Montana Car Sales Tax Calculator Tax, title & license fees (2026)
No state sales/use tax on vehicles; county option tax on depreciated MSRP · No state sales tax
Calculate Montana car tax & fees
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How much is car sales tax in Montana?
Montana has no general sales tax on vehicles. Your costs come from registration instead: an age-based registration fee, a county option tax on the depreciated MSRP, a few small state fees, and a 3% administrative fee on top.
Light-vehicle registration depends on age: $217 for vehicles 0–4 years old, $87 for 5–10 years, and $28 for 11 years and older. Age is the calendar year minus the model year.
The county option tax is your county's rate times the depreciated MSRP. Each vehicle class has its own depreciation schedule, and the value never drops below $500. Look up your county's rate with the Motor Vehicle Division.
Add the $10 highway patrol fee, a $12 title, $12 plates and the optional $9 parks fee. A 3% administrative fee then applies to the total of those fees. Light vehicles with an MSRP over $150,000 that are 10 years old or newer pay an extra $825 a year.
Montana is one of five states without a general state sales tax; the others are Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire and Oregon. Each charges something different when you buy or register a car, so compare them in our overview of states with no sales tax on cars.
- County option tax = max($500, MSRP x depreciation factor) x county rate
- Fees = registration + luxury fee + county option + highway patrol + parks + title + plates + GVW fee
- Admin fee = fees x 3%
- Total = fees + admin fee + lien + doc fee
Montana car tax example with real numbers
Registering a two-year-old car
You buy a $2,024 car with an original MSRP of $40,000. Your county's option tax rate is 0.5% (an illustrative rate; yours may differ).
- There's no sales tax to pay: $0.
- The car is 2 years old, so registration is $217.
- County option tax: $40,000 × 69% depreciation factor = $27,600, × 0.5% = $138.
- With the highway patrol fee, title, plates and the 3% administrative fee ($11.67), the estimated total is $400.67.
| Title & registration | |
|---|---|
| Registration | $217 |
| Highway patrol fee | $10 |
| Title | $12 |
| Plates | $12 |
| County option tax | $138 |
| MVD admin fee (3%) | $11.67 |
| Estimated total | $400.67 |
Computed with the calculator on this page using the figures in our data. Local add-ons not mentioned in the example are left out.
Exceptions that change your Montana tax bill
Permanent registration
Light vehicles 11 years or older can be registered permanently for $87.50 plus five times the county option tax. It ends when ownership changes.
Luxury vehicles
Light vehicles with an MSRP over $150,000 and 10 years old or newer pay $825 a year. Motorhomes over $300,000 pay $800.
Gifts and inheritance
There's still no state sales tax. Title and registration remain due.
Renewals
No new title or plates are needed. Registration, county option tax, the highway patrol fee, parks fee and admin fee still apply.
Montana vehicle sales tax rates
| State rate | 0% |
|---|---|
| County option tax |
|
Montana title & registration fees
| Registration by age |
|
|---|---|
| Permanent registration 11 and up years | $87.50 |
| Permanent registration note | Also pays 5x county option tax; ends on ownership change |
| Luxury light vehicle | $825 |
| Luxury light rule | MSRP over $150,000 and 10 years old or newer |
| Luxury motorhome | $800 |
| Luxury motorhome rule | MSRP over $300,000 |
| Highway patrol fee | $10 |
| Parks fee annual optional | $9 |
| Parks fee permanent | $6 |
| Title light vehicle | $12 |
| Title light note | Through 2028-06-30 |
| Title other | $10 |
| Plates | $12 |
| GVW fee |
|
| Admin fee rate | 3% |
| Admin fee note | 3% of Title 61 fees (registration, county option, MHP, parks, title, plates, GVW, luxury) |
Montana car tax exemptions & special cases
| Gift / inheritance / military | No state sales tax; title and registration still due |
|---|---|
| Renewal | No title or new plates |
| Permanent registration | Only for light vehicles 11+ years old |
Montana car tax FAQ
Does Montana charge sales tax on cars?
No. Montana has no general sales or use tax on vehicles.
What is Montana's county option tax?
A county tax based on the vehicle's depreciated MSRP, collected with registration. The rate is set by each county.
How much is registration on a new car in Montana?
$217 a year for vehicles 0–4 years old, plus the county option tax and smaller fees.
What is the 3% fee?
A Motor Vehicle Division administrative fee on registration, county option tax, title, plates and other fees.
Sources & verification
We checked these figures against the following official pages on October 7, 2026:
Not yet confirmed on an official page: title 12/10; MHP 10; parks 9/6; admin 3%; county option rates; depreciation table; motorhome luxury 800. Treat these figures as estimates.
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll recheck it.