Virginia Gas Tax
What Virginia and the federal government charge per gallon of gasoline, from U.S. Energy Information Administration data as of July 2026.
What makes up Virginia’s 60.8¢
| Virginia state excise tax | 32.6¢ |
| Other Virginia taxes & fees sales/use taxes, inspection and environmental fees | 9.8¢ |
| Total Virginia state tax | 42.4¢ |
| Federal excise + LUST fee 18.3¢ excise + 0.1¢ LUST, unchanged since 1993 | 18.4¢ |
| Combined state + federal | 60.8¢ |
Storage tank fee: $0.0020/gal. The Motor Vehicle Fuels Sales Tax (MVFST) (aka, Wholesale Sales Tax (WH)) rates: gasoline $0.0960/gal, diesel $0.0970/gal.
How much of a gallon in Virginia is tax
Virginia gasoline currently averages $3.97 a gallon. Against that, the 60.8¢ of combined state and federal tax is about 15.3% 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.
Virginia vs. the other 50 states
Virginia’s state gas tax of 42.4¢ is 8.6¢ above the 33.8¢ average across 50 states and D.C. — the 9th-highest, or equivalently the 43rd-lowest.
Virginia gas tax, answered
- What is the gas tax in Virginia?
- Virginia charges 42.4¢ per gallon in state gasoline taxes — 32.6¢ of state excise tax plus 9.8¢ in other state taxes and fees. Adding the 18.4¢ federal tax brings the total to 60.8¢ 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 Virginia's gas tax compare to other states?
- Virginia's state gasoline tax of 42.4¢ per gallon ranks 9th-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 Virginia?
- The federal gasoline tax is 18.4¢ per gallon in Virginia, 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 Virginia is tax?
- With Virginia gasoline averaging $3.97 per gallon, the 60.8¢ of combined state and federal tax is about 15.3% of the pump price. Local taxes, where they apply, are on top of that.
- Does Virginia charge local gas taxes too?
- EIA does not flag Virginia as a state where local option taxes are allowed. Its table covers taxes of general application and excludes county and local taxes in every state, so treat the figures here as state and federal only.
Related to Virginia 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.