Out-the-door price in West Virginia
How West Virginia works
- West Virginia charges 6% sales tax on a car's price, the same in every county and city. No city or county adds a sales tax on vehicles. The dealer collects it at the sale and sends it to the DMV with your title application, and it is never less than $30. If you buy out of state and title the car in West Virginia, you pay the same 6% here, with no credit for tax paid to the other state.
- Your trade-in reduces the taxable price on a new or a used car, with no dollar limit. It has to be titled in West Virginia in the same name as the new car, or the DMV will not give the credit. If your trade-in is titled in another state, tick that box under More options and the calculator drops the credit. A dealer's discount comes off the taxable price too.
- A manufacturer's rebate does not reduce the tax. The DMV taxes the price before the rebate, so the rebate lowers what you pay but not the tax.
- Freight, destination charges, dealer preparation, accessories and optional equipment the dealer adds are taxed. The doc fee is not part of the 6% according to the DMV's dealer training, and neither is a warranty or service contract. A service contract has its own 6% sales tax, collected by the dealer.
- The doc fee is set by the DMV commissioner on advice of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Advisory Board. The state does not publish the current amount. The last figure we can document is $575, which the dealers' association reported for July 1, 2024. The board planned inflation adjustments after that, so ask the dealer what its fee is and whether the same fee applies to every buyer.
- Registering the car: the dealer registers it for you at the sale. It collects the tax, title fee, registration and lien fee and files them with the DMV, and it may issue a temporary plate, good for up to 90 days, while the plate and title come. You have 60 days from the purchase to move your old plates to the new car.
- Registration is a flat $51.50 a year for a passenger car, whatever its age, weight or value. A hybrid pays $100 more and an electric car $200 more each year.
Rules last verified Oct 11, 2026. Our methodology.
Try it for your ZIP
What a West Virginia advertised price has to include
West Virginia has no rule that says what a dealer's advertised price may leave out, and the DMV sets the doc fee without saying how an ad has to show it. The state's consumer protection law tells courts to be guided by FTC policy, and the FTC expects every fee the dealer requires, the doc fee included, to be in the advertised price, so only government charges like the 6% sales tax, title and registration can be added on top. That still isn't your out-the-door number; the calculator above adds the rest for your ZIP.
Federal law comes first
The FTC requires a dealer's advertised price to include every fee the dealer charges. Only charges the government requires you to pay, like tax, title and registration, can be left out. Where a state's rules let a dealer leave a fee out, the dealer still has to follow the federal rule, so the fee goes in. The FTC says a state's doc-fee rules can add disclosures, but they don't change the price that has to be advertised. Read the FTC's guidance.
Has to be in the advertised price
- The doc fee, whatever the dealer calls it (the DMV commissioner sets it; the state does not publish the amount)
- Freight (destination) and dealer preparation charges
- Accessories and anything else the dealer has added to the car
- Any other fee the dealer requires
Can still be added on top
- The 6% sales tax you pay through the DMV at titling
- The $15 title fee, the $51.50 registration (plus $100 for a hybrid or $200 for an electric car) and the $10 lien recording fee if you finance
- Optional products you choose to buy, such as a service contract or GAP coverage
- The general rule: West Virginia's Consumer Credit and Protection Act makes it unlawful to advertise a price in a way that is false, misleading or leaves out material information (W. Va. Code 46A-6-102(7)(N), 46A-6-104). The Legislature told courts to follow FTC policy and federal court readings of the FTC Act when applying it (46A-6-101(1)).
- The doc fee: the DMV commissioner sets the "documentary charge" dealers may collect for title paperwork (17A-6-18a). On a credit sale it is allowed only if the dealer charges cash and credit buyers the same and the amount is reasonable for the work (46A-3-109(a)(6)). On a financed sale a dealer may not charge any other fee for filing your title, registration or lien (17A-4A-4(e)).
- Rebates: the DMV taxes the price before a manufacturer rebate. A rebate lowers what you pay but not the tax.
- The sales contract: a West Virginia dealer has to give you a written sales instrument before the sale is final that shows the cash price, any trade-in credit and the balance due (17A-6-17).
More in our guide: Do dealers have to put fees in the advertised price? What actually changed for 2026
West Virginia in detail
West Virginia OTD questions, answered
Does a trade-in reduce sales tax in West Virginia?
Yes — West Virginia taxes the difference: your trade-in's value is subtracted before tax is computed.
Are manufacturer rebates taxed in West Virginia?
Effectively yes — tax is computed before the rebate is applied, so you pay tax on the pre-rebate price.
Is the doc fee capped in West Virginia?
Yes — the cap is $575.00 (W. Va. Code 17A-6-18a (commissioner sets, advisory board advises); 46A-3-109(a)(6). $575 is from WVADA News 2024-07-24 only; not confirmed with the DMV.). A dealer may not exceed it.
What does a West Virginia dealer's advertised price have to include?
Every fee the dealer requires, including the doc fee (the FTC's position). West Virginia has no rule that lets a dealer leave it out, and no rule that says it must be included. Only the 6% sales tax, title, registration and other government charges can be added on top.
Is there a limit on a West Virginia dealer's doc fee?
Yes, but the state does not publish the amount. The DMV commissioner sets it on advice of the Motor Vehicle Dealers Advisory Board (W. Va. Code 17A-6-18a). The last figure we can document is $575, reported for July 1, 2024, with inflation adjustments planned after that. Ask the dealer what its fee is.
Do I pay the sales tax at the dealership in West Virginia?
Yes. The dealer collects the 6% at the sale and sends it to the DMV with your title and registration. It is figured on the price after your trade-in and the dealer's discounts, but before a manufacturer's rebate.