Amid rising gas prices due to the Iran war, tribally owned gas stations across the U.S. provide drivers with an opportunity to save money by offering lower prices due to tax exemptions. These stations, often located near casinos, can save drivers 50 cents or more per gallon. Some are also expanding to offer grocery items in food deserts.
Darryl Smith fuels up his truck after putting extra gasoline into cans at the Tulalip Market gas station on the Tulalip Indian Reservation land, Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Tulalip, Wash.
While gas prices continue to rise due to the Iran war, there’s a way for many drivers across the U.S. to save at the pump — by filling up at tribally owned gas stations.
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Nationwide, average gas prices are up more than $1 a gallon since the war began. But tribes exempt from paying state fuel taxes can offer lower prices than other gas stations nearby. Dozes of such gas stations and convenience stores are located in states with numerous tribes and tribal businesses including
Legal experts say longstanding precedent generally exempts tribes from having to pay state sales taxes that can range over 70 cents per gallon. Tribes generally aren’t exempt from paying the federal fuel tax of 18 cents per gallon but often can offer gas savings of 50 cents a gallon or more.
In many cases, tribally owned gas stations are near casinos. Sometimes the convenience stores are even like casinos, with gambling machines that entice travelers to come inside and try their luck.
As with other combination gas station-convenience stores in the U.S., tribally owned businesses make more money selling snacks compared to the thin profit margins on gas. But one industry expert says there’s a trend toward filling a need: Some tribally owned convenience stores are offering grocery-type items in “food deserts” where grocery stores are scarce.
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