California charges the highest gas tax rate in the United States.
Said by Tom McClintock, Checked Updated
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
On with Kara SwisherAug 10, 2026
Multiple sources rank California first for state gas tax rates as of 2026, including the Tax Foundation dataset (73.6 cents per gallon gasoline, first among states) and USAFacts (highest excise rate at 61 cents).
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… That's crushing working people. Can you just focus on that? The fact that less than half the kids in about the situation in Iran, Steve? I mean, I don't think that's within dollars higher now than anywhere else in the country, even with the situation in let's at least we have more taxes here on on gas, but yeah, have the highest gas tax, but mainly it's regulatory. So it's the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, it's the Cap and trade sorry, they now call it Cap and invest it's refinery regulations, the whole bunch of things we do in California that actually don't help the climate at all. …
On with Kara Swisher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The Tax Foundation's 2026 state gas tax table ranks California first on gasoline (73.6 cents per gallon) and diesel, ahead of Illinois and Indiana.[2]
Supports. USAFacts reports California taxes gasoline at the highest rate of any state, at 61 cents per gallon in excise and 71 cents including fees, based on January 2026 data.[3]
Supports. World Population Review's 2026 table also places California first at 70.92 cents per gallon, and Snopes notes the claim that California has the highest state-level gas tax, citing the Tax Foundation.[1][4]
Supports. Butler Eagle, citing EIA figures, says California has the highest gas tax at over 69 cents a gallon including other taxes and fees, and Avalara lists California among the highest.[5][6]
Context. Some rankings include local taxes, fees, or sales taxes, which can reorder states further down the list, but none of the sources places another state above California.[2][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 6 not rated
- 1Did Newsom 'forcing' closure of California refineries cause US gas prices to spike?snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Gas Taxes by State, 2026taxfoundation.org · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 3How much do you pay in federal and state gas taxes? | USAFactsusafacts.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4Gas Taxes by State 2026 - World Population Reviewworldpopulationreview.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5With gas tax revenue down, states look for other ways to pay for roads and bridgesbutlereagle.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 62026 gas tax holidaysavalara.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 710 States With the Highest Gas Tax in 2026 - Kiplingerkiplinger.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Checked 2 times
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