Car buying cheat sheet" width="1024" height="538" />Through the ups and downs of the auto market, one thing remains the same: every state has a documentation fee. Also known as a doc fee, this isn’t like the other fees you’ll encounter. Be sure to familiarize yourself with what car dealer fees you should and shouldn’t pay.
The price of a car is never what it seems. There’s the selling price, the fees, the add-ons, and taxes. When it’s all said and done, you end up with the out the door price, and one of the line items you’ll see on your purchase agreement is a “doc fee”. Car dealer doc fees show up on EVERY car deal, and on this page we’ve aggregated all the car dealer doc fees by state for 2024.
Some states (like California and New York) cap the dealer doc fee. Others, such as Florida, don’t cap the doc fee. We’ve gathered the average doc fee that you should expect a dealership to charge in every state. If a dealer is charging more, you should try to negotiate the price down. Download this FREE negotiation cheat sheet!
We’ve also included the average title and registration fee you should expect to pay in each state.
| State | Average Doc Fee | Title Fee | Total Registration Fees | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | $299 | $15 | $245 | More info |
| AL | $489 | $18 | $393 | More info |
| AR | $129 | $10 | $28 | More info |
| AZ | $499 | $4 | $564 | More info |
| CA | $85 | $25 | $524 | More info |
| CO | $699 | $7 | $595 | More info |
| CT | $599 | $25 | $180 | More info |
| DC | $300 | $26 | $185 | More info |
| DE | $475 | $35 | $45 | More info |
| FL | $999 | $75 | $297 | More info |
| GA | $599 | $18 | $20 | More info |
| HI | $395 | $5 | $78 | More info |
| IA | $180 | $25 | $333 | More info |
| ID | $399 | $14 | $126 | More info |
| IL | $347 | $155 | $151 | More info |
| IN | $199 | $15 | $38 | More info |
| KS | $499 | $10 | $80 | More info |
| KY | $450 | $6 | $26 | More info |
| LA | $425 | $77 | $64 | More info |
| MA | $459 | $75 | $60 | More info |
| MD | $499 | $100 | $187 | More info |
| ME | $499 | $33 | $40 | More info |
| MI | $260 | $15 | $128 | More info |
| MN | $125 | $8 | $69 | More info |
| MO | $565 | $9 | $57 | More info |
| MS | $425 | $8 | $719 | More info |
| MT | $299 | $12 | $237 | More info |
| NC | $699 | $56 | $370 | More info |
| ND | $299 | $5 | $123 | More info |
| NE | $299 | $10 | $83 | More info |
| NH | $375 | $25 | $51 | More info |
| NJ | $695 | $60 | $271 | More info |
| NM | $339 | $3 | $60 | More info |
| NV | $499 | $20 | $49 | More info |
| NY | $175 | $50 | $146 | More info |
| OH | $250 | $15 | $31 | More info |
| OK | $289 | $11 | $100 | More info |
| OR | $150 | $106 | $169 | More info |
| PA | $449 | $58 | $39 | More info |
| RI | $399 | $53 | $58 | More info |
| SC | $400 | $15 | $40 | More info |
| SD | $200 | $10 | $122 | More info |
| TN | $499 | $14 | $29 | More info |
| TX | $150 | $33 | $74 | More info |
| UT | $299 | $6 | $57 | More info |
| VA | $799 | $15 | $36 | More info |
| VT | $200 | $35 | $78 | More info |
| WA | $199 | $15 | $73 | More info |
| WI | $299 | $165 | $85 | More info |
| WV | $250 | $15 | $52 | More info |
| WY | $500 | $15 | $616 | More info |
In today’s market you will likely not be able to negotiate the dealer doc fee. That being said, we have this complete guide to car dealer fees you should never pay.
You can find this data incorporated into our out the door price (OTD) calculator. When you are shopping for a new or used car it is important that you understand the total “out the door” price that you will be paying. Dealers like to get you to talk about monthly budget, however the most important things is to negotiate the OTD price.
Car buying cheat sheet" width="1024" height="538" />
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Last updated Jan 1, 2024
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Any possibility that as part of this chart you can also add the other fees? For example, for new there is the license plate fee, NY tire fee and inspection fee. Reply
Zach Shefska on March 28, 2022 at 5:28 am Jessie, take a look here: https://caredge.com/guides/car-dealer-doc-fee-by-state/ Reply pri on July 8, 2023 at 1:04 am not working link Reply Zach Shefska on July 8, 2023 at 8:39 am Try now, please! Reply Barbara on August 18, 2024 at 10:58 pmHi just started watching your videos. I really enjoy them. I thought DOC fee was fake. I heard that on other websites that talk about similar things.
Is the doc fee attached to DMV and Lixwnxe fee?
Thanks Barbara Reply
Hi Barbara, glad you’re enjoying the videos! The doc fee is a real charge, but it’s not always directly tied to DMV or license fees. It’s typically an administrative fee that dealers charge to cover the paperwork involved in selling a car. Reply
Rob Stanton on March 29, 2022 at 6:58 pm Doc fees are much higher in WV now Reply Mary Ellen on May 31, 2022 at 11:10 amFees for PA are higher than on the list. Doc fees are now $422, title $58 and registration is $39. Reply
KM on June 11, 2022 at 10:40 am NM link to MVD is bad. Reply ECK on June 21, 2023 at 9:55 pmStandard vehicle price on sticker $29,200.00+options & destination charge = total vehicle price $31.615.
When I ask the sales person for Otd price… When should I mention I have an employee discount is it in the beginning before he starts writing the otd price or when they show the total price of everything in finance room and If I agree can I then mention the employee discount? Some say it doesn’t matter because they go with standard vehicle price sticker $29, 200.00 . And you don’t get discount on options installed by manufacturer. Thanks for your time! Reply
Three weeks ago I purchased a used car. The paper work printed and given to me is from the 1960s! On yellow or pink paper with extremally light ink. I tried coping it all so I would have a clear readable copy. It did not work. I re wrote all the umbers (next to the original ones) to help
me figure out what it all said. Something I have not seen you guys talk about. What if the numbers on the buyers order do not jive with what was talked about. They did not show the -$2000 for financing and trade in allowance. They keep telling me “oh it’s in there”.
I was under the weather when my 20 year old picked up the car. I have never let anybody take advantage of me (UNTIL NOW). I BOUGHT IT AND HAVE NOT FOUND OUT THAT THEY DID NOT PRICE THINGS OR GIVE ME THE DISCOUNTS THAT WE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE DEAL. ONLY A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS BUT WE HAD TO GO 75 MONTHS AND I HATE TO BE TAKE ADVANTEGE OF. They even produced a fake document to show the $2,000 being taken off! Should see an attorney ? To be honest I can’t even figure out what they did! I at least want good clear copies of everything!! They pulled the paper work from us and ran it to the back as fast as they could! Advice ? Reply
