California DMV fee calculator
The DMV charges on a California car purchase, from a dealer or a private seller, itemized from DMV's fee schedule with the authority behind each.
The calculator
Estimated DMV charges
$569
On a $40,000 new car from a dealer, from DMV's 2026 fee schedule.
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Not included, and not estimated
- County and district fees. These vary by where the vehicle is registered and California publishes no single figure for them.
- Smog certification and smog abatement. Whether either applies turns on the vehicle’s age, its fuel type and where it was last registered.
- Electronic filing charge. A dealer may pass through what a first-line service provider charges it, so there is no set amount.
- Weight fees. These apply to commercial vehicles rated by unladen or declared gross weight, not to passenger cars.
- Nonresident and out-of-state charges. A vehicle last registered outside California is charged under a different schedule.
- Late penalties. DMV adds them when a transfer or a renewal is paid late, and the amount turns on dates this calculator does not ask for.
CarOracle’s service fee is separate from these charges and is not included in any figure on this page. See what we charge for the service.
DMV charges
Estimated. DMV sets the vehicle license fee and transportation improvement fee from the vehicle's value as it determines it, and the state revises these charges.
| Charge | Amount | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | $76.00 | Cal. Veh. Code §§9250, 9250.1 |
| California Highway Patrol | $34.00 | Cal. Veh. Code §§9250.8, 9250.13 |
| Vehicle license fee | $261.00 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §§10752, 10753.2 |
| Transportation improvement fee | $198.00 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| DMV charges | $569.00 |
| Charge | Amount | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| California Highway Patrol fee | $34 | Cal. Veh. Code §§9250.8, 9250.13 |
| Registration, including the $3 alternative fuel and technology fee | $76 | Cal. Veh. Code §§9250, 9250.1 |
| Ownership transfer | $15 | Cal. Veh. Code §9255 |
| Transportation improvement fee, $0 to $4,999 | $33 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| Transportation improvement fee, $5,000 to $24,999 | $66 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| Transportation improvement fee, $25,000 to $34,999 | $132 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| Transportation improvement fee, $35,000 to $59,999 | $198 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| Transportation improvement fee, $60,000 and higher | $231 | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11052 |
| Vehicle license fee, of DMV's value, by $200 price class | 0.65% of DMV's value, by $200 price class | Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §§10752, 10753.2 |
What this schedule does not carry
- County and district fees
- These vary by where the vehicle is registered and California publishes no single figure for them.
- Smog certification and smog abatement
- Whether either applies turns on the vehicle’s age, its fuel type and where it was last registered.
- Electronic filing charge
- A dealer may pass through what a first-line service provider charges it, so there is no set amount.
- Weight fees
- These apply to commercial vehicles rated by unladen or declared gross weight, not to passenger cars.
- Nonresident and out-of-state charges
- A vehicle last registered outside California is charged under a different schedule.
- Road improvement fee, $121
- Not assessed on the initial registration of a newly purchased zero emission vehicle from a licensed California dealer. It applies at renewal on model year 2020 and later zero emission vehicles.
How this is calculated
DMV's charges come from its published fee schedule for the year in force. Registration, the California Highway Patrol fee and the ownership transfer charge are fixed amounts. The vehicle license fee is a percentage of DMV's value of the car, which is the midpoint of the $200 price class the purchase price falls in, not the price itself. The transportation improvement fee is set by bands of that value.
Which charges are due depends on how you buy. On a new car from a dealer, every annual charge is due, and the dealer collects them at signing. On a used car whose registration is current, the seller has already paid the year, so only the transfer charge is due. If the registration has expired, or you aren't sure, the annual charges are shown as an estimate and any late penalty is left out.
On a private-party purchase you pay DMV yourself, and DMV collects use tax on the purchase price at the rate for the address where the car will be registered. On a purchase from a dealer, the dealer collects sales tax instead. The out-the-door calculator adds it up with these charges and the dealer's own.
The schedule changes on January 1. The calculator moves to the new year's figures at midnight Pacific time, and the table's heading names the year in force.
Worked examples
A new car from a dealer, purchase price $40,000
- Purchase price
- $40,000
- Registration
- $76.00
- California Highway Patrol
- $34.00
- Vehicle license fee
- $261.00
- Transportation improvement fee
- $198.00
- DMV charges
- $569.00
On a new car from a dealer, every annual charge is due, and the dealer collects them at signing.
A used car from a private seller, purchase price $20,000, registration current, use tax rate 8.25%
- Purchase price
- $20,000
- Ownership transfer
- $15.00
- Use tax
- $1,650.00
- DMV charges
- $1,665.00
On a used car whose registration is current, the seller has already paid the year, so only the transfer charge is due. On a private-party purchase you pay DMV yourself, and DMV collects use tax on the purchase price at the rate for the address where the car will be registered.
What this assumes
- The vehicle is a passenger car or light truck registered in California, and California was its last state of registration.
- County and district fees are not included. They vary with where the vehicle is registered, and California publishes no single figure for them.
- Smog certification, smog transfer and smog abatement charges are not included. Whether each applies turns on the vehicle's age, its fuel type and where it was last registered.
- Late penalties are not included.
- On a private-party purchase, the rate you enter is the use tax rate for the address where the vehicle will be registered.
Where these figures come from
Registration charges come from the California DMV fee schedule, 2026 (DMV Vehicle Industry News VIN 2025-10), and the fee breakdown names the statute behind each one. Your use tax rate is a figure you enter, not a figure transcribed from a schedule.
Reviewed by CarOracle, a California-licensed auto dealer with an auto broker’s endorsement, license #43082.
Every figure on this page is an estimate, not a quote. A lender, a dealer and the DMV each set their own, and only a signed contract settles what you pay.
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