What is Rhode Island's gas tax per gallon?

Rhode Island levies a 37-cent-per-gallon gasoline excise tax, plus a 1-cent-per-gallon underground storage tank (UST) fee, for an all-in state charge of about 38 cents per gallon. Diesel is taxed at the same excise rate.

Is the federal gas tax included?

Yes. On top of Rhode Island's roughly 38-cent state charge, the federal government adds an 18.4-cent-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline. The tool reports the state and federal amounts separately and combined, for a total of about 56.4 cents per gallon.

Does Rhode Island's gas tax change?

Yes. Rhode Island indexes its gasoline excise tax to inflation and adjusts it periodically (typically every two years), so the per-gallon rate can rise over time. Check tax.ri.gov for the current rate if you need an exact figure.

Is this the total cost of gas?

No. This calculator shows only the excise tax portion built into the pump price, not the full retail cost of fuel. The actual price per gallon also reflects crude oil prices, refining, distribution, and retailer margins, none of which are taxes.

How is the annual gas tax estimated?

The tool divides your annual miles driven by your vehicle's MPG to estimate the gallons you burn per year, then multiplies by the combined state and federal per-gallon tax. More miles or lower fuel economy means more gallons and more tax paid.

Rhode Island Gas Tax Calculator

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Rhode Island bakes a 37-cent-per-gallon gasoline excise tax (plus a 1-cent underground storage tank fee) into every gallon you buy, and the federal government adds 18.4 cents on top. This tool shows how much of that excise tax you pay on a single fill-up and across a full year of driving.

How it works

The tax is a flat amount per gallon, so the cost scales directly with gallons purchased:

state charge = $0.37 excise + $0.01 UST fee = $0.38 / gallon
combined     = $0.38 (state) + $0.184 (federal) = $0.564 / gallon
per fill-up  = tank gallons × combined rate
gallons/year = annual miles ÷ MPG
per year     = gallons/year × combined rate

Because the tax is per gallon, not a percentage of price, it stays the same whether pump prices are high or low — only the number of gallons you burn changes what you pay.

Example and notes

A 14-gallon tank costs about 14 × 0.564 = 7.90 dollars in fuel tax per fill-up. Driving 12,000 miles a year at 28 MPG burns roughly 12,000 ÷ 28 = 429 gallons, for about 429 × 0.564 = 242 dollars in combined excise tax per year. This is the tax portion only, not the retail fuel cost. Rhode Island indexes its excise to inflation, so confirm the current rate at tax.ri.gov.