The 50 States of the US (plus Washington, D.C.) handle vehicle registration and sales taxes.
The federal (national) government does not play any role in private passenger vehicle registration or taxation.
Each State (plus D.C.) requires its residents to register vehicles in the state within a certain period (usually 30 or 60 days) of becoming a resident.
If you live in Louisiana, where sales tax on autos is 4.0%, and buy a vehicle in Texas, where sales tax on autos is 6.5%, the Texas dealer will provide an out-of-state exemption for Texas sales tax.
You will pay Louisiana's 4.0% sales tax (plus any applicable local or municipal taxes) when you register your vehicle in Louisiana.
But what if you're not a resident of any US state?
If you're an international visitor, and aren't a resident of any US state, you get to choose where to register your vehicle.
Registering your vehicle in a state where sales tax on autos is 0% - versus in a state where sales tax on autos is 10% - could save you thousands of dollars.
When you buy a vehicle through visitor.us, we register it in Montana, where sales tax is 0%.