Average Dealer Documentation Fees by State
Doc fees range from $0 to nearly $1,000 depending on which dealer and state you purchase from. Some states such as California limit the maximum amount a dealer can charge for this fee, but most have no limits.
You cannot negotiate a dealer's doc fee because they are required by law to charge the same amount to every customer. You can, however, ask them to reduce the price of the vehicle to compensate for a high doc fee.
TrueCar.com has compiled a list of average doc fees charged in each state. The data is mostly from July 2011, but I've updated some of the States as readers informed me of changes.
They found the highest doc fees to be in the Southeast region of the United States with Florida having an average doc fee of $607. The lowest doc fee is found in California, with an average fee of only $55.
| Dealer Documentation Fees (as of July 2011, subject to change) |
|||
| State | Average Dealer Doc Fee* |
Range of Fees | Statewide Cap or Rules? |
| AL | $458 | $0 to $899 | No cap or rules |
| AR | $97 | $0 to $129 | Restrictions on Display/Terminology |
| AZ | $401 | $199 to $539 | No cap or rules |
| CA | $55 | $0 to $55 | $55 |
| CO | $508 | $249 to $689 | No cap or rules |
| CT | $357 | $245 to $499 | No cap or rules |
| DC | $299 | $299 to $299 | No cap or rules |
| DE | $241 | $50 to $349 | No cap or rules |
| FL | $607 | $0 to $999 | No cap or rules |
| GA | $502 | $0 to $899 | No cap or rules |
| HI | $245 | $245 to $245 | No cap or rules |
| IA | $134 | $89 to $199 | No cap or rules |
| ID | $286 | $250 to $314 | No cap or rules |
| IL | $155 | $150 to $155 | $155 |
| IN | $178 | $149 to $475 | No cap or rules |
| KS | $235 | $119 to $299 | Restrictions on Display/Terminology |
| KY | $354 | $0 to $698 | No cap or rules |
| LA | $103 | $100 to $100 | $100 |
| MA | $321 | $195 to $495 | No cap or rules |
| MD | $131 | $0 to $200 | $200 |
| ME | $336 | $198 to $399 | No cap or rules |
| MI | $181 | $75 to $214 | $194 Max Doc Fee + flat $21 Electronic Filing Fee |
| MN | $125 | $125 to $125 | $125 |
| MO | $174 | $0 to $199 | Restrictions on Display/Terminology |
| MS | $274 | $139 to $399 | No cap or rules |
| MT | $224 | $99 to $338 | No cap or rules |
| NC | $466 | $0 to $699 | No cap or rules |
| ND | $124 | $98 to $149 | No cap or rules |
| NE | $222 | $29.5 to $399 | No cap or rules |
| NH | $304 | $240 to $399 | Restrictions on Display/Terminology |
| NJ | $270 | $98 to $399 | No cap or rules |
| NM | $263 | $69 to $349 | Restrictions on Display/Terminology |
| NV | $431 | $345 to $599 | No cap or rules |
| NY | $74 | $45 to $75 | $75 |
| OH | $247 | $99 to $250 | $250 |
| OK | $235 | $149 to $399 | No cap or rules |
| OR | $61 | $50 to $100 | No cap or rules |
| PA | $122 | $72 to $250 | No cap or rules |
| RI | $231 | $196 to $379 | No cap or rules |
| SC | $293 | $0 to $599 | No cap or rules |
| SD | $93 | $49 to $149 | No cap or rules |
| TN | $402 | $289 to $699 | No cap or rules |
| TX | $125 | $50 to $150 | $150 Max; Restrictions on Display |
| UT | $293 | $0 to $398 | No cap or rules |
| VA | $403 | $0 to $599 | No cap or rules |
| VT | $148 | $0 to $296 | No cap or rules |
| WA | $145 | $50 to $150 | $150 |
| WI | $152 | $89 to $199 | No cap or rules |
| WV | $129 | $85 to $175 | No cap or rules |
| WY | $388 | $205 to $499 | No cap or rules |
| *Top 10 Lowest by Average are labeled in green; top 10 highest by average are labeled in red. | |||
My Recommendation for Car Shoppers
TrueCar No-Haggle, CarsDirect, and NADAGuides are the quickest way to see the lowest car prices in your area. These sites show you no-haggle prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually really good. This should be the first step you take when negotiating your car price. Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.- Gregg Fidan
Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author
Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate
the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.
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