North Carolina Fuel Tax
North Carolina charges about 41.25 cents per gallon in state taxes and fees on gasoline and 41.25 cents on diesel. That ranks 10 of 51 states (including DC) for gasoline tax, where 1 is the highest. The figure is 7.9 cents above the national average of 33.4 cents.
State gasoline tax
41.25¢ / gal
Ranks 10 of 51 (1 = highest)
State diesel tax
41.25¢ / gal
Ranks 12 of 51 (1 = highest)
Total tax per gallon, with the federal rate
| Fuel | State | Federal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 41.25¢ | 18.4¢ | 59.65¢ |
| Diesel | 41.25¢ | 24.4¢ | 65.65¢ |
Set by a formula tied to population and inflation.
Basis: Total state taxes and fees: the state excise plus statewide fees and, where a state levies it, sales or gross-receipts tax on fuel. Excludes the federal tax and local/county taxes. Snapshot as of July 2026. Rates change and several states
re-index each year, so confirm the current figure with the North Carolina department of revenue
before relying on it.
Nearby on the gas-tax ranking
- Maryland 46.6¢ gas · 46.94¢ diesel
- Virginia 41.6¢ gas · 42.7¢ diesel
- Rhode Island 41.12¢ gas · 41.12¢ diesel
- Florida 40.1¢ gas · 40.97¢ diesel
How fuel tax works
A fuel tax is an excise: a set number of cents on each gallon, collected whether the pump reads two dollars or five. The federal rate (18.4 cents on gasoline, 24.4 on diesel) is the same in every state and has not changed since 1993. The state rate is where the pump price diverges from one state line to the next.