The sales tax rate in Port Townsend, Washington is 9.4 percent as of the first quarter of 2026. That total combines Washington’s 6.5 percent state rate with 2.9 percent in local taxes collected by Jefferson County and the City of Port Townsend.1Washington Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rates by County Q1 2026 Vehicle purchases and hotel stays carry extra taxes on top of that figure.
Where the 9.4 Percent Comes From
The state portion is fixed by statute at 6.5 percent on every taxable dollar.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed Retail Sales Retail Car Rental The 2.9 percent local share funds services like public transportation, criminal justice, and public safety infrastructure.1Washington Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax Rates by County Q1 2026
Local rates can change at the start of any quarter when voters approve new levies or old ones expire. The Washington Department of Revenue publishes updated tables each quarter and offers an online lookup for verifying the current rate.3Washington Department of Revenue. Local Sales and Use Tax
What the Rate Applies To
Washington’s definition of a “retail sale” is broad. It covers tangible goods like clothing, furniture, electronics, and building materials, and it also reaches digital products such as downloaded music, software, and movies.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.04.050 – Sale at Retail, Retail Sale
Several services trigger the 9.4 percent tax too: construction and remodeling, repair and cleaning of personal property, installation or improvement of digital goods, and demolition or moving of structures. Janitorial services are carved out and handled separately.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.04.050 – Sale at Retail, Retail Sale
Common Exemptions
A handful of purchases skip the tax entirely. Food and food ingredients sold for home preparation are exempt, but alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and prepared ready-to-eat food like deli meals and restaurant orders stay taxable.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0293 – Exemptions Food and Food Ingredients A hot sandwich from the grocery store deli is taxed; the ingredients to make one at home are not.
Prescribed prosthetic devices, medically prescribed oxygen systems, and certain prescribed medicines of mineral, animal, or botanical origin are exempt.6Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0283 – Exemptions Prosthetic Devices Medicines Oxygen Newspapers are also exempt, whether bought from a publisher or a retailer.7Washington State Legislature. WAC 458-20-143 – Newspapers These exemptions are set at the state level and apply in Port Townsend the same way they apply everywhere else in Washington.
Vehicles and Lodging Cost More
Buying a car in Port Townsend runs higher than the standard rate. Washington adds a 0.5 percent tax on retail sales of motor vehicles for the state’s multimodal transportation account, bringing the effective rate close to 9.9 percent.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.020 – Tax Imposed Retail Sales Retail Car Rental The added tax covers passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and RVs, but not farm tractors, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, or trailers. A partial offset applies: motor vehicle sales are exempt from the local public safety component of the sales tax, so the net increase is smaller than a straight addition.8Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.14.450 – Public Safety Sales Tax
Hotel, motel, and short-term rental stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days carry a city lodging tax of 4 percent, split evenly between a basic 2 percent levy and a special 2 percent levy.9City of Port Townsend. Port Townsend Municipal Code Chapter 3.20 Lodging Tax That sits on top of the 9.4 percent sales tax, putting the combined rate on a Port Townsend hotel room at a minimum of 13.4 percent before any state-level lodging taxes.
When Sales Tax Wasn’t Collected: Use Tax
If you buy something without paying Washington sales tax and then use it in Port Townsend, you owe use tax at the same 9.4 percent rate.10Washington Department of Revenue. Use Tax This situation comes up more often than people expect: goods bought from out-of-state sellers who don’t collect Washington tax, items picked up through classified ads from a private party, and inventory originally bought tax-free with a reseller permit but used by the business itself.11Washington Department of Revenue. Use Tax
The buyer reports and pays use tax directly to the DOR. The taxable amount includes any shipping or delivery charges.
How Rates Are Set for Deliveries and Online Orders
Washington uses destination-based sourcing, so the rate depends on where you receive the goods, not where the seller sits.12Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.32.730 – Sourcing of Retail Sales Picking up an item inside Port Townsend triggers the 9.4 percent rate. A vendor in Seattle shipping furniture to a Port Townsend address charges the same 9.4 percent because that’s the delivery destination.
Online purchases work the same way. Large marketplaces like Amazon and eBay are classified as marketplace facilitators under Washington law and must collect and remit the correct sales tax on behalf of their third-party sellers.13Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.08.0531 – Marketplace Facilitator Collection Obligation Smaller online sellers that don’t collect Washington tax leave the use tax obligation with you.