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Auto loans · FL

#5 Highest APR · 50 States + D.C.

Florida auto loans: 7.9% APR

Florida is the 5th highest-APR state across 50 states + D.C. for new-car loans (60-mo, 720+ FICO, Q4 2025). Live APRs from nationally-licensed lenders, plus the FL sales-tax and registration math most dealers won't show you.

What's different about auto loans here · Florida

Florida base 6%; county discretionary surtaxes add 0.5–2.5%.

Reviewed by CarSavr Editorial TeamReviewed Editorial standards

6%

Florida sales tax

Florida base 6%; county discretionary surtaxes add 0.5–2.5%.

7.9%

Florida avg APR

↑ 0.6 pts above national avg (7.3%)

60-mo new-car loan, 720+ FICO. Experian Q4 2025.

$37,100

$35k car · all-in

Total cost after Florida sales tax on a $35,000 vehicle (before fees / financing).

FL Refinance Window

Florida APRs run hotter than the national average.

The state's 7.9% average sits 0.6 points above the 7.3% national benchmark. On a $25,000 balance, even a 1.5-point APR drop saves roughly $1,100 over the remaining loan life. If you bought your car 12+ months ago, your APR locked in a higher-rate window — check today's refinance offers.

See refinance offers

FL buying & financing rules

Tax + fee math for Florida buyers

National lenders quote you the same APR off your FICO + LTV no matter what state you live in — but state-level sales tax, trade-in credit rules, and doc-fee caps shift your out-the-door price by hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars. Here's what changes when you buy in Florida.

Trade-in tax credit

Full trade-in credit

Doc-fee cap

uncapped (market)

State sales tax

6%

Trade-in rule detail

Florida applies the 6% state sales tax to the price minus trade-in value. County 'discretionary surtax' adds 0.5–2.5%, capped at $5,000 of the purchase price.

FL consumer-finance APR ceiling

Florida caps motor-vehicle retail-installment finance at 18% APR (state-chartered lenders); bank lenders are federally pre-empted.

  • Trade-in credited against the 6% state sales-tax basis
  • County discretionary surtax (0.5–2.5%) applies only to first $5,000
  • Doc fees uncapped (Florida dealers among highest avg: $899+)
  • Lemon-law protections strong vs. southeast neighbors

Sales-tax and doc-fee rules are subject to legislative change — confirm specifics with your dealer at signing and with the FL regulator listed below.

Advertiser disclosure: Offers below are from partners that compensate us when you click or apply. Compensation does not determine our rankings. How we make money.

Rates as of Jun 29, 2026

Auto loan lenders in Florida.

National lenders, soft pull, no spam. Click a row to expand our editorial review.

Comparing 5 audited options· Rates verified Jun 29

Data last reviewed . Source: CarSavr editorial methodology.

All 5 reviewed within 7 days

Editor's pick · 2-min compare

LightStream

Starting APR 6.94–14.94%

5 lenders shown, sorted by default editor's pick order.

Compare 4+ lenders in one form

Pre-qualify with multiple lenders — soft pull only

4 offers · 2 minutes · won't ding your credit

1
LightStream auto loan logo
Editor's pick
Reviewed today
APR
6.94–14.94%
Min. credit score
660+
Loan amount
$5K–$100K
Loan length
24–84 mo
2
AutoPay auto loan marketplace logo
Reviewed today
APR
5.69–17.99%
Min. credit score
580+
Loan amount
$5K–$100K
Loan length
24–84 mo
≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer
3
PenFed Credit Union auto loan logo
Reviewed today
APR
5.24–17.99%
Min. credit score
610+
Loan amount
$500–$150K
Loan length
36–84 mo
myAutoloan auto loan marketplace logo
Reviewed today
APR
5.99–22.99%
Min. credit score
575+
Loan amount
$8K–$100K
Loan length
24–84 mo
≈2 min · Soft pullAffiliate offer
Capital One Auto Navigator logo
Reviewed today
APR
6.99–22.90%
Min. credit score
540+
Loan amount
$4K–$75K
Loan length
36–75 mo

APR ranges are sourced from each lender's public site and are updated regularly. Your actual rate depends on credit history, loan amount, vehicle, and state. CarSavr may earn a commission when you apply through our links — it never affects how we rank lenders.

Provider logos and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for identification purposes only. Providers shown for comparison and educational purposes — display does not imply partnership unless an active affiliate relationship is stated separately.

How rows are ranked: Editor's pick first, then by overall rating. Promoted placements are flagged with a Sponsored badge. Read the full methodology →

Florida vs. neighboring states

National lenders quote off FICO + LTV, not state — but local credit-union density and dealer mix can shift the effective best APR. Here's how Florida's 4 closest neighbors compare.

Why auto-loan math looks different in Florida

National lenders price your auto loan APR off FICO + LTV — the same number a borrower in Florida qualifies for as a borrower in any other state. Where Florida actually changes your math is everywhere around the APR: the 6% sales-tax line on the buyer's order, FL doc-fee practice, and whether your trade-in offsets the taxable basis. Those three line items routinely add or subtract $1,200-$2,400 from the out-the-door price on a $35,000 vehicle — easily eclipsing a quarter-point APR difference between lenders.

Florida sits at 7.9% average APR (5th highest-APR across 50 states + D.C.) on a 60-month new-car loan for a 720+ FICO borrower. That national-average gap of 0.6 points above the 7.3% benchmark is mostly a function of two state-level structural forces: local credit-union density (which holds the floor down) and dealer-finance market share (which pushes the F&I-office ceiling up). Both shift the APR a FL buyer actually sees, even though the published rate sheets are national.

Four buyer mistakes Florida drivers make routinely:

  1. Letting the dealer F&I office quote first. Walk in with a pre-approval from your bank or credit union — the dealer rate must then beat it on paper to win the deal.
  2. Stretching to 84 months for a lower monthly. You'll spend an extra ~$2,800 in interest on a $30k loan vs. 60 months at the same APR — and Florida drivers stay underwater on the loan an average of 14 months longer.
  3. Skipping the FL dealer doc-fee line. Doc fees vary by hundreds of dollars across Florida dealerships. FL caps doc fees at uncapped (market) — anything above is negotiable.
  4. Accepting the F&I add-on stack. Extended warranty, GAP, paint/fabric, and tire-and-wheel can pile $3k+ onto the financed amount. Each is shoppable separately; most are 30-50% cheaper outside the dealership.

The bottom line for Florida buyers: an extra hour of rate shopping before you walk into the dealership routinely saves $1,500–$2,500 over the loan life, even when the published APR spread between lenders looks small. Pre-qualify with 2–3 lenders, run a sales-tax calculation against the 6% FL rate, and walk in knowing your out-the-door ceiling before the F&I office gets the first word.

Frequently asked questions

Florida auto loan FAQ

Florida finance regulator

Florida Office of Financial Regulation

Auto-finance lenders and motor-vehicle dealers operating in Florida are licensed under the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. CarSavr cross-references each lender's published APR ranges against state DOI filings + the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) state-tax matrix.

Need to file a complaint, look up a lender's license, or verify a doc-fee dispute? CSBS: state regulator directory →

Neighboring states

Compare auto loan rates in nearby states.

Bordering states often share carrier mix and pricing patterns — useful if you're moving, work across state lines, or want to anchor your own state's number against a peer benchmark.

Popular cities in Florida

Get the city-specific auto loan breakdown.

Premiums and APRs vary 20-40% across ZIP codes within the same state. The city pages surface hyperlocal carrier mix, risk factors, and savings tactics.