Buying a car in Utah

Every figure below is sourced to Utah’s own revenue or motor vehicle publications and dated. Estimates only.

Utah at a glance

State sales tax
4.85%
Local tax is added on top in most states — treat this as a floor.
Trade-in credit
Reduces your tax
You are taxed on the price less your trade-in allowance.
Dealer doc fee
Not confirmed
We have not confirmed a cap for this state, so we do not claim one.
Title and registration
Not confirmed

Local tax in Utah

The 4.85% here is the STATE-imposed portion: 4.70% state sales and use tax plus 0.15% State Medicaid Expansion. Two local components apply in EVERY Utah jurisdiction — 1.00% Local Sales and Use Tax and 0.25% County Option — making 6.10% the statewide minimum; cities, counties, transit and special districts layer more on top. Which location governs: a dealer sale uses the DEALER'S location, a non-dealer purchase the BUYER'S registration address. SEPARATELY, Utah levies an annual age-based UNIFORM FEE in lieu of property tax, paid at registration and each renewal. It does not fit the ratio/mill-rate model — it is a flat-dollar bracket table by age: 0-2 years $150, 3-5 $110, 6-8 $80, 9-11 $50, 12 or more $10. A separate 1.5% fee on fair market value applies to medium/heavy trucks and larger vessels, not to passenger cars.