Kenton County (Covington) Tax Rates

In Kenton County, Kentucky, the 2026 motor vehicle property tax baseline is $1.3563 per $100 of assessed value (state 45 + county-wide 27.13 + Kenton County schools 63.5 cents), so a $20,000 vehicle owes about $271.26 a year before any school, city, or fire district change. In the Covington Independent school district the rate is $1.5803; the Covington precincts that belong to Kenton County Schools pay the baseline. The 2025 baseline real estate rate is $0.991 per $100, before city and fire district levies. Sales tax is 6%, with no local add-on.

Official source, tax year 2026 (vehicles) and tax year 2025 (real estate): Kentucky Department of Revenue rate books, checked October 2026. See our methodology.

Pay or look up your bill: vehicle property tax is paid with your registration renewal through the Kenton County Clerk (kentonkyclerk.gov), which points to the state's online renewal at drive.ky.gov. Real estate tax is paid to the Kenton County Sheriff (kentoncountysheriff.org). Value questions go to the Kenton County PVA (kentonpva.org).

Key Takeaways

  • Vehicle (car) tax baseline: $1.3563 per $100 for 2026 (down from $1.35733 in 2025), the 7th-highest of Kentucky's 120 county baselines. A $20,000 vehicle owes about $271.26 a year.
  • Your school district changes the rate most: five independent districts replace the 63.5-cent county school rate, from 57.4 cents (Beechwood) to 90.7 cents (Walton-Verona). Covington addresses in the Covington Independent school district pay $1.5803; the Covington precincts in Kenton County Schools pay the baseline.
  • Five cities and five fire districts add 0.02 to 33.4 cents per $100 on vehicles.
  • The car tax is due with your registration renewal, by the end of your renewal month (KRS 134.810). There is no state relief on the first $20,000.
  • Real estate baseline: $0.991 per $100 for 2025, about the statewide median. Pay by November 1 for the 2% discount, or by December 31 to avoid a penalty.
  • Homeowners 65 and older or totally disabled can deduct the $49,100 homestead exemption (2025-2026). Sales tax is 6% statewide; groceries are exempt.

Kenton County Tax Rates - At a Glance

Kenton County, Kentucky Tax Rates Summary
Tax Type Rate Notes
Vehicle Property (Car) Tax $1.3563 per $100 (2026) Baseline: state 45 + county-wide 27.13 + Kenton County schools 63.5 cents; school district, city, and fire district change it by address; J.D. Power average trade-in value on January 1
Real Estate Tax $0.991 per $100 (2025) Baseline: state 10.6 + county-wide 26.8 + Kenton County schools 61.7 cents; 19 cities and 8 fire or road districts add by address
Sales Tax 6% Statewide rate; no local sales tax in Kentucky; groceries exempt

Vehicle Property (Car) Tax

2026 Rate Stack

Kentucky taxes vehicles as property every year. For 2026, an owner in the Kenton County school district who lives outside any taxing city or fire district pays $1.3563 per $100 of assessed value. That baseline is the sum of three rates from the Kentucky Department of Revenue's 2026 MOTAX Rate Book: the 45-cent state rate, Kenton County's 27.13-cent county-wide rate, and the 63.5-cent Kenton County school rate. The 2025 baseline was $1.35733, so the 2026 rate is about 0.1 cent lower.

Kenton County has more vehicle rates than most Kentucky counties. Five independent school districts levy their own vehicle rate, which replaces the county school rate for addresses inside them. Covington, the county's largest city, levies 0 cents on vehicles, but the Covington Independent school rate is 85.9 cents, so a Covington address in that district pays $1.5803 per $100. Not all of Covington is in the independent district: the Kenton County Clerk's schedule of offices places Covington precincts 10 and 15 to 17, parts of precincts 3, 6, 13 and 14, and the ghost precinct 3.5 (no registered voters) in Kenton County Schools, where the $1.3563 baseline applies.

