Dealer doc fees and state caps
A doc (documentary or processing) fee is set by the dealer, not the state. Some states set a maximum in law; others only require it to be disclosed:
| State | Maximum | Official rule |
|---|---|---|
| California | $85.00 | Document processing charge cap: $85 for dealers that are DMV private industry partners (most dealers), $70 for dealers that are not. Must not be represented as a government fee. |
| Florida | No cap found | No Florida dealer documentary fee cap was found on the fetched official pages. Dealer fees are part of the taxable sales price (GT-800030). |
| Georgia | No cap found | No dealer doc-fee cap found on official Georgia pages. Doc fees are part of the retail selling price, so they are subject to TAVT. |
| Illinois | No cap found | Illinois caps the dealer documentary fee: base $300 from January 1, 2020, adjusted every year by the CPI. The current-year dollar cap was not found on a reachable official page, so no number is shown. |
| Missouri | $620.79 | Maximum dealer administrative (doc) fee for 2026 (indexed to CPI each year, effective February 1). It must be charged to all retail customers equally and listed separately on the buyer's order. |
| New Jersey | No cap found | No dollar cap found in official sources. Dealer documentary fees are optional dealer charges, not State fees, and are subject to sales tax. |
| New York | $175.00 | Dealer charge for processing registration (optional, dealer-set, not a DMV fee); DMV caps it at $175. |
| North Carolina | No cap found | No dollar cap in NC law. The dealer must post the fee, disclose it in price advertising and itemize it on the buyer's order; the fee is included in the Highway Use Tax base. |
| Ohio | $398.00 | Lesser of the CPI-adjusted amount ($398 in 2026, $412 in 2027) or 10% of the amount the buyer pays under the contract excluding tax, title, registration and negative equity. |
| Pennsylvania | $490.00 | 2026 maximum documentary fee for dealers that process registrations electronically ($409 if non-electronic). Dealer charge, not a state fee; negotiable; non-taxable. Adjusted yearly by CPI. |
| South Carolina | No cap found | No hard cap. Dealers must file their closing fee with the SC Department of Consumer Affairs; a fee up to $225 is deemed approved, a higher fee may be reviewed for reasonableness. The fee must be disclosed on the contract, posted in the dealership and shown in vehicle ads. |
| Tennessee | No cap found | No dealer document-fee cap was found in the Department of Revenue sources. Document and prep fees are part of the taxable sales price (state tax applies; no extra local tax above the $1,600 single-article limit). |
| Texas | No cap found | No hard cap. Under the OCCC rule (7 TAC 84.205, effective July 11, 2024) a dealer may charge a documentary fee of $225 or less without filing; above $225 the dealer must first file a notification and cost analysis with the OCCC. |
| Utah | No cap found | No Utah dealer documentary fee cap was found on the fetched official pages. Document service fees are taxable (Pub 5). |
| Virginia | No cap found | No dollar cap in law. Dealers must post the processing fee on a sign in the sales area and list it on the buyer's order. The processing fee is part of the taxable gross sales price. |
| Washington | $200.00 | Dealer documentary service fee: at most $200 per sale or lease, must be disclosed in writing as negotiable. Set by the dealer, not a state fee. |
Use the dealer quote check to see a quote's government lines next to ours.
FAQ
Are doc fees government fees?
No. They are dealer charges. The state's own fees are tax, title, registration and plates.
Are doc fees taxed?
In some states yes (for example Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee include them in the taxed price); the state pages say so where the official source does.
More guides
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Estimates of government taxes and fees from official sources; your DMV or county calculates the final amount; not tax or legal advice. Every figure is taken from an official state page (quoted and dated in the sources) and can change. Dealer-set fees are not government fees. Exemptions are described, never applied for you: check the official rule and form.