California Gas Tax
What California and the federal government charge per gallon of gasoline, from U.S. Energy Information Administration data as of July 2026.
What makes up California’s 92.0¢
| California state excise tax | 63.4¢ |
| Other California taxes & fees sales/use taxes, inspection and environmental fees | 10.2¢ |
| Total California state tax | 73.6¢ |
| Federal excise + LUST fee 18.3¢ excise + 0.1¢ LUST, unchanged since 1993 | 18.4¢ |
| Combined state + federal | 92.0¢ |
2.25% state sales tax on gasoline, 13.00% state sales tax on diesel (prepaid rates for these sales taxes: gasoline $0.0800/gal; diesel $0.4250/gal). Additional District sales taxes may apply. State Underground Storage Tank fee (all products): $0.02/gal. Oil Spill Prevention and Administration (OPSA) Fee (all products): $0.0990 per barrel ($0.0024/gal). Gasoline and diesel are also subject to costs associated with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Cap-and-Trade programs.
How much of a gallon in California is tax
California gasoline currently averages $5.83 a gallon. Against that, the 92.0¢ of combined state and federal tax is about 15.8% of what a driver pays — with local taxes, where they apply, on top.
Tax rate from EIA as of July 2026; pump price is the current EIA weekly average. The two are published on different schedules, so the share moves as prices move even when the tax does not.
California vs. the other 50 states
California’s state gas tax of 73.6¢ is 39.9¢ above the 33.8¢ average across 50 states and D.C. — the 1st-highest, or equivalently the 51st-lowest.
California gas tax, answered
- What is the gas tax in California?
- California charges 73.6¢ per gallon in state gasoline taxes — 63.4¢ of state excise tax plus 10.2¢ in other state taxes and fees. Adding the 18.4¢ federal tax brings the total to 92.0¢ per gallon, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data as of July 2026. These are state and federal taxes only and exclude county and local taxes.
- How does California's gas tax compare to other states?
- California's state gasoline tax of 73.6¢ per gallon ranks 1st-highest of the 50 states and D.C. that EIA lists, against an average of 33.8¢. The highest is California at 73.6¢ and the lowest is Alaska at 8.9¢.
- What is the federal gas tax in California?
- The federal gasoline tax is 18.4¢ per gallon in California, the same as in every other state — 18.3¢ of excise tax plus a 0.1¢ Leaking Underground Storage Tank fee. It has been unchanged since 1993.
- How much of the price of gas in California is tax?
- With California gasoline averaging $5.83 per gallon, the 92.0¢ of combined state and federal tax is about 15.8% of the pump price. Local taxes, where they apply, are on top of that.
- Does California charge local gas taxes too?
- Yes — EIA flags California as a state where local option taxes are allowed, so some counties and cities add their own tax on top of the 73.6¢ state rate. EIA's table covers state taxes of general application and excludes county and local taxes, so a driver in some California cities pays more than the figure shown here.
Related to California gas tax
Tax rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Federal and state motor fuels taxes”, edition July 2026 (revised August 2026) (as of July 2026), published on EIA’s Petroleum Marketing Monthly page and reissued each January and July. EIA lists taxes “of general application … exclusive of county and local taxes”; rates are for gasoline.