South Carolina Fuel Tax
South Carolina charges about 28.75 cents per gallon in state taxes and fees on gasoline and 28.75 cents on diesel. That ranks 31 of 51 states (including DC) for gasoline tax, where 1 is the highest. The figure is 4.6 cents below the national average of 33.4 cents.
State gasoline tax
28.75¢ / gal
Ranks 31 of 51 (1 = highest)
State diesel tax
28.75¢ / gal
Ranks 33 of 51 (1 = highest)
Total tax per gallon, with the federal rate
| Fuel | State | Federal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | 28.75¢ | 18.4¢ | 47.15¢ |
| Diesel | 28.75¢ | 24.4¢ | 53.15¢ |
Phased increases completed in 2022; now stable.
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 South Carolina department of revenue
before relying on it.
Nearby on the gas-tax ranking
- Missouri 29.99¢ gas · 29.99¢ diesel
- Colorado 29.18¢ gas · 34.68¢ diesel
- Massachusetts 27.56¢ gas · 27.56¢ diesel
- Tennessee 27.4¢ gas · 28.4¢ 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.