West Virginia › Sales tax
West Virginia car sales tax: 6% and what it applies to
How the West Virginia rate is set
- West Virginia charges 6%, and that rate is the same everywhere in the state — no county or city adds to it on a vehicle purchase.
What sits inside the taxable amount
- 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.
What's specific to West Virginia
- 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.
- 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.
Run your own numbers
Common questions
What is the car sales tax rate in West Virginia?
6%, statewide, with no local add-on for vehicles.
Is the doc fee taxed in West Virginia?
No. West Virginia excludes the doc fee from the taxable amount, so you pay the fee but not tax on it.
More on buying a car in West Virginia
Source: West Virginia Code §11-15-3c (Sales tax on sale of motor vehicles) · rules last verified Oct 11, 2026. Methodology.