The short answer
Most states charge a small late fee when you renew a car registration after it expires. Where it's a flat amount, it's usually $5 to $25: $5 in Missouri, $10 in Connecticut, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia, $15 in Alabama and Indiana, $20 in Delaware and Illinois. Other states charge a percentage or a monthly amount that keeps growing, such as Arizona ($8, then $4 a month, up to $100), Colorado ($25 a month after a one-month grace period, up to $100) and California, where the penalty can exceed the registration itself. Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington charge no late renewal fee at all.
The late fee is separate from any ticket. If police stop you while the registration is expired, the fine is a second bill, and it's often much bigger: $290 in Maryland, up to $1,000 in Illinois.
How late fees work
States use four main kinds of late fee:
- A flat fee, charged once however late you are (Michigan $10, Illinois $20).
- A fee that steps up with how late you are (North Carolina $15, $20 or $25; Florida $5 to $250 by the size of the license tax).
- A monthly charge with a cap (Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma).
- A percentage of the registration fee or tax (California, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada).
Some states give a grace period before the fee starts: Connecticut charges from the 6th day, Colorado after a month and Oklahoma after 30 days. California and Nevada have none.
Late fees and fines in all 50 states
State names link to our calculators where we have one. "Not available" means we couldn't confirm the figure in an official source; it doesn't mean the state charges nothing.
| State | Late renewal fee | When it starts | Fine for driving on an expired registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $15 plus interest | If you don't renew in your renewal month | Not available |
| Alaska | No late fee listed. If you renew within a year, you pay the full two-year fee from the month it expired | After the last day of the expiry month | Not available |
| Arizona | $8, plus $4 for each further month, $100 maximum Arizona guide | After expiry | $300 civil penalty for driving an unregistered vehicle (ARS 28-2532) |
| Arkansas | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| California | $10 registration + $10 CHP late fee + 10% of the VLF and weight fee (1 to 10 days), rising to $100 + $100 + 160% after 2 years Late fee calculator | The day after expiry (no grace period) | Fix-it ticket: after you renew and show proof, the court collects $25 per violation |
| Colorado | $25 per month or part of a month, $100 maximum (flat $10 in total for trailers and other vehicles without their own power); prorated back taxes and fees come on top Colorado guide | After a one-month grace period | Class B traffic infraction: $15 to $100 plus surcharges, no points; can be dismissed if you register before the first court date (unregistered 4 months or less) |
| Connecticut | $10 | From the 6th day after expiry | $50 fine, $117 total if paid by mail |
| Delaware | $20 | Any renewal after expiry | Not available |
| Florida | $5 to $250 flat by license tax ($5 or $10 for most cars) Florida guide | 11th day of the month after the renewal period | $30 if expired 6 months or less; a second offense after 6 months is a misdemeanor |
| Georgia | 25% of the license plate fee ($5 on a $20 tag) + 10% of any annual ad valorem tax Georgia guide | After your registration period (most counties: midnight on your birthday) | Not available |
| Hawaii | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Idaho | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Illinois | $20 Illinois guide | If the renewal arrives more than 1 month after expiry | $75 to $1,000 (petty offense) |
| Indiana | $15 administrative penalty | After expiry | Not available |
| Iowa | 5% of the yearly fee a month ($5 minimum); 150% after 24 months | First day of the second month of the registration year | Not available |
| Kansas | $1 a month or part of a month | After expiry | Misdemeanor: up to $2,500, jail, or both |
| Kentucky | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Louisiana | 5% of the registration tax for each 30 days late ($3 minimum), 25% maximum, plus interest | After expiry | Up to $175 first offense, up to $500 after that |
| Maine | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Maryland | None. The MVA fee schedule lists no late renewal penalty (a separate $30 emissions test late fee is a different charge) | – | $290 preset fine |
| Massachusetts | None. Neither the RMV fee schedule nor the registration law (G.L. c. 90) lists one Massachusetts guide | – | Up to $100 first offense, up to $1,000 after that |
| Michigan | $10 (renewal fees for expired plates are not prorated) Michigan guide | After expiry (next business day if it falls on a weekend or holiday) | Civil infraction, fine up to $100 plus a $40 assessment (commercial vehicles up to $500) |
