El Paso County car sales tax: 5.13% to 9.03%

The rate in El Paso County

Vehicle sales tax in El Paso County is not a single number — it runs from 5.13% to 9.03% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 5.13%.
That is above the 2.9% most Colorado counties charge — about $780.50 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
No other county in Colorado charges this rate — El Paso sits at number 14 of 64 by combined rate.

Where the rate changes inside El Paso County

9.03% — Manitou Springs (dealer inside your area).
8.93% — Manitou Springs.
8.2% — Colorado Springs.
8.13% — Calhan, Green Mountain Falls (dealer inside your area).
7.53% — Fountain (dealer inside your area).
7.13% — Palmer Lake, Ramah.
6.13% — Colorado Springs (unincorporated) (dealer inside your area), Fountain, Monument.
5.13% — Colorado Springs (unincorporated), Usaf Academy (unincorporated), Calhan (unincorporated), Cascade (unincorporated), Elbert (unincorporated), Fountain (unincorporated), Green Mountain Falls, Manitou Springs (unincorporated) and 5 more.
This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in El Paso County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 36 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 El Paso County

Sales tax (8.2% — Colorado Springs, El Paso County) — $2,922.15
Doc fee (typical) — $636.00
Title fee — $7.20
Specific ownership tax — $3.00
Registration fee (by weight) (est.) — $9.00
Vehicle age fee — $7.00
Road safety surcharge (est.) — $19.30
Bridge safety surcharge (est.) — $18.00
County clerk hire fee — $4.00
Emergency medical services fee — $2.00
Peace officer training fee — $1.00
Air account and county emissions-program fees — $1.20
Motorist insurance database fees (est.) — $0.60
License plates and tabs (est.) — $8.31
Out the door — $38,638.76 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.

ZIP codes in El Paso County

80106, 80132, 80133, 80808, 80809, 80817, 80819, 80829, 80831, 80832, 80833, 80840, 80841, 80864, 80901, 80902, 80903, 80904, 80905, 80906, 80907, 80908, 80909, 80910, 80911, 80912, 80913, 80914, 80915, 80916, 80917, 80918, 80919, 80920, 80921, 80922, 80923, 80924, 80925, 80926, 80927, 80928, 80929, 80930, 80931, 80932, 80933, 80934, 80935, 80936, 80937, 80938, 80939, 80941, 80942, 80944, 80946, 80947, 80949, 80950, and 7 more.
Any of these resolves to El Paso County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.

El Paso County against nearby counties

Conejos County is 4.9% — $80.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than El Paso County.
Crowley County is 4.9% — $80.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than El Paso County.
Mesa County is 5.27% — $49.00 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than El Paso County.
Boulder County is 5.335% — $71.75 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than El Paso 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 El Paso 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 El Paso County it ranges from 5.13% to 9.03%.