Washington › King County
King County car sales tax: 8.9% to 10.55%
The rate in King County
- Vehicle sales tax in King County is not a single number — it runs from 8.9% to 10.55% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 10.55%.
- That is above the 8% most Washington counties charge — about $892.50 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- No other county in Washington charges this rate — King sits at number 1 of 39 by combined rate.
Where the rate changes inside King County
- 10.55% — Seattle.
- 10.5% — Renton, Auburn, Issaquah.
- 10.4% — Kent, Federal Way, Redmond, Medina, Pacific, Woodinville.
- 10.3% — Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Sammamish, Baring, Burton, Fall City, Hobart and 7 more.
- 9.2% — Duvall, Snoqualmie.
- 9.1% — Renton (outside Sound Transit), Auburn (outside Sound Transit), Issaquah (outside Sound Transit), Maple Valley, North Bend.
- 9% — Kent (outside Sound Transit), Redmond (outside Sound Transit), Black Diamond, Enumclaw, Woodinville (outside Sound Transit).
- 8.9% — Bellevue (outside Sound Transit), Sammamish (outside Sound Transit), Baring (outside Sound Transit), Burton (outside Sound Transit), Carnation, Fall City (outside Sound Transit), Hobart (outside Sound Transit), Preston (outside Sound Transit) and 5 more.
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in King County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 40 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 King County
- Sales tax (11.05% (10.55% local + 0.5% motor vehicle tax) — Seattle, King County) — $3,867.50
- Doc fee (state cap) — $200.00
- Base registration (est.) — $68.25
- Title fee (est.) — $15.00
- RTA / Sound Transit excise (est.) — $385.00
- Out the door — $39,535.75 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
Charges that apply only in King County
- RTA / Sound Transit excise — varies. ~1.1% of depreciated vehicle value in Puget Sound (RTA) counties — a registration component, not sales tax. Estimated on the purchase price for year one.
- These apply in King County specifically and not across the rest of Washington, so a statewide estimate will miss them.
ZIP codes in King County
- 98001, 98002, 98003, 98004, 98005, 98006, 98007, 98008, 98009, 98010, 98011, 98013, 98014, 98015, 98019, 98022, 98023, 98024, 98025, 98027, 98028, 98029, 98030, 98031, 98032, 98033, 98034, 98035, 98038, 98039, 98040, 98041, 98042, 98045, 98047, 98050, 98051, 98052, 98053, 98055, 98056, 98057, 98058, 98059, 98062, 98063, 98064, 98065, 98068, 98070, 98071, 98072, 98073, 98074, 98075, 98083, 98089, 98092, 98093, 98101, and 60 more.
- Any of these resolves to King County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
King County against nearby counties
- Thurston County is 9.7% — $297.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than King County.
- Pierce County is 10.5% — $17.50 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than King County.
- Worth knowing in Washington: the rate follows the DEALERSHIP, not your address, so buying from a dealer in Klickitat County is what would get you its lower rate — not moving there.
Run your own numbers
Common questions
Why is the car sales tax different in parts of King 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 King County it ranges from 8.9% to 10.55%.
Are there extra car fees in King County?
Yes — 1 charge applies here that does not apply statewide. The amounts and the statute behind each are listed above.
What is the car sales tax rate in King County?
It ranges from 8.9% to 10.55% depending on the city; most of the county is 10.55%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in King County?
About $4,535.75 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $39,535.75 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in Washington
Pierce County
10.5% on a vehicle purchase
Thurston County
9.7% on a vehicle purchase
Snohomish County
9.3% on a vehicle purchase
Kitsap County
9.2% on a vehicle purchase
Island County
9.1% on a vehicle purchase
Full Washington out-the-door guide
Rates, doc fees, registration and title for the whole state
How Washington sales tax works
What sits in the taxable amount, and how the rate is sourced