| Minnesota | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Mississippi | 5%, plus 5% for every further 30 days, 25% maximum | 16th day of the month after expiry | Not available |
| Missouri | $5 | From the second month after the registration period ends | Class B misdemeanor, fine up to $1,000 |
| Montana | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Nebraska | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Nevada | $6 a month on the registration fee + 10% of the past-due Governmental Services Taxes ($6 minimum) | The day after expiry (no grace period) | Not available |
| New Hampshire | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| New Jersey | None New Jersey guide | – | Up to $100 (parking an unregistered car on a public road too); the car can be towed at the owner's expense |
| New Mexico | $10 up to 30 days late; 75% of the registration fee (at least $10) after that | After expiry | Not available |
| New York | No DMV late fee. You can renew up to a year after expiry, then you must register again Late fee calculator | – | $75 to $300 ($40 minimum if expired within the last 60 days) |
| North Carolina | $15 under a month late, $20 one to two months, $25 two months or more North Carolina guide | The day after expiry (the 15-day driving grace period doesn't waive it) | Class 3 misdemeanor after the 15th of the next month: fine up to $200, plus $193 standard court costs if convicted |
| North Dakota | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Ohio | $10, charged once Ohio guide | More than 30 days after expiry (no grace period for driving) | Minor misdemeanor: fine up to $150, set by the court |
| Oklahoma | $1 a day, $100 a year maximum for most cars (can't be waived) | After a 30-day grace period | Not available |
| Oregon | No late renewal fee listed. You can renew online any time after expiry Oregon guide | – | Not available |
| Pennsylvania | None. PennDOT lists no late renewal fee Pennsylvania guide | – | $75 or double the registration fee, whichever is more ($25 if registered in Pennsylvania within the previous 60 days) |
| Rhode Island | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| South Carolina | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| South Dakota | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Tennessee | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Texas | No penalty without a citation; 20% of the registration fee if you were cited Late fee calculator | After 5 working days | Up to $200 |
| Utah | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Vermont | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Virginia | $10 Virginia guide | Any renewal after the expiration date (the 10-day grace covers mail processing only, not driving) | Up to $250 (traffic infraction) |
| Washington | None (driving on expired tabs is a traffic infraction) Washington guide | – | Not available |
| West Virginia | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Wisconsin | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Wyoming | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Fines are what state law or the court's fine schedule sets. Courts can add their own costs, which we haven't included, except North Carolina's statewide standard court costs.
Work out your exact late fee
Three states have a percentage-based penalty that depends on your own fees. Our late-fee calculators work it out from the date your registration expired:
- California registration late fee calculator
- Texas registration late fee calculator
- New York registration late fee calculator
For flat-fee and no-fee states, see the expired registration guides for Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Worked examples
| Situation | Late fee |
|---|---|
| Arizona, renewed in the third month after expiry: $8 + $4 + $4 | $16 |
| North Carolina, renewed 6 weeks late (one to two months) | $20 |
| Michigan, renewed any time after expiry | $10 |
| Pennsylvania, renewed any time after expiry | $0 |
The normal renewal fees still apply on top of the late fee.
What this guide doesn't cover
Late fees and fines in the states marked not available, court costs (other than North Carolina's standard costs), commercial vehicles, trailers and motorcycles (which often have their own rules), and late fees for titling a car you just bought. Specialty plates can raise a percentage-based penalty. For what a ticket involves and how to resolve it, see what an expired registration ticket costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the late fee for an expired registration?
It depends on the state. Flat fees run from $5 in Missouri to $20 in Delaware and Illinois. Arizona and Colorado charge by the month up to $100, and California charges a percentage that grows the longer you wait.
Which states don't charge a late fee for renewing registration?
Of the states we could confirm, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania list no late renewal fee, and Oregon and Washington list none either. Texas charges none unless you were cited. You can still be ticketed for driving with an expired registration in all of them.
Is the late fee the same as the ticket?
