What you pay in tax when you buy a vehicle in Delaware, from the statute and the revenue department.
Verified September 21, 2026 · statute and revenue department cross-checked
The statute and the actual bill do not match. Most guides still say 4.25 percent. Both the current Delaware Code and the live DMV fee page say 5.25 percent.
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Buying the car is only half the cost. You still owe an annual registration fee.
Delaware is famous for having no sales tax, but the document fee works exactly like one and at 5.25 percent it is now higher than several states’ sales tax. The fee is charged on the greater of your purchase price or NADA book value. A Delaware resident who buys from an out-of-state dealer gets no credit for tax paid there, so you can end up paying twice.
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, Fees “5.25% of purchase price or NADA book value, whichever is greater. ... Minimum document fee is $8.00. ... Delaware residents who purchase a vehicle from an out-of-state dealer will not receive credit for any taxes paid.”
30 Del. C. Chapter 30 “The document fee payable thereafter shall increase in increments of $5.25 per each additional $100 of purchase price”
Last verified: September 21, 2026.
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Estimates only. Your dealer or the state issues the final bill, and exemptions can change what you owe. This page does not collect or store anything you enter.