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Out-the-door price calculator

See the real total — sticker plus tax, title, registration, and dealer fees — for any new or used car in any US state. No signup. No spam. Built so you can spot fee inflation in a dealer quote in seconds.

$

The negotiated price, not MSRP.

Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) applies. Doc fee uncapped but typically modest.

%

Your county or city may add 1–3% on top of the state rate.

$

Reduces taxable amount

$

If you still owe on the trade

$

Reduces amount financed.

$

Default: class="relative z-10"75 · Uncapped state

Breakdown

Vehicle price
$35,000
Doc feestate has no cap
class="relative z-10"75
Sales tax6.25% on $35,175 (price + doc)
$2,198
Title fee
$33
Registrationestimate — your DMV gives the exact figure
$75
Out-the-door price
$37,481

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What is “out-the-door” price?

The out-the-door price is the total you'll actually write a check for. It includes the negotiated vehicle price plus every fee and tax a dealer adds before handing over the keys. The number you see on a newspaper ad or a manufacturer's site is rarely the OTD — it's the sticker, before doc fee, sales tax, title, and registration. Those four items add 8% to 14% on top of the sticker in most states.

Always negotiate the OTD, never the monthly payment. Monthly-payment-first negotiation lets the dealer quietly add a doc-fee markup, lengthen the loan, or inflate the rate while keeping the payment "where you want it." Once you have the OTD in writing, the dealer can't move the fees around without you noticing.

What's included in OTD?

  • Vehicle price. The agreed-on number, after any manufacturer rebates and dealer discount. Negotiate this before the rest.
  • Doc fee. The dealer's processing fee. California caps it at $85, New York at class="relative z-10"75, Minnesota at class="relative z-10"25. Florida and Texas leave it uncapped, which is why FL dealers commonly charge $700–$900+.
  • Sales tax. Usually state rate applied to (price + doc), reduced by your trade-in in most states. Counties often add 1–3% on top.
  • Title fee. The DMV's fee for transferring the title into your name. $5 to class="relative z-10"65 by state.
  • Registration. First-year vehicle registration. Varies widely — Montana and California can run into the hundreds.

How to use this number when negotiating

Build your target OTD here first. Email three dealers in your area and ask each one for a written OTD on the same VIN or build configuration. The one closest to your target wins your business, and you can show the other two the winning quote and ask if they'll match.

For the full step-by-step, including the exact email script, how to handle the dealer's typical responses, and the four F&I traps to refuse, read Negotiating With Car Dealers in 2026.

Frequently asked

What is the out-the-door price?
The out-the-door (OTD) price is the total you'll pay for a vehicle including the negotiated price plus all taxes, title, registration, and dealer fees. It's the number you should always negotiate — never the monthly payment.
What fees are included in OTD?
A typical OTD includes the vehicle price, the dealer documentation fee, state sales tax (or vehicle excise tax in some states), the title transfer fee, and the first registration fee. Some states layer county or city sales tax on top of the statewide rate.
How is sales tax calculated on a car?
Most states apply the state sales-tax rate to the vehicle price plus the doc fee. The result is the sales tax. Some states use a vehicle-specific excise tax instead (Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, New Mexico). South Carolina caps the sales tax at $500 regardless of vehicle price.
Does my trade-in reduce the sales tax?
In most states yes — the trade-in value is subtracted from the taxable amount before the sales-tax rate is applied. In California, DC, Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Kentucky, and Hawaii, the trade-in does not reduce sales tax.
What is a typical doc fee?
Doc fees vary wildly by state. California caps it at $85. New York caps it at class="relative z-10"75. Minnesota caps it at class="relative z-10"25. Florida and Texas leave doc fees uncapped, so dealers routinely charge $700 to class="relative z-10",000+ in those states. Always ask for the OTD with doc fee itemized in writing.
Can I negotiate the OTD price?
Yes — and you should. Negotiate the vehicle price by email before visiting the dealer, then ask for the OTD breakdown so you can see every fee. Doc fees can sometimes be reduced. Tax, title, and registration are usually fixed by law and can't be negotiated, but the dealer should never mark them up.

Disclaimer: this calculator uses 2026 statewide rate data. Local sales taxes, county fees, and registration weight surcharges can change the total by hundreds of dollars. Always confirm the final OTD with the dealer in writing and verify the tax line against your state's DMV. See our glossary for plain-English definitions of every fee and term used here.