Colorado Gas Tax
Colorado’s state taxes and fees on gasoline total 30.2¢ a gallon, the 25th-lowest of 51; with the 18.4¢ federal tax, drivers pay 48.6¢ a gallon in combined tax. Rates are from U.S. Energy Information Administration data as of July 2026.
What makes up Colorado’s 48.6¢
| Colorado state excise tax | 22.0¢ |
|---|---|
| Other Colorado taxes & fees sales/use taxes, inspection and environmental fees | 8.2¢ |
| Total Colorado state tax | 30.2¢ |
| Federal excise + LUST fee 18.3¢ excise + 0.1¢ LUST, unchanged since 1993 | 18.4¢ |
| Combined state + federal | 48.6¢ |
Bridge and Tunnel Impact (BTI) Fee: $0.0700/gal, diesel only. Environmental Response Surcharge (ERS): $0.0125/gal, gasoline and diesel. Fuel Impact Reduction Fee (FIRF): $0.006125/gal, gasoline and diesel. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Fee (PFAS): $0.003125/gal, gasoline and diesel. Road Usage Fee (RUF): $0.0600/gal, gasoline and diesel.
Colorado's tax: a 1991 excise and a newer road usage fee
Colorado’s excise tax on gasoline is 22.0¢ a gallon, the rate set when it was last raised, in 1991. It is not indexed to inflation. Diesel and other special fuels are taxed at 20.5¢ a gallon, a rate last changed in 2014.
The rest of the state figure is a set of per-gallon fees created by a 2021 transportation law, Senate Bill 21-260. The largest is a road usage fee that the state began collecting on April 1, 2023 at 2¢ a gallon. It is scheduled to rise each fiscal year through 2031-32 and then be indexed to the National Highway Construction Cost Index. Smaller fees fund environmental response, fuel-related pollution reduction, and PFAS cleanup.
Colorado’s total state tax and fees of 30.2¢ a gallon are the 25th-lowest of the 50 states and D.C., against a 51-jurisdiction average of 33.8¢.
How the tax fits with fuel supply and price history is covered on the Colorado gas prices page.
Sources: current rates and rankings are from the EIA motor fuel tax table in our database; other facts are from the sources listed here.
Colorado Gas Tax Against Its Neighbors
In the EIA's July 2026 table, Utah has the highest state total among the states bordering Colorado, at 38.6¢, and Colorado's total is 8.4¢ below Utah's. Nebraska is at 32.7¢ (EIA table, July 2026), and Colorado's total is 2.5¢ below Nebraska's. These are the 2 (EIA table, July 2026) of 7 bordering states with a higher state total than Colorado.
Kansas is at 25.0¢ (EIA table, July 2026), and Colorado's total is 5.1¢ above it. Wyoming is at 24.0¢ (EIA table, July 2026), with Colorado 6.2¢ above. Oklahoma is at 20.0¢ (EIA table, July 2026), with Colorado 10.2¢ above. Arizona is at 19.0¢ (EIA table, July 2026), with Colorado 11.2¢ above. New Mexico is at 18.9¢ (EIA table, July 2026), the lowest among the bordering states, and Colorado's total is 11.3¢ above it.
Across the July 2026 table, 26 jurisdictions have a higher state total than Colorado and 24 have a lower one. The state totals run from 9.0¢ (EIA table, July 2026) in Alaska to 73.6¢ in California. Colorado's 30.2¢ (EIA table, July 2026) is 3.6¢ below the 33.8¢ average.
Of that 30.2¢ (EIA table, July 2026), the 22.0¢ excise tax makes up 73%, and other state taxes and fees account for 8.2¢. With the 18.4¢ (EIA table, July 2026) federal tax included, the state's share of the combined total is 62%. The EIA lists state taxes of general application and excludes county and local taxes, and its July 2026 table shows no local option gasoline taxes for Colorado.
How much of a gallon in Colorado is tax
Colorado gasoline currently averages $4.02 a gallon. Against that, the 48.6¢ of combined state and federal tax is about 12.1% 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.
Colorado vs. the other 50 states
Colorado’s state gas tax of 30.2¢ is 3.6¢ below the 33.8¢ average across 50 states and D.C. — it is the 25th-lowest.
Neighboring states' gas tax
| State | State tax | vs. Colorado |
|---|---|---|
| Utah gas tax | 38.6¢ | +8.4¢ |
| Nebraska gas tax | 32.7¢ | +2.5¢ |
| Kansas gas tax | 25.0¢ | −5.1¢ |
| Wyoming gas tax | 24.0¢ | −6.2¢ |
| Oklahoma gas tax | 20.0¢ | −10.2¢ |
| Arizona gas tax | 19.0¢ | −11.2¢ |
| New Mexico gas tax | 18.9¢ | −11.3¢ |
Colorado gas tax, answered
- What is the gas tax in Colorado?
- 30.2¢ a gallon in state taxes and fees; with the 18.4¢ federal tax, 48.6¢ (EIA, July 2026).
- How does Colorado's gas tax compare to other states?
- The 25th-lowest of the 50 states and D.C.; the average is 33.8¢.
- What is the federal gas tax in Colorado?
- The federal gasoline tax is 18.4¢ per gallon in Colorado, the same as in every other state.
- Does Colorado charge local gas taxes too?
- EIA does not flag Colorado as allowing local option taxes.
Related to Colorado gas tax
EIA, “Federal and state motor fuels taxes” (July 2026 (revised August 2026)); how these figures are built.
More Colorado data
Use this data
Download: Gas tax by state, federal + state rates (CSV).
Column definitions, coverage and every file: gas price data. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with credit.
Cite as: US Gas Gauge, “Colorado Gas Tax,” usgasgauge.com/gas-tax/colorado. Source data: U.S. Energy Information Administration.