Florida Used Car Cost Calculator

A used car priced at $20,000.00 in Florida will cost you between $1,291.75 and $1,637.25 in sales tax, title, and registration fees, on top of the purchase price.

Showing an example at $20,000 — enter your own purchase price below for a number that's actually yours.

That range isn't guesswork — here is exactly what moves it:

• Registration: This state charges by vehicle weight. Enter the weight for an exact figure.
• Initial registration fee (first Florida plate): Fla. Stat. Sec. 320.0605; source: https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-vehicles-tags-titles/license-plates-registration/motor-vehicle-registrations/ -- a one-time $225 fee applies only if you do not already have a Florida license plate registered in your name to transfer to the newly-purchased vehicle. $0 if you're transferring an existing Florida plate.
• County discretionary sales surtax (first $5,000 of price only): Florida counties may add a discretionary sales surtax (Fla. Stat. Sec. 212.054-212.055) of up to 2% (Hamilton County, the state's highest, per the Florida Dept. of Revenue's Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2025, Form DR-15DSS, https://floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/dr15dss.pdf) -- but for a motor vehicle it applies only to the first $5,000 of the sales price, so the maximum possible surtax is 2% x $5,000 = $100 regardless of your vehicle's price. Most counties charge less (many charge 1%, and Citrus and Collier counties currently charge none). Look up your county's exact current rate at https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/taxesfees/Pages/discretionary.aspx before budgeting.
• Paper title mailing fee: Fla. Stat. Sec. 319.32(1): a $2.50 shipping/handling service fee applies if you request a paper title mailed to you; $0 for an electronic title (the default under Florida's electronic lien and title system for a financed vehicle).