Washington › Pierce County
Pierce County car sales tax: 8.2% to 10.5%
The rate in Pierce County
- Vehicle sales tax in Pierce County is not a single number — it runs from 8.2% to 10.5% depending on which city you register in. Most of the county is at 10.5%.
- That is above the 8% most Washington counties charge — about $875.00 more tax on a $35,000 car than the typical county in the state.
- No other county in Washington charges this rate — Pierce sits at number 2 of 39 by combined rate.
Where the rate changes inside Pierce County
- 10.5% — Tacoma.
- 10.3% — Lakewood, Puyallup.
- 10.2% — Milton, Steilacoom, University Place.
- 9.7% — Sumner, Dupont.
- 9.6% — Anderson Island, Ashford, Bonney Lake, Camp Murray, Elbe, Fox Island, Graham, Kapowsin and 11 more.
- 9.1% — Gig Harbor.
- 8.3% — Buckley.
- 8.2% — Anderson Island (outside Sound Transit), Ashford (outside Sound Transit), Bonney Lake (outside Sound Transit), Camp Murray (outside Sound Transit), Carbonado, Eatonville, Elbe (outside Sound Transit), Fox Island (outside Sound Transit) and 15 more.
- This is why a county-wide figure is not enough here: two addresses in Pierce County can carry different tax on the same car, and in 18 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 Pierce County
- Sales tax (11% (10.5% local + 0.5% motor vehicle tax) — Tacoma, Pierce County) — $3,850.00
- 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 — $39,518.25 on a $35,000 used car, before any down payment or financing.
Charges that apply only in Pierce 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 Pierce County specifically and not across the rest of Washington, so a statewide estimate will miss them.
ZIP codes in Pierce County
- 98303, 98304, 98321, 98323, 98327, 98328, 98329, 98330, 98332, 98333, 98335, 98338, 98344, 98348, 98349, 98351, 98352, 98354, 98360, 98371, 98372, 98373, 98374, 98375, 98385, 98387, 98388, 98390, 98391, 98394, 98395, 98396, 98397, 98398, 98401, 98402, 98403, 98404, 98405, 98406, 98407, 98408, 98409, 98411, 98412, 98413, 98415, 98416, 98417, 98418, 98419, 98421, 98422, 98424, 98430, 98431, 98433, 98438, 98439, 98443, and 19 more.
- Any of these resolves to Pierce County in the calculator, at whichever of the county's rates applies to that ZIP.
Pierce County against nearby counties
- Snohomish County is 9.3% — $420.00 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Pierce County.
- Thurston County is 9.7% — $280.00 LESS tax on a $35,000 car than Pierce County.
- King County is 10.55% — $17.50 MORE tax on a $35,000 car than Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County it ranges from 8.2% to 10.5%.
Are there extra car fees in Pierce 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 Pierce County?
It ranges from 8.2% to 10.5% depending on the city; most of the county is 10.5%.
How much is tax and fees on a $35,000 car in Pierce County?
About $4,518.25 on top of the price, bringing it to roughly $39,518.25 out the door. The breakdown is above.
Elsewhere in Washington
King County
10.55% 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