Short answer
Mississippi taxes vehicle sales at 5%. Mississippi taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted. 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%. Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state. That summary is for a retail purchase from a dealer, and most states apply different rules to leases and private-party sales.
Mississippi car sales tax quick facts
Last verified August 27, 2026| Sales tax rate on vehicles | 5%[1] |
| Trade-in credit | Mississippi taxes the price after the trade-in is deducted.[1] |
| Selling to an out-of-state buyer | 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] |
| Credit for tax paid to another state | Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[1] |
| Dealer doc fee | Capped at $425[2] · Taxability: Not yet verified against an official source. Confirm with the Mississippi Department of Revenue. Official site → |
| Temp tag for the drive home | 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. (valid 7 days)[3] |
| Out-of-state buyer registration | 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.[4] |
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 form doing the work here is Certificate of Interstate Sale (Form 72-315), completed at delivery. A missing form becomes the dealer's tax bill, not the buyer's.
The desk's job doesn't end at the tax line. Somebody still has to chase the title, the temp tag, and the buyer's home-state registration, and Voltra's title tracking keeps that chase on one screen.
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 row above. Mississippi does not credit sales tax paid to another state.[1]
Registration and temp tags
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.[4] 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. Validity: 7 days.[3]
Bordering states
Cross-border deals from Mississippi most often involve Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. The combination decides the outcome, so check both states in 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.[5]
Sources
- www.dor.ms.gov/business/business-tax-frequently-asked-questions · verified 2026-08-27
- www.mmvc.ms.gov/sites/mmvc/files/rules/Regulation8.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- www.dor.ms.gov/motor-vehicle/motor-vehicle-frequently-asked-questions · verified 2026-08-27
- www.sos.ms.gov/adminsearch/ACCode/00000162c.pdf · verified 2026-08-27
- www.dor.ms.gov/business/sales-use-tax/sales-tax-rates · verified 2026-08-27