Washington charges retail sales tax plus motor vehicle sales/lease tax of 6.8% at the state level, and local jurisdictions add their own, which brings a typical vehicle to about 10.3%. A trade-in does reduce the taxable price, which is real money on the deal.
Type your own numbers and see the same car priced as cash and as a loan, with the taxes and state fees for Washington. Nothing you type leaves this page.
To see a lease, pick a vehicle. A lease is priced on one car: what it is expected to be worth at the end (its residual) and the leasing company's money factor change by model and by month.
An estimate on the numbers you type, not an offer of credit or a quote from any dealership. Starting loan rates are Rateous's rates for each credit range and term; they are not an offer from any lender. The documentary fee starts at an example figure, the state's legal cap where it has one or $599 where it does not, not any dealership's fee; each dealership sets its own. Taxes and state fees are estimates for Washington; the dealership's paperwork and your motor vehicle agency have the final numbers. Nothing you type is sent, saved, or used to check your credit.
Sales tax on a dealer sale is collected at the rate where the buyer takes delivery (normally the dealership); the DOL rate file (Q3 2026) shows local rates from 1.5% to 4.2% (Edmonds/Lynnwood area 10.7% combined). The typical local rate of 3.5% reflects the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area (RTA counties, 10.1%-10.55%).
Manufacturer rebates are part of the taxable selling price in Washington; dealer discounts reduce it.
Leases: 6.8% state plus local sales/lease tax on each lease payment.
On a $35,000 new car with a $37,000 sticker, registered in Seattle, no trade-in: the same figures the calculator above uses. The dealership's documentary fee is its own and is not included.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Title fee | $15.00 |
| Registration (est., mixed based) | $150.00 |
| License plate fee | $50.00 |
| Title filing and service fees (title with registration ($12.50 filing + $18 service, approximately)) | $29.00 |
| In all | $244.00 |
Washington taxes a lease one payment at a time: the tax is added to each monthly payment, so you pay it as you go.
Pick your city for the exact combined rate where you register, plus what title and registration run there.
Washington charges 6.8% at the state level and local jurisdictions add more, so a typical combined rate on a vehicle is about 10.3% and can reach 11% at the high end. The rate is set by the dealership location, so pick your city above for the exact figure.
Trade-in value of like-kind property (a motor vehicle) is excluded from the selling price (RCW 82.08.010).
On a $35,000 new car with a $37,000 sticker, registered in Seattle: Title fee $15.00, Registration (est., mixed based) $150.00, License plate fee $50.00, Title filing and service fees (title with registration ($12.50 filing + $18 service, approximately)) $29.00, about $244.00 in all. Annual: $30 basic license fee + vehicle weight fee ($25 for 0-4,000 lbs; $45 for 4,001-6,000; $65 for 6,001-8,000; $72 over 8,000) + $10 additional weight fee + $6 filing + $11 service fee + $0.75 license service fee, plus a Transportation Benefit District fee of $20-$50 in many cities and the RTA motor vehicle excise tax (1.1% of depreciated MSRP value) inside the Sound Transit district (King, Pierce, Snohomish urban areas): roughly $400+ in year 1 on a $40,000 car. EVs add $150 + $75 transportation electrification fee.
Yes, at $200. Under RCW 46.70.180(2), the documentary service fee has been capped at $200 since 2022.
Washington taxes a lease one payment at a time: the tax is added to each monthly payment, so you pay it as you go.