Tax Title and License Calculator Louisiana (LA TTL 2026)

You pay 5% state sales tax plus your parish and city tax, a $68.50 title fee, an $8 handling fee and a two-year plate fee based on price. On a $30,000 car in New Orleans, where the total tax rate is 10%, that comes to about $3,136.50.

This tax title and license calculator for Louisiana estimates what you’ll pay the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) on a new or used car or truck. Enter the price, your parish and city rate, a trade-in and any rebate. Buying a boat? Jump to the boat section for those fees.

Rates and fees checked against the Louisiana OMV and Louisiana Department of Revenue on October 2, 2026. This is an independent estimate. The OMV sets the final amount.

Louisiana Vehicle Tax and Fees at a Glance

How Louisiana Car Sales Tax Works

Louisiana taxes the sales price minus a qualifying trade-in and any rebate. The rate is the 5% state rate plus the local rate for the vehicle’s domicile. Domicile means the address where the car is kept, which is usually your home. It is not the dealership’s address.

Sales tax = (price − trade-in − rebate) × (5% + your parish and city rate)

The OMV collects both the state and local tax when the car is titled. If you buy from a Louisiana dealer, the dealer usually collects it and handles the paperwork. In a private sale, you pay it yourself at an OMV office or a public tag agent.

The state rate went from 4.45% to 5% on January 1, 2025. It’s set to stay at 5% through December 31, 2029. Older guides that still show 4.45% are out of date.

Where do I find my parish and city rate?

The OMV publishes a Parish and Municipality Tax Table that lists the vehicle rate for every area. Rates inside a city can differ from the rest of the parish, so look up the exact place where the car will be kept.

Does a trade-in lower the tax?

Yes, when you trade in at a dealer. A $35,000 car with a $10,000 trade-in is taxed on $25,000. At a 9.75% total rate, that saves $975. The trade-in generally has to be in your name. There’s no trade-in credit in a private sale.

Are rebates taxed?

No. The OMV takes a manufacturer rebate off the price before figuring the tax, as long as it shows on the paperwork. A dealer discount lowers the price too, so you’re only taxed on what you actually pay.

What about the dealer doc fee?

Louisiana dealers can charge a documentary fee of up to $436 in 2026. It’s a dealer charge, not a state fee, and dealers must show it on the bill of sale. Ask the dealer to show how it was taxed on your buyer’s order.

How Much Is Tax, Title and License in Louisiana?

Here’s the full amount the OMV collects on a car at two common rates: sales tax, the $68.50 title, the $8 handling fee and the two-year plate. It assumes no trade-in, rebate or loan.

A trade-in or rebate lowers the tax part. A car loan adds $15, and a local fee of up to $6 may apply.

Sales tax by price

This table shows sales tax at three total rates. Find your own rate in the OMV parish table, then pick the closest column.

So a $30,000 car costs $3,000 in sales tax in New Orleans and $2,925 in Metairie. Fees come on top.

Example 1: New car from a dealer in Metairie

Assumptions: $35,000 price, $1,000 manufacturer rebate, $10,000 trade-in, financed with a UCC-1, kept in unincorporated Jefferson Parish (4.75% local).

Add up to $6 if a local fee applies. The dealer’s doc fee is separate.

Example 2: Private sale in New Orleans

You buy a used car from a neighbor for $12,000. There’s no trade-in credit. Tax at 10% is $1,200. Add the $68.50 title, $8 handling and a $24 plate, and the total is $1,300.50. You pay it at the OMV or a public tag agent within 40 days of the sale.

Example 3: Moving to Louisiana with your car

You move from Texas with a car worth $20,000 that’s already registered in your name there. You register it in Louisiana within 90 days. Your state and local use tax is capped at $90. Add $68.50 title, $8 handling and a $40 plate. Total: $206.50.

Louisiana Title, Plate and Registration Fees

Public tag agents are private offices that can do OMV work. They add their own convenience fee, so their total will be higher than at an OMV office. Specialty and personalized plates also cost more.

How the car plate fee works

The plate fee is 0.1% of the car’s price for each year, and car plates are sold for two years at a time. The OMV treats any value under $10,000 as $10,000, so the lowest fee is $20. The chart rounds the price to the nearest $1,000.

Electric vehicle and hybrid road usage fee

Louisiana charges $110 a year for an electric vehicle and $60 a year for a hybrid. “Hybrid” means any vehicle that pairs a gas or diesel engine with an electric motor, so plug-in hybrids pay $60 too.

That’s lower than some nearby states. In Tennessee, an electric vehicle pays $200 a year when the registration is renewed.

You don’t pay this when you buy. Starting with 2026, the OMV mails a notice on April 1 or May 1 for the year before, and it’s due by June 30. A part year is prorated by month. If you buy an EV in October 2026, you’d owe $28 for three months in spring 2027. A hybrid would owe $15.

