costa County
9.75% on a vehicle purchase
Santa Cruz County
9.5% on a vehicle purchase
Alameda County
10.75% 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