Kenton County Vehicle Tax by Location (2026, cents per $100)
Levy Type Rate Total With Baseline
Beechwood IndependentSchool (replaces 63.5)57.4 cents$1.2953
Covington IndependentSchool (replaces 63.5)85.9 cents$1.5803
Erlanger-Elsmere IndependentSchool (replaces 63.5)67.1 cents$1.3923
Ludlow IndependentSchool (replaces 63.5)74.6 cents$1.4673
Walton-Verona IndependentSchool (replaces 63.5)90.7 cents$1.6283
City of Fort WrightCity+0.02 cents$1.3565
City of Lakeside ParkCity+27.69 cents$1.6332
City of LudlowCity+26.0 cents$1.6163
City of Park HillsCity+33.4 cents$1.6903
City of WaltonCity+13.5 cents$1.4913
Boone Walton Fire DistrictSpecial district+19.8 cents$1.5543
Elsmere Fire DistrictSpecial district+20.0 cents$1.5563
Independence Fire DistrictSpecial district+17.2 cents$1.5283
Piner Fiskburg Fire DistrictSpecial district+20.0 cents$1.5563
Ryland Heights Fire DistrictSpecial district+20.0 cents$1.5563

Totals for a city or fire district assume the Kenton County school district and only the one levy shown. An address in an independent school district and a taxing city combines both: Ludlow city plus Ludlow Independent is $1.7273. All other Kenton County cities, including Covington, Erlanger, Independence, and Fort Mitchell, levy 0 cents on vehicles in 2026. Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2026 MOTAX Rate Book, Kenton County 059.

How the Vehicle Is Valued

January 1 is the assessment date. Under KRS 132.485 the standard value is the vehicle's average trade-in value in the J.D. Power valuation manual, not the rough or clean trade-in value and not the price you paid. Vehicles 20 or more years old use their 19th-year value, reduced 10% for each year beyond 19. The Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) can adjust the value for high mileage, unrepaired damage, options the vehicle does not have, or a salvage title on January 1, with documentation such as a service receipt or a repair estimate dated near January 1.

Estimated 2026 Kenton County Vehicle Tax
Assessed Value At the $1.3563 Baseline Covington Independent Schools ($1.5803)
$10,000$135.63$158.03
$20,000$271.26$316.06
$30,000$406.89$474.09
$40,000$542.52$632.12

Property tax only. The plate registration fee is billed separately with your renewal and is not included. For your exact address, pick your school district, city, and fire district in the Kentucky car tax calculator.

When and How to Pay

The Kenton County Clerk collects the tax with your registration renewal; tags must be renewed every year, and a vehicle you buy must be registered within 15 days. The Kentucky Department of Revenue mails a notice in the month before your renewal month, which is usually your birth month. Under KRS 134.810, the tax is due by the last day of the renewal month, or by the last day of the month the vehicle is transferred if that comes first. You can renew online at drive.ky.gov or at the Clerk's offices at 1840 Simon Kenton Way in Covington and 5272 Madison Pike in Independence. Once the tax is delinquent, late payment adds a 3% penalty if paid within 30 days of becoming delinquent (waived if paid within 5 days), 10% after that, plus 15% annual interest (KRS 134.810).

Disputing a value: assessment questions go to the Kenton County PVA, not the Clerk. The PVA says all protests of value must be filed within 45 days of the date of notice, with documentation. If your renewal notice says "See PVA", the PVA needs more information before the tax can be assessed; call (859) 392-1750.

Kentucky has no state relief on the first $20,000 of vehicle value like Virginia's PPTRA. For how a relief program changes a car tax bill, see our Virginia PPTRA explained guide.

Real Estate Tax

2025 Rates

The 2025 baseline real estate rate in Kenton County is $0.991 per $100 of assessed value: the 10.6-cent state residential rate, Kenton County's 26.8-cent county-wide rate (fiscal court 11.5, library 10.1, health 2.3, planning commission 1.8, and extension services 1.1 cents), and the 61.7-cent Kenton County school rate, per the Kentucky Department of Revenue's 2025 Property Tax Rate Book. The baseline applies outside any city, fire district, or independent school district.