Private Sales, Donations and Inherited Cars

Private sales

Private sales are taxed at the same state and local rates as dealer sales, based on the price. The seller signs the title over in front of a notary. You need a notarized bill of sale showing the price, unless the price is written on the title assignment. Then you pay the tax and fees at the OMV or a public tag agent.

Act of Donation

No sales tax is due when a car is given away through a notarized Act of Donation (form DPSMV 1699) and no loan is taken over. If the new owner takes over a car loan, tax is due on the loan balance, unless the new owner is the spouse. You still pay the $68.50 title and $8 handling fees.

A donation must be a real gift with no money changing hands. Louisiana treats a sale dressed up as a donation as a taxable sale.

Inheritance and divorce

Transfers by affidavit of heirship, judgment of possession or divorce decree don’t owe sales tax. Title and handling fees still apply.

Deadlines and Late Penalties

Sales tax on a vehicle is due by the 40th day after the sale. After that, a penalty of 5% of the tax for every 30 days is added, up to 25%. Interest runs too: 1.25% a month on the state tax and 1% a month on local tax for sales since 2023.

The OMV can waive the penalty for a good reason if you ask in writing. It can’t waive the interest. If your application is rejected, you get one 30-day window to fix and resend it without extra penalty.

Moving to Louisiana or Buying Out of State

New residents

If you move to Louisiana with a car you already own, state and local use tax is capped at $90 total when all three of these are true:

• The car is mainly for personal use.
• It was registered (or leased) in your name in your old state.
• You register it in Louisiana within 90 days of bringing it here.

Miss the 90 days, and you owe road use tax on the car’s value at your local rate. The OMV uses the lowest of the JD Power average trade-in value, the original invoice or a dealer trade-in appraisal. You get credit for sales tax you paid to the other state, up to the Louisiana tax due.

Louisiana residents buying in another state

You owe Louisiana tax at your home rate when you title the car here. Tax you paid to the other state counts as a credit if you bring proof, such as the bill of sale or dealer invoice showing the tax. Property-type taxes paid elsewhere don’t count. For example, Georgia gets no credit on the OMV’s chart.

The OMV chart sets the credit for each state. Alabama’s state automotive tax is only 2%, so you’d owe most of the Louisiana tax on top. Texas charges 6.25% on a vehicle, so the gap is smaller. You can get more credit if you show proof that you paid more tax.

To see what another state would charge on the same car, try our tax, title and license calculator for every state.

Active-duty military

Active-duty service members stationed in Louisiana can title and register a car they bought in another state without paying Louisiana use tax, if sales tax was paid when they bought it. Bring proof of that payment. After leaving active duty, you have up to 90 days to register and pay any tax.

Veterans

Veterans pay sales tax on vehicles like everyone else, according to the Department of Revenue. Some veterans don’t have to pay the registration license tax (the plate fee). Ask the OMV whether you qualify.

See also: Mississippi: a 5% tax on the net price; private sales are taxed on a state value.

See also: Idaho: one 6% rate and registration based on vehicle age.

See also: Pennsylvania: a 6% state tax plus local add-ons.

Louisiana Boat Tax, Title and Registration

Boats work differently from cars. The OMV isn’t involved. You title and register a boat with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and the sales tax goes to the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

The tax rate is the same: 5% state plus your local rate. A boat dealer usually collects it on the invoice. If not, you pay the Department of Revenue and get a Tax Payment Certification (Form R-1331) to show LDWF.

Since July 1, 2025, state and local tax on a boat registered in Louisiana is capped at $20,000, after credit for tax paid to another state. You must pay within 90 days of buying to get the cap.

The boat trailer gets its own plate from the OMV. A trailer up to 1,500 lbs costs $25 for four years.

Example: Boat tax, title and license in Louisiana

You buy a 20-foot boat for $40,000 and live in Metairie (9.75%). Tax is $3,900. Add the $26 title, $57 registration and a $25 trailer plate. Total: $4,008. The calculator above is built for cars and trucks, so use these steps for a boat.

Brake Tags and Inspections

In 2026, Louisiana passed a law ending the state brake tag (inspection sticker) for most personal vehicles. It’s being replaced by an OMV identification sticker that doesn’t need an inspection. The OMV is still writing the rules, and the law caps that fee at $6 a year.

New Orleans still requires its own city brake tag. Commercial vehicles and school buses still need inspections. If you live in the Baton Rouge area, check whether an emissions test still applies to your car.

How to Use This Louisiana TTL Calculator

The tax title and license calculator in Louisiana on this page works for cars, trucks and SUVs. This tax, title, license Louisiana calculator needs a few details from your bill of sale:

• New or used, and whether you’re buying from a dealer or a private seller.
• Price of the vehicle.
• Trade-in value (dealer purchases only).
• Manufacturer rebate (new cars from a dealer).
• Parish and city rate from the OMV tax table. It’s set to 4.75% to start.
• Fuel type, so it can flag the EV or hybrid fee.
• Loan, if you’re financing.

