Dealer Doc Fees by State (2026): Which States Cap Them
18 states cap the dealer documentation fee, from $85 in California to $800 in Maryland. Everywhere else the dealer sets it. Doc fee rules for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
By Matt Rum. Checked against state sources on .
States that cap the doc fee
Lowest cap first. The tax column says whether sales tax is charged on the fee.
| State | Maximum doc fee | Sales tax on it |
|---|---|---|
| California | $85 | Taxed |
| Arkansas | $129 | Not confirmed |
| New York | $175* | Not taxed |
| Iowa | $180 | Not taxed |
| Washington | $200 | Not taxed |
| Oregon | $250 | Not taxed |
| Indiana | $262 | Taxed |
| Michigan | $280* | Not confirmed |
| Minnesota | $350 | Not taxed |
| Illinois | $378* | Taxed |
| Ohio | $398 | Not taxed |
| Rhode Island | $400 | Taxed |
| Mississippi | $425 | Not confirmed |
| Louisiana | $436 | Not confirmed |
| Pennsylvania | $490 | Not taxed |
| West Virginia | $575* | Not taxed |
| Missouri | $621 | Taxed |
| Maryland | $800 | Taxed |
* Read from a cited secondary source, such as a dealer association, because we could not find the figure on a state site. The state page names the source.
States with no doc fee cap
The dealer sets the fee. Any disclosure or posting rules we found are on the state page.
| State | Sales tax on the fee |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Taxed |
| Alaska | Not confirmed |
| Arizona | Not taxed |
| Colorado | Taxed |
| Connecticut | Taxed |
| Delaware | Not confirmed |