Delaware car sales tax: 5.25% and what it applies to

How the Delaware rate is set

Delaware charges 5.25%, and that rate is the same everywhere in the state — no county or city adds to it on a vehicle purchase.

Taxed on top of the vehicle price: dealer-installed accessories.
Not part of the taxable amount: the dealer doc fee and extended warranties and service contracts.
Your trade-in comes off before tax is calculated.

Delaware has no sales tax. When a car is titled it charges a document fee instead: 5.25% of the purchase price, paid to the DMV, the same everywhere in the state. It was 4.25% until October 1, 2025. It is not the dealer's own doc fee.
The dealer's own processing fee is a separate charge. Delaware does not cap it and sets no required wording. The DMV tells dealers to list it as a service charge or administrative fee, apart from the state fees. The calculator does not figure the state document fee on it; the DMV does not say either way.

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

5.25%, statewide, with no local add-on for vehicles.

No. Delaware excludes the doc fee from the taxable amount, so you pay the fee but not tax on it.