It shows each line separately: state tax, local tax, title, handling, lien fee and the two-year plate. Fees that depend on where you go, like tag agent charges, appear as notes instead of being added in.

How to Calculate Louisiana Tax, Title and License by Hand

1. Start with the price.
2. Subtract a dealer trade-in and any manufacturer rebate.
3. Find your parish and city rate in the OMV tax table and add 5%.
4. Multiply the taxable price by that total rate.
5. Add $68.50 for the title and $8 for handling.
6. Add the plate fee: $2 for every $1,000 of price, $20 minimum.
7. Add $15 if you’re financing with a UCC-1, and up to $6 for a local fee.

What This Estimate Includes

• 5% state sales tax
• Parish and city sales tax at the rate you enter
• Dealer trade-in credit and rebate
• $68.50 title fee and $8 handling fee
• Mortgage recording fee if you finance
• Two-year license plate fee

What This Estimate Does Not Include

• The local fee of up to $6
• Public tag agent convenience fees
• The dealer documentary fee
• EV or hybrid road usage fee (billed after the year)
• Late penalties and interest
• The $90 new resident cap (use Example 3 instead)
• Boats and boat trailers (see the boat section)
• Specialty plates, insurance and loan costs

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using the dealer’s local rate. Louisiana uses the rate where the car is kept, which is usually your home.
• Using the old 4.45% state rate. It’s been 5% since January 1, 2025.
• Expecting trade-in credit in a private sale. Only a dealer trade-in lowers the tax.
• Thinking the plate fee is yearly. Car plates are paid for two years at once.
• Calling a sale a donation. If money changes hands, it’s a taxable sale.
• Waiting past 40 days. Penalty and interest start on day 41.
• Missing the 90-day window when you move. After 90 days, the $90 cap no longer applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is tax, title and license in Louisiana?

Expect a bit over 10% of the price in New Orleans or Metairie. On a $30,000 car, it’s $3,136.50 in New Orleans and $3,061.50 in Metairie. That includes tax, the $68.50 title, $8 handling and a $60 plate.

What is the sales tax on a car in Louisiana?

It’s 5% state tax plus the parish and city rate where the car is kept. The total is 10% in New Orleans and 9.75% in most of Jefferson Parish.

How much is tax on a $30,000 car in Louisiana?

About $3,000 in New Orleans and $2,925 in Metairie, before any trade-in or rebate. At a 9% total rate, it’s $2,700.

How much are title and tags in Louisiana?

The title is $68.50 and the handling fee is $8. A car plate costs 0.1% of the price per year and is sold for two years, so a $30,000 car pays $60. The lowest plate fee is $20.

Do I pay sales tax on a used car from a private seller?

Yes. Louisiana taxes private sales at the same state and local rates. You pay it at the OMV or a public tag agent within 40 days.

Do I pay tax on a car someone gives me?

Not if it’s a real gift made with a notarized Act of Donation and you don’t take over a loan. Inherited cars aren’t taxed either.

Is there a tax, title and license calculator for boats in Louisiana?

Use the boat section on this page. Boat tax is your local rate plus 5%, capped at $20,000. Then add LDWF fees: a $26 title and $36 to $99 for a three-year registration.

Is an LA tax title and license calculator estimate exact?

It’s close. The OMV sets the final amount, and local fees, tag agent fees and your exact local rate can change it.

Official Sources

• Louisiana OMV: Vehicle Registration, Title & Plate Fees
• Louisiana OMV: New Title & Registration and Used Title & Registration
• Louisiana OMV: Parish and Municipality Tax Table
• Louisiana OMV Policy 48.00: Out-of-State Transfers and Reciprocity With Other States
• Louisiana OMV Policy 52.00: Act of Donation / Manual Gift
• Louisiana OMV Policy 55.00: Penalty and Interest
• Louisiana OMV Policy 130.00: Electric and Hybrid Fee
• Louisiana Department of Revenue: What is the state sales tax rate?
• Louisiana Department of Revenue: Do veterans pay sales tax on vehicles in Louisiana?
• Louisiana Department of Revenue: Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Road Usage Fee
• Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:305.48 (military exemption)
• Louisiana Motor Vehicle Commission: Bulletin B-2026-001, 2026 Documentary Fee
• Louisiana Department of Revenue: Is there a cap on sales and use tax for boats registered in Louisiana?
• Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: Title or Register Your Boat
• City of New Orleans: Orleans Parish Sales Tax Rate
• Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office: Local Sales/Use Tax Rate Table

This page is an independent estimate tool and guide. It isn’t affiliated with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or any parish. Rates and fees can change, so confirm your final amount with the OMV before you pay.