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Average Dealer Documentation Fees by State for 2023

Dealer documentation fees (also known as doc fees), cover a dealer's administrative costs related to title, registration, and other paperwork involved with the car purchase.

Doc fees usually range from $50 to over $1,000 depending on which dealer and state you purchase from. There are 17 states that limit the maximum amount a dealer can charge for this fee - including California, Michigan, New York, and Texas.

Can You Negotiate Documentation Fees?

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. You should also compare doc fees between dealers in the same State which can differ by hundreds of dollars - and make sure to include the fees in the overall price you negotiate.

The highest doc fees tend to be in the Southeast region of the United States with Florida having the highest average fee of $950. The lowest doc fee is found in California, with an average fee of only $85.

Car Dealer Doc Fees by State (Updated 2023)

State State Name Avg Doc Fee Range Max Cost
AL Alabama $458 $0 - $899 No cap
AR Arkansas $120 $100 - $129 $129
AZ Arizona $401 $199 - $539 No cap
CA California $85 $75 - $85 $85
CO Colorado $508 $249 - $689 No cap
CT Connecticut $357 $245 - $499 No cap
DC District of Columbia $299 $299 - $299 No cap
DE Delaware $241 $50 - $349 No cap
FL Florida $950 $600 - $999 No cap
GA Georgia $580 $400 - $899 No cap
HI Hawaii $245 $245 - $245 No cap
IA Iowa $165 $89 - $180 $180
ID Idaho $286 $250 - $314 No cap
IL Illinois $155 $150 - $155 $155
IN Indiana $178 $149 - $475 No cap
KS Kansas $450 $119 - $600 No cap
KY Kentucky $354 $0 - $698 No cap
LA Louisiana $190 $170 - $200 $200
MA Massachusetts $450 $195 - $495 No cap
MD Maryland $449 $290 - $500 $500
ME Maine $336 $198 - $399 No cap
MI Michigan $200 $75 - $210 $210
MN Minnesota $250 $125 - $275 $275
MO Missouri $174 $150 - $199 $199
MS Mississippi $274 $139 - $399 No cap
MT Montana $224 $99 - $338 No cap
NC North Carolina $600 $250 - $699 No cap
ND North Dakota $124 $98 - $149 No cap
NE Nebraska $222 $29.5 - $399 No cap
NH New Hampshire $459 $240 - $500 No cap
NJ New Jersey $270 $98 - $399 No cap
NM New Mexico $349 $225 - $449 No cap
NV Nevada $431 $345 - $599 No cap
NY New York $74 $45 - $75 $75
OH Ohio $247 $99 - $250 $250
OK Oklahoma $235 $149 - $399 No cap
OR Oregan $110 $50 - $115 $115
PA Pennsilvania $350 $200- $374 $374
RI Rhode Island $200 $196 - $200 $200
SC South Carolina $293 $0 - $599 No cap
SD South Dakota $93 $49 - $149 No cap
TN Tennessee $590 $289 - $699 No cap
TX Texas $125 $50 - $150 $150
UT Utah $293 $0 - $398 No cap
VA Virginia $749 $250 - $850 No cap
VT Vermont $148 $0 - $296 No cap
WA Washington $145 $50 - $150 $150
WI Wisconsin $152 $89 - $199 No cap
WV West Virginia $160 $85 - $175 $175
WY Wyoming $388 $205 - $499 No cap






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About The Author

Gregg Fidan 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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