No. The late fee is paid to the DMV or tax office when you renew. A ticket for driving on an expired registration is a separate fine set by state law or the court.
Is there a grace period for an expired registration?
Some states have one: Connecticut charges from the 6th day after expiry, Colorado after a month, Oklahoma after 30 days and Texas after 5 working days. California and Nevada have none.
Run the numbers
- Alabama: Alabama Department of Revenue FAQ
- Alaska: Alaska DMV – Renew vehicle registration
- Arizona: Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2162
- Arizona fine: Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2532
- California: CA DMV – Penalties
- California fine: California Vehicle Code §§ 40610, 40611
- Colorado: Colorado DMV – Vehicle registration
- Colorado fine: Colorado Revised Statutes 42-3-121, 42-4-1701 and 42-4-1720 (class B traffic infraction, $15 to $100, dismissal on compliance) (cited by name, not linked)
- Connecticut: CT DMV – Renew your car registration
- Connecticut fine: Connecticut Judicial Branch – Mail-in violations and infractions schedule (C.G.S. 14-12(a))
- Delaware: Delaware DMV – Vehicle registration
- Florida: Florida Statutes § 320.07(4)
- Florida fine: Florida Statutes § 318.18(2)
- Georgia: Georgia DOR – Fees, fines and penalties
- Illinois: Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/3-821.2
- Illinois fine: Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/3-701 and 5/16-104
- Indiana: Indiana BMV – Vehicle registrations
- Iowa: Iowa Code 321.134
- Kansas: Kansas Statutes 8-143(c)
- Kansas fine: Kansas Statutes 8-142 and 8-149
- Louisiana: Louisiana R.S. 47:1602
- Louisiana fine: Louisiana R.S. 32:57(A)(1)
- Maryland: Maryland MVA – Fees and payment options
- Maryland fine: District Court of Maryland – Preset fine schedule (Transportation 13-401)
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts RMV – Schedule of fees
- Massachusetts fine: Massachusetts General Laws c. 90, § 9
- Michigan: Michigan SOS – Vehicle tabs and license plates FAQ
- Michigan fine: Michigan Compiled Laws 257.255
- Michigan assessment: Michigan Compiled Laws 257.907
- Mississippi: Mississippi DOR – Motor vehicle FAQ
- Missouri: Missouri Revised Statutes 301.050
- Missouri late-fee timing: Missouri Revised Statutes 301.030
- Missouri fine: Missouri Revised Statutes 301.020
- Nevada: Nevada DMV – Registration fees and taxes
- New Mexico: NM MVD – Renew a vehicle registration
- New Jersey: NJ MVC – Registration and title fees (no late renewal fee in the schedule)
- New Jersey fine: N.J.S.A. 39:3-4 (registration void on expiry, fine up to $100, removal to storage; Justia's copy of the statute text) (cited by name, not linked)
- New York: NY DMV – Renew a registration
- New York fine: NY Vehicle and Traffic Law § 401(18)
- North Carolina: N.C. General Statutes 20-88.03
- North Carolina fine: N.C. General Statutes 20-111 (Class 3 misdemeanor) (cited by name, not linked)
- North Carolina fine: N.C. General Statutes 15A-1340.23 ($200 maximum)
- North Carolina court costs: N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts – Criminal Court Costs and Fees Chart (effective January 1, 2026; $193 standard costs) (cited by name, not linked)
- Ohio: Ohio BMV – Documents and fees
- Ohio fine: Ohio Revised Code 2929.28 (minor misdemeanor, up to $150) (cited by name, not linked)
- Oklahoma: Service Oklahoma – Vehicle registration
- Oregon: Oregon DMV – Vehicle registration
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Vehicle Code 75 Pa.C.S. § 1309
- Pennsylvania fine: Pennsylvania Vehicle Code 75 Pa.C.S. § 1301
- Texas: TxDMV – Register your vehicle
- Virginia: Virginia DMV – Fee schedule (DMV 201)
- Virginia fine: Code of Virginia § 46.2-613
- Washington: Washington DOL – Calculate vehicle tab fees
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
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