Independent school districts replace the 61.7-cent county school rate on real estate: Beechwood 82.5, Covington 95.1, Erlanger-Elsmere 94.5, Ludlow 93.2, and Walton-Verona 111.8 cents. Example: a Covington home in the Covington Independent district pays 10.6 + 26.8 + 95.1 (Covington Independent) + 28.7 (City of Covington) = $1.612 per $100, or about $4,836 a year on a $300,000 assessment, compared with about $2,973 at the baseline.

Kenton County City and District Real Estate Levies (2025, cents per $100)
Levy Type Adds
BromleyCity40.5
CovingtonCity28.7
Crescent SpringsCity18.6
Crestview HillsCity15.4
EdgewoodCity18.5
ElsmereCity16.1
ErlangerCity24.4
FairviewCity30.0
Fort MitchellCity18.8
Fort WrightCity19.9
IndependenceCity19.4
Kenton ValeCity25.0
Lakeside ParkCity24.0
LudlowCity53.4
Park HillsCity17.0
Ryland HeightsCity9.6
Taylor MillCity36.8
Villa HillsCity20.9
WaltonCity7.9
Boone Walton Fire DistrictSpecial district19.2
Crescent Springs Volunteer Fire DistrictSpecial district17.2
Elsmere Fire DistrictSpecial district20.0
Independence Fire DistrictSpecial district17.2
Ludlow Fire Protection and EMSSpecial district17.5
Park Hills Road TaxSpecial district15.5
Piner Fiskburg Fire DistrictSpecial district20.0
Ryland Heights Fire DistrictSpecial district20.0

Ludlow Fire Protection and EMS applies to City of Ludlow residents only. The rate book notes that Fairview did not report a 2025 rate, so its prior-year rate is shown, and that the Latonia Lakes road improvement levy is 28.27 cents. Many Kenton County cities collect their own property tax; the Sheriff's office lists city tax collection contacts. Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2025 Property Tax Rate Book, Kenton County 059.

Tax year 2026: the state's 2026 Property Tax Rate Book was not yet published at our last check, so the 2026 Kenton County real estate stack is not shown here. Your 2026 bill shows the rates that apply to your parcel.

Assessment, Bills, and Due Dates

Real estate is assessed at fair cash value as of January 1 by the Kenton County PVA, and the Kenton County Sheriff collects the tax. The Sheriff's posted collection schedule is:

Kenton County Real Estate Tax Payment Schedule (Sheriff's Office)
Paid Amount
October 1 - November 1Face amount less 2%
November 2 - December 31Face amount
January 1 - January 31Face amount plus 5%
February 1 - April 15Face amount plus 10% plus 10%

The Sheriff stops collecting at the end of business on April 15 (the next business day if April 15 falls on a weekend or holiday). Unpaid bills are then turned over to the Kenton County Clerk with added penalties and fees, and may be sold to a third party at the Clerk's July tax sale. These dates follow the statewide schedule in KRS 134.015.

Homestead Exemption

Homeowners who are 65 or older, or classified as totally disabled, can deduct $49,100 from their home's assessed value for the 2025-2026 assessment years (Kentucky Department of Revenue; KRS 132.810). Apply with the Kenton County PVA.

Sales Tax

Rate and Composition

The sales tax rate in Kenton County is 6%, the same as everywhere in Kentucky. The Kentucky Department of Revenue states that there are no local sales and use taxes in Kentucky, so Covington and the other Kenton County cities add nothing. Food and food ingredients for human consumption (groceries) are exempt under KRS 139.485. Candy, soft drinks, prepared food, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and dietary supplements are taxable at 6%.

Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue - Sales and Use Tax.

How Kenton County Compares Across Kentucky

Kenton County's 2026 vehicle baseline of $1.3563 is the 7th-highest of Kentucky's 120 county baselines, higher than 113 of them; the statewide baselines run from $0.925 (Martin County) to $1.454 (Casey County). Its 2025 real estate baseline of $0.991 is just below the statewide median of $0.992. Compare the state's two largest counties: Jefferson County ($1.201 vehicle baseline) and Fayette County ($1.2175). See all 120 counties on the Kentucky county tax map.

