Car Loan Calculator

Washington, DC Auto Loan Calculator

Your monthly payment and total cost for a car bought in Washington, DC, with the 1%–11% state tax and Washington, DC's trade-in rules already filled in.

What do you know?
?

The negotiated price of the vehicle before rebates, taxes and fees.

?

Get pre-approved by a bank or credit union to know your real rate before visiting the dealer.

?

Manufacturer or dealer cash back. Some states tax the price before the rebate; pick your state to apply its rule.

?

What the dealer will give you for your current car.

?

Your current loan balance. If it is more than the trade-in value, the difference gets added to the new loan.

?

Picking a state fills in the state rate. Add your county or city rate on top for a closer estimate.

?

Doc fee, title, registration, plates and destination charge. Ask the dealer for an out-the-door price to see them all.

Monthly payment

$657.42

for 60 months at 6.5% APR

Vehicle price
$35,000
Amount financed
$33,600
Sales tax
$2,100
Due at signing
$5,000
Total of payments
$39,445
Total interest
$5,845
Total cost of the car
$44,445
Car (after rebates): $35,000Interest: $5,845Tax & fees: $3,600
  • Car (after rebates)$35,00079%
  • Interest$5,84513%
  • Tax & fees$3,6008%

Compare loan terms

Same car, same rate. Longer loans lower the payment but raise the total you pay.

TermMonthlyInterestTotal cost
36 mo (3 yr) $1,029.81 $3,473 $42,073
48 mo (4 yr) $796.82 $4,647 $43,247
60 mo (5 yr) $657.42 $5,845 $44,445
72 mo (6 yr) $564.81 $7,067 $45,667
84 mo (7 yr) $498.94 $8,311 $46,911

Payment schedule

YearPaymentPrincipalInterestBalance
1$7,889.07$5,878.14$2,010.93$27,721.86
2$7,889.07$6,271.81$1,617.26$21,450.05
3$7,889.07$6,691.85$1,197.23$14,758.20
4$7,889.07$7,140.01$749.06$7,618.19
5$7,889.07$7,618.19$270.88$0.00
Show all 60 monthly payments
MonthPaymentPrincipalInterestBalance
1$657.42$475.42$182.00$33,124.58
2$657.42$478.00$179.42$32,646.58
3$657.42$480.59$176.84$32,165.99
4$657.42$483.19$174.23$31,682.80
5$657.42$485.81$171.62$31,197.00
6$657.42$488.44$168.98$30,708.56
7$657.42$491.08$166.34$30,217.47
8$657.42$493.74$163.68$29,723.73
9$657.42$496.42$161.00$29,227.31
10$657.42$499.11$158.31$28,728.20
11$657.42$501.81$155.61$28,226.39
12$657.42$504.53$152.89$27,721.86
13$657.42$507.26$150.16$27,214.60
14$657.42$510.01$147.41$26,704.59
15$657.42$512.77$144.65$26,191.81
16$657.42$515.55$141.87$25,676.26
17$657.42$518.34$139.08$25,157.92
18$657.42$521.15$136.27$24,636.77
19$657.42$523.97$133.45$24,112.80
20$657.42$526.81$130.61$23,585.98
21$657.42$529.67$127.76$23,056.32
22$657.42$532.53$124.89$22,523.79
23$657.42$535.42$122.00$21,988.37
24$657.42$538.32$119.10$21,450.05
25$657.42$541.23$116.19$20,908.81
26$657.42$544.17$113.26$20,364.65
27$657.42$547.11$110.31$19,817.53
28$657.42$550.08$107.34$19,267.45
29$657.42$553.06$104.37$18,714.40
30$657.42$556.05$101.37$18,158.34
31$657.42$559.06$98.36$17,599.28
32$657.42$562.09$95.33$17,037.19
33$657.42$565.14$92.28$16,472.05
34$657.42$568.20$89.22$15,903.85
35$657.42$571.28$86.15$15,332.57
36$657.42$574.37$83.05$14,758.20
37$657.42$577.48$79.94$14,180.72
38$657.42$580.61$76.81$13,600.11
39$657.42$583.76$73.67$13,016.35
40$657.42$586.92$70.51$12,429.44
41$657.42$590.10$67.33$11,839.34
42$657.42$593.29$64.13$11,246.05
43$657.42$596.51$60.92$10,649.54
44$657.42$599.74$57.69$10,049.80
45$657.42$602.99$54.44$9,446.82
46$657.42$606.25$51.17$8,840.56
47$657.42$609.54$47.89$8,231.03
48$657.42$612.84$44.58$7,618.19
49$657.42$616.16$41.27$7,002.03
50$657.42$619.49$37.93$6,382.54
51$657.42$622.85$34.57$5,759.69
52$657.42$626.22$31.20$5,133.46
53$657.42$629.62$27.81$4,503.85
54$657.42$633.03$24.40$3,870.82
55$657.42$636.46$20.97$3,234.37
56$657.42$639.90$17.52$2,594.46
57$657.42$643.37$14.05$1,951.09
58$657.42$646.85$10.57$1,304.24
59$657.42$650.36$7.06$653.88
60$657.42$653.88$3.54$0.00

How Washington, DC taxes car purchases

State vehicle tax rate
1%–11%
Trade-in lowers the tax
No
Tax cap
None
Source
Official source, checked 2026-10-05

These are the rules for a new car bought from a dealer. Used-car and private-sale rules can differ. How we check this data.

Washington, DC charges 1%–11%, depending on the vehicle. An excise tax on fair market value, set by weight and city MPG. The calculator starts at 6%, the rate for a 3,500–4,999 lb vehicle that gets 21–25 MPG.

What to know in Washington, DC

Washington, DC doesn't use a flat rate. Its excise tax depends on the vehicle's weight and its city fuel economy, ranging from 1% to 11%, and it's charged on the vehicle's fair market value. A trade-in doesn't reduce it.

The calculator starts at 6%, the rate for a mid-weight car with average fuel economy. If you're choosing between a large SUV and a smaller, more efficient car, look up both in the DMV's rate table: on vehicles at similar prices, the difference in excise tax alone can run to thousands of dollars.

Does Washington, DC tax your trade-in?

Yes. Washington, DC taxes the full price of the new car even when you trade one in. On a $35,000 car you'd pay $2,100.00 in state tax with or without a $10,000 trade-in. Because trading in gives you no tax break here, selling your old car privately is often worth more.

Example: a car loan in Washington, DC

A $35,000 car with $5,000 down, $1,500 in fees, and a 60-month loan at 6.5% APR ($2,100.00 state tax, rolled into the loan):

Change any number in the calculator above to see your own figures.

Rebates and fees

The calculator charges tax on the price before any manufacturer rebate. Ask the dealer how Washington, DC treats your specific rebate. Title, registration and dealer documentation fees vary, so ask for an itemized out-the-door price and put the fee total in the calculator.

Other states

States with similar vehicle tax rates:

Compare car sales tax in all 50 states and DC