Skip to main content
State Guide Last verified August 30, 2026

Mississippi Car Sales Tax, Trade-In Credit, and Out-of-State Rules

What the desk and the buyer each need to know when a Mississippi deal crosses state lines: the rate, the trade-in math, the exemption paperwork, and the drive-home tags. Every fact links to the official source.

Check an Out-of-State Deal Jump to Quick Facts

Every fact sourced to Mississippi official publications below

Short answer

Mississippi taxes vehicle sales at 5% state plus up to 0.25% local (depends on the dealer's location). Mississippi taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. Mississippi exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state. This applies to a retail dealer purchase; lease deals and private-party sales follow their own rules in most states.

Mississippi car sales tax quick facts

Last verified August 30, 2026
Sales tax rate on vehicles5% state plus up to 0.25% local (depends on the dealer's location)[1]
Trade-in creditMississippi taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted.[1]
Selling to an out-of-state buyerMississippi exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. The vehicle has to leave Mississippi within 48 hours of the sale and be registered and first used in another state. Mobile homes and airplanes do not qualify for the export provision, and golf carts are excluded and stay taxable at 7%.[1]
Credit for tax paid to another stateMississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[1]
Dealer doc feeCapped at $425[2] · taxable[3]
Temp tag for the drive homeThe selling dealer can issue a Mississippi temporary drive-out tag so an out-of-state buyer can drive the car home. It is good for 7 days from the date of purchase.[4]
Out-of-state buyer registrationA non-resident whose vehicle is domiciled or garaged in Mississippi has to title it here and buy a Mississippi Road and Bridge Privilege License, and the title application must show the Mississippi address where the vehicle is garaged.[5]

Mississippi car sales tax calculator

Enter the sale price and any trade-in to estimate Mississippi 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.

General information, not tax or legal advice. Everything on this page was compiled from official Mississippi government publications (listed under Sources) and last verified August 30, 2026, but rates and rules change and errors are possible. Voltra makes no warranty as to accuracy or completeness and accepts no liability for decisions made on this data. Confirm the current rules with the Mississippi Department of Revenue or a licensed professional before acting on anything here. Covers retail dealer sales; leases and private-party sales follow different rules in most states.

From the desk

Mississippi taxes vehicles at a lower rate than general retail, which surprises desks coming from other states in the good direction for once. The trade-in and casual-sale rules have their own wrinkles worth knowing cold.

Selling to an out-of-state buyer in Mississippi

Mississippi exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. The vehicle has to leave Mississippi within 48 hours of the sale and be registered and first used in another state. Mobile homes and airplanes do not qualify for the export provision, and golf carts are excluded and stay taxable at 7%.[1]

The paperwork that makes the exemption real is Certificate of Interstate Sale (Form 72-315), completed at delivery. Miss it and the exemption is the dealer's problem, not the buyer's.

Whatever the tax treatment, the desk owns what happens next: title in transit, tag on the car, registration filed in another state.

Buying in Mississippi from out of state

If you live in another state and buy in Mississippi, the deciding rule is where the vehicle gets registered: your home state's tax applies at registration, and what happens at the Mississippi sale depends on the rule above. Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[1]

Registration and temp tags

The selling dealer can issue a Mississippi temporary drive-out tag so an out-of-state buyer can drive the car home. It is good for 7 days from the date of purchase.[4] A non-resident whose vehicle is domiciled or garaged in Mississippi has to title it here and buy a Mississippi Road and Bridge Privilege License, and the title application must show the Mississippi address where the vehicle is garaged.[5]

Bordering states

Cross-border deals from Mississippi most often involve Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. No two pairings behave the same; run the exact combination through the out-of-state checker.

Vehicle-type exceptions

The 5% rate does not cover everything with wheels. Trucks over 10,000 lbs., semitrailers, aircraft and mobile homes are taxed at 3%, while motorcycles, mopeds, boats, ATVs and trailers fall back to the regular 7% retail rate.[6]

Sources

  1. www.dor.ms.gov/business/business-tax-frequently-asked-questions · verified 2026-08-27
  2. www.mmvc.ms.gov/sites/mmvc/files/rules/Regulation8.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
  3. www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACCode/00000851c.pdf · verified 2026-08-30
  4. www.dor.ms.gov/…/motor-vehicle-frequently-asked-questions · verified 2026-08-27
  5. www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACCode/00000162c.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
  6. www.dor.ms.gov/business/sales-use-tax/sales-tax-rates · verified 2026-08-27
Cite this page

“Mississippi Car Sales Tax & Out-of-State Rules.” Voltra. Last verified August 30, 2026. https://voltra.ai/car-sales-tax/mississippi/

More state-by-state guides: trade-in tax credit by state · recent rule changes · all states + the out-of-state checker

Mississippi car sales tax questions

Mississippi taxes vehicle sales at 5% state plus up to 0.25% local (depends on the dealer's location). The rate is charged on the taxable price worked up at the desk, where trade-in treatment and doc fees do their damage.

Mississippi taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. That rule moves the taxable price, which is why the same deal pencils out to different tax in different states.

Mississippi exempts out-of-state buyers only under specific conditions. The vehicle has to leave Mississippi within 48 hours of the sale and be registered and first used in another state. Mobile homes and airplanes do not qualify for the export provision, and golf carts are excluded and stay taxable at 7%. The exemption runs on Certificate of Interstate Sale (Form 72-315), completed at delivery.

Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state.

Mississippi caps dealer doc fees at $425. Tax applies to the doc fee as well.

Start with the sale price and subtract the trade-in allowance (Mississippi credits it in full), then multiply by 5% state plus up to 0.25% local (depends on the dealer's location) plus any local add-on. The dealer doc fee is taxable in Mississippi, so add it before you multiply. The Mississippi calculator on this page runs those steps with the verified figures and shows the out-the-door estimate before title and registration fees.