Fee changes, new state calculators, new guides and notable fixes on this site, newest first. Each state page also shows the date its fees were last checked against official sources.
- New guide Is there a 90-day grace period to register a car in California? No: the DMV offers no grace period, and new residents have 20 days. View
- New guide What happens if you don't register your car in California: no grace period, late penalty table, Planned Non-Operation and towing after 6 months. View
- New guide What happens if you don't register your car in Texas: 5 working days, citation up to $200, 20% penalty when cited. View
- New guide What happens if you don't register your car in New York: $75 to $300 fine ($40 minimum within 60 days), renew online up to a year late. View
- New guide EV registration fees in all 50 states for 2026, with a state-by-state source log. Five states (Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Utah) show not available until the current amount is confirmed. View
- Fee update Texas: cited TxDMV's Motor Vehicle Registration Manual (August 2026) for the $4.75 processing and handling fee and the $7.50 inspection program replacement fee ($16.75 for a brand-new car). Optional mail and off-premises service charges are noted as not included. View
- New guide The Florida EV registration fee is $0 (the $250 fee in SB 804 died in committee). View
- New guide Registering an out-of-state car in California. View
- New guide Sales tax on a car bought from a family member (CA, TX, NY, IL). View
- New guide Do you pay sales tax on a car every year? View
- New guide The proposed federal EV registration fee (H.R. 8870). Proposed, not law. View
- New guide California SB 1406 and the Montana LLC loophole. View
- Site New York, Texas, Virginia and Maryland pages: plain answers to "how much does it cost to register a car" at the top, and new FAQ answers.
- Fee update California: added the $121 Road Improvement Fee for 2020 and newer zero-emission vehicles, and the $127 amount from January 1, 2027 (DMV notice VIN 26-07). View
- Fee update Florida: added the plate transfer option ($4.60 electronic, $9.10 mailed) for people who already have a Florida plate. View
- Fee update Pennsylvania: added PennDOT's 2026 road user charge ($250 a year for an EV, $63 for a plug-in hybrid). It was shown as not available until confirmed. View
- Fee update California: local sales/use tax can now be entered above 10.25%. CDTFA's list effective October 1, 2026 goes up to 11.75% (Lancaster, Palmdale). View
- New state New calculators: Texas, New York and Illinois.
- Fix Fixed the Texas, New York and Illinois calculators showing $0.00 for some returning visitors (an older cached script). Every page now loads the matching version.
- New guide Guides section launched with five articles, including how California registration fees work and the Texas 80% rule for private sales. View
- New state Site launched with calculators for California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Found a fee that changed? Tell us and include the official source.