Buying & Finance · Free tool
Free Out-the-Door Price Calculator
Add tax, registration and dealer fees to the price to see the one number that matters: what you actually pay to drive the car away.
- Free to use
- No signup
- Runs in your browser
The deal
Fees and tax
Ask the dealer. Some states cap it.
State plus local.
What you bring
Out-the-door price
$27,224
Everything you pay to drive the car away, before your trade-in and down payment.
- Vehicle price
- $25,000
- Dealer fees and add-ons
- $400
- Sales tax
- $1,524
- Title, registration and plates
- $300
- Rebates
- − $0
- Trade-in equity
- − $0
- Cash down
- − $5,000
- Left to pay or finance
- $22,224
- Vehicle$25,000
- Dealer fees$400
- Sales tax$1,524
- Government fees$300
Ask the dealer for this figure in writing before you discuss a monthly payment.
An estimate from the figures you enter, not a quote. Read the disclaimer. Updated .
02Your result
What your out-the-door price means
The out-the-door price is the whole bill. It is the only figure that lets you compare two offers fairly.
- 01
Out-the-door price
The vehicle price plus every tax and fee, less rebates. This is the number to ask each dealer for, in writing.
- 02
Fees, split in two
Government fees (tax, title, registration) are set by the state. Dealer fees and add-ons are set by the dealer and can be questioned.
- 03
Left to pay or finance
The out-the-door price after your trade-in equity and cash down. This is the amount a loan would need to cover.
What to do next
Turn it into a payment
Enter the amount left to finance with your APR and term.
Car payment calculatorCheck the tax line
Work out the sales tax on its own, with state and local rates split.
Sales tax calculatorNegotiate the total
How to agree one all-in figure before the monthly payment is mentioned.
Negotiation guide
03How it works
The out-the-door price formula
Add everything you are charged, then subtract everything you are credited.
OTD = price + dealer fees + sales tax + government fees − rebates
Sales tax = (price + dealer fees − trade-in credit) × your combined rate.
Amount = OTD − (trade-in value − loan owed on it) − cash down
If you owe more on the trade-in than it is worth, the bracket is negative and the shortfall is added.
What each term means
- P
- The negotiated vehicle price.
- D
- Dealer fees: the documentation fee plus any add-ons you accept.
- G
- Government fees: title, registration and plates.
- R
- Rebates and incentives applied to the deal.
- T, O
- The trade-in value and the loan still owed on the trade-in.
- C
- Your cash down payment.
What the tool assumes
- Dealer fees are taxed along with the vehicle. Your state may treat them differently.
- The trade-in is deducted before tax when that box is ticked.
- Rebates reduce what you pay but not the taxable amount.
- Fees you do not enter are not included, so ask the dealer for an itemized list.
04Worked example
Out-the-door price example on a $25,000 car
A $25,000 car with a $400 documentation fee, 6% sales tax, $300 in title and registration and $5,000 down.
- 01
Add the dealer fee to the price
$25,000 + $400 documentation fee
$25,400
- 02
Work out the sales tax
$25,400 × 6%
$1,524
- 03
Add the government fees
Title, registration and plates
$300
- 04
Total the bill
$25,400 + $1,524 + $300
$27,224
- 05
Subtract the down payment
$27,224 − $5,000
$22,224
Out-the-door price
$27,224
That is $2,224 above the sticker price, and $22,224 is left to finance.
Try your own numbers05Background
What an out-the-door price includes
The out-the-door price, often shortened to OTD, includes all taxes, fees and extras. It is the answer to one question: if I agree to this deal, how much money leaves my hands or goes on the loan?
- The sale price of the vehicle.
- Sales tax, at your state and local rate.
- Title and registration fees.
- The dealer’s documentation fee.
- Any dealer-added extras, warranties or protection products you agreed to.
The documentation fee covers the dealer’s cost of preparing and filing the sales paperwork. In some states it is limited by law, and in others it is unregulated, so the same car can carry very different fees at two dealers.
Dealers often prefer to talk about the monthly payment, because a longer loan can hide a higher total. Asking for the out-the-door price first removes that option. See how to negotiate the out-the-door price for the wording to use.
06When to use it
When to use an out-the-door price calculator
Use it every time a seller quotes you a price, and again before you sign.
To compare two dealers
Line up the all-in totals, not the advertised prices.
Before you negotiate
Decide your out-the-door ceiling and make your offer as one total.
To question a fee
Enter the dealer’s itemized list and see what each line adds.
Before you sign
Check the buyer’s order against your own total, line by line.
Mistakes to avoid.
- Negotiating the monthly payment before the total price is agreed.
- Accepting add-ons you did not ask for because they are already on the paperwork.
- Forgetting that a trade-in with a loan on it only helps by its equity.
- Comparing a quote that includes tax with one that does not.
07Related guides and tools
Keep going from here.
Guides that go with this tool
Related tools
08Questions
Out-the-Door Price Calculator: your questions.
What is an out-the-door price?
The out-the-door price is the total you pay to buy a car, including the vehicle price, sales tax, title and registration fees, the dealer’s documentation fee and any extras you agreed to.
How do I calculate the out-the-door price?
Add the vehicle price, dealer fees, sales tax and government fees, then subtract any rebates. On a $25,000 car with a $400 doc fee, 6% tax and $300 in title and registration, the out-the-door price is $27,224.
Is the out-the-door price negotiable?
The vehicle price, dealer add-ons and sometimes the documentation fee can be negotiated. Sales tax, title and registration are set by the state and cannot.
Does the out-the-door price include my trade-in?
The out-the-door price is the cost of the car before your trade-in and down payment. The calculator shows it first and then deducts your trade-in equity and cash to give the amount left to pay or finance.
What fees should not be in an out-the-door price?
Question any add-on you did not ask for, such as protection packages or extended warranties. Ask for an itemized list and remove what you do not want before the total is agreed.
09Estimates and sources
Read this before you rely on it.
Built and checked by CarTipsMentor Team. Last updated . How we check our work.
Sources
- [1]NerdWallet, What Does 'Out-the-Door' Price Mean? (November 2025)
- [2]Edmunds, What Dealer Fees Should You Pay for a New Car? (July 2026)
- [3]NerdWallet, Does a Trade-In Reduce Sales Tax?
- [4]Federal Trade Commission, Buying a Used Car From a Dealer