At 3 percent with no local add-on, North Carolina is one of the cheapest states to buy a car. It is called a Highway Use Tax rather than sales tax and goes to the Highway Trust Fund. New residents bringing in a vehicle already titled elsewhere pay a maximum of $250. RVs and commercial trucks are capped at $2,000. A separate annual county property tax on the vehicle is collected with your registration.
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Sources
Statute: N.C.G.S. § 105-187.3
North Carolina DMV, Highway Use Tax “North Carolina generally collects what’s known as the highway-use tax – instead of sales tax – on vehicles whenever a title is transferred.”
NCDOT, The North Carolina Highway Use Tax “whenever a vehicle title is transferred in North Carolina, the buyer is charged a one-time, 3 percent HUT on the vehicle’s purchase price, less any trade-in value if the vehicle was purchased at a dealership. Caps apply to vehicles registered from new residents moving into North Carolina ($250 maximum) and to commercial and recreational vehicles, such as RVs ($2,000).”
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.