Kentucky Tax Tools

Kentucky Car Tax Rates by County

All 120 Kentucky counties ranked by 2026 vehicle tax baseline. Kenton County ranks 114 of 120 (1 = lowest).

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Kentucky Vehicle Tax Map

Every Kentucky county shaded by its 2026 vehicle tax baseline. Select any county to compare it with Kenton County.

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Kentucky Car Tax Calculator

Estimate your 2026 Kenton County vehicle tax with your school district, city, and fire district rates added from the official rate book.

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Neighboring Kentucky Counties

Kenton County borders four Kentucky counties (and Hamilton County, Ohio, across the Ohio River). Their 2026 vehicle baselines from the same rate book:

  • Boone County - vehicle baseline $1.157 per $100 (2026)
  • Campbell County - vehicle baseline $1.171 per $100 (2026)
  • Grant County - vehicle baseline $1.2574 per $100 (2026)
  • Pendleton County - vehicle baseline $1.29 per $100 (2026)

For all 120 counties, see Kentucky Tax Rates by County.

Official Sources

Vehicle rates are tax year 2026 and real estate rates are tax year 2025, from the Kentucky Department of Revenue rate books. Rates change every year. Verify your bill with the Kenton County Clerk, Sheriff, or PVA before making financial decisions. Data last verified: October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the car tax rate in Kenton County, Kentucky?

For 2026 the baseline motor vehicle property tax rate in Kenton County is $1.3563 per $100 of assessed value: the 45-cent state rate, Kenton County's 27.13-cent county-wide rate, and the 63.5-cent Kenton County school rate. It applies to an owner in the Kenton County school district outside any taxing city or fire district. Five independent school districts replace the county school rate, and five cities and five fire districts add their own vehicle rates.

How much is the car tax on a $20,000 vehicle in Covington, Kentucky?

Most of Covington is in the Covington Independent school district, whose 85.9-cent vehicle rate replaces the 63.5-cent county school rate, and the City of Covington levies 0 cents on vehicles. That makes $1.5803 per $100, or about $316.06 a year on a vehicle assessed at $20,000. At the county baseline of $1.3563, the same vehicle owes about $271.26, which is what the Covington precincts in Kenton County Schools (10, 15 to 17, parts of 3, 6, 13 and 14, and ghost precinct 3.5) pay.

When is the Kenton County vehicle tax due?

Vehicle property tax is paid to the Kenton County Clerk when you renew your registration, usually in your birth month. Under KRS 134.810 it is due by the last day of your renewal month, or by the last day of the month the vehicle is transferred if that is earlier. Late payment adds 3% if paid within 30 days of becoming delinquent (waived within 5 days), then 10%, plus 15% annual interest.

What is the Kenton County property tax rate?

The 2025 baseline real estate rate is $0.991 per $100 of assessed value: the 10.6-cent state residential rate, Kenton County's 26.8-cent county-wide rate, and the 61.7-cent Kenton County school rate. Most residents also pay a city rate (19 cities, from 7.9 cents in Walton to 53.4 cents in Ludlow) or a fire district rate, and independent school districts replace the county school rate. A Covington home pays about $1.612 per $100.

When are Kenton County property tax bills due?

The Kenton County Sheriff collects real estate tax. Per the Sheriff's collection schedule, paying from October 1 to November 1 earns a 2% discount, November 2 to December 31 is the face amount, January adds 5%, and February 1 to April 15 adds 10% plus 10%. After April 15, unpaid bills are turned over to the Kenton County Clerk.

Is there a local sales tax in Covington or Kenton County?

No. Kentucky's sales tax is 6% statewide, and there are no local sales and use taxes in Kentucky, so purchases in Covington and the rest of Kenton County are taxed at 6%. Groceries are exempt, while prepared food, candy, soft drinks, alcohol, and tobacco are taxable.

Kentucky Vehicle Tax Map

Every Kentucky county shaded by its 2026 baseline vehicle tax rate per $100. Kenton County is highlighted - select any other county to compare its vehicle and real estate baselines.

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Munib Ur Rehman Written by Munib Ur Rehman