Short answer
Louisiana taxes vehicle sales at 5% state plus local add-ons (depends on location). Louisiana taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Louisiana gives only partial credit for tax paid to another state. Everything here assumes a retail purchase from a dealer, since most states treat leases and private-party sales differently.
Louisiana car sales tax quick facts
Last verified August 30, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 5% state plus local add-ons (depends on location)[1] |
| Trade-in credit | Louisiana taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted.[2] |
| Selling to an out-of-state buyer | Not yet verified against an official source. Start with the state's official guidance: Official site → |
| Credit for tax paid to another state | Louisiana gives only partial credit for tax paid to another state. The credit runs rate-to-rate against Louisiana's state and local use tax, with proof of payment required. OMV's tax credit reference chart grants no credit for the listed states (Oregon is credited at only 0.5%), and no credit is allowed for ad valorem taxes paid elsewhere. Exception: no full credit for tax paid to Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.[3] |
| Dealer doc fee | Capped at $425[4] · taxable[5] |
| Temp tag for the drive home | Louisiana's drive-out instrument is a temporary registration plate issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles under R.S. 47:511.3 (Temporary registration permits; motor vehicles being driven out of state), available when the owner purchased the vehicle intending to permanently take it out of Louisiana. The fee is $5.50, the plate expires 30 days from issuance, and only one may be issued per vehicle.[6] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | Louisiana OMV accepts a driver's license or ID card issued by another state as the vehicle owner's identification on a title and registration application, so an out-of-state-licensed owner can title and register a vehicle here. Sales and use tax is assessed at OMV based on the domicile of the vehicle, on the selling price less any qualifying trade-in and rebate.[7] |
Louisiana car sales tax calculator
Enter the sale price and any trade-in to estimate Louisiana vehicle tax and the out-the-door total before title and registration. It applies the verified rate, trade-in rule and doc fee treatment from the quick facts above.
From the desk
Louisiana stacks parish rates on the state number and the combined figure moves more than almost anywhere. Quoting a deal without the parish rate is quoting wrong, and out-of-parish buyers make it a daily exercise.
Buying in Louisiana from out of state
If you live in another state and buy in Louisiana, the deciding rule is where the vehicle gets registered: your home state's tax applies at registration, whatever happens at the Louisiana sale. Louisiana gives only partial credit for tax paid to another state. The credit runs rate-to-rate against Louisiana's state and local use tax, with proof of payment required. OMV's tax credit reference chart grants no credit for the listed states (Oregon is credited at only 0.5%), and no credit is allowed for ad valorem taxes paid elsewhere. Exception: no full credit for tax paid to Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont.[3]
Registration and temp tags
Louisiana's drive-out instrument is a temporary registration plate issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles under R.S. 47:511.3 (Temporary registration permits; motor vehicles being driven out of state), available when the owner purchased the vehicle intending to permanently take it out of Louisiana. The fee is $5.50, the plate expires 30 days from issuance, and only one may be issued per vehicle.[6] Louisiana OMV accepts a driver's license or ID card issued by another state as the vehicle owner's identification on a title and registration application, so an out-of-state-licensed owner can title and register a vehicle here. Sales and use tax is assessed at OMV based on the domicile of the vehicle, on the selling price less any qualifying trade-in and rebate.[7]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Louisiana most often involve Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas. Each combination carries its own quirks; run the pair through the out-of-state checker.
Vehicle-type exceptions
Louisiana's motor vehicle sales tax applies to anything subject to the state's Vehicle Registration License Tax Law, so automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, motor homes, mobile homes, boat and utility trailers, campers and off-road vehicles are all covered by the same tax.[8]
Sources
- revenue.louisiana.gov/…/general-sales-use-tax · verified 2026-08-27
- revenue.louisiana.gov/…/what-is-included-in-sales-price · verified 2026-08-27
- public.powerdms.com/ladpsc/documents/370218 · verified 2026-08-30
- www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=106286 · verified 2026-08-27
- dam.ldr.la.gov/…/LAC%2061%20I%204301%204404%20and%204408%20(Current%20Regulation).pdf · verified 2026-08-29
- www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=102312 · verified 2026-08-27
- expresslane.la.gov/…/new-title-registration · verified 2026-08-27
- dam.ldr.la.gov/publications/20164(6_20).pdf · verified 2026-08-27
“Louisiana Car Sales Tax & Out-of-State Rules.” Voltra. Last verified August 30, 2026. https://voltra.ai/car-sales-tax/louisiana/
More state-by-state guides: trade-in tax credit by state · recent rule changes · all states + the out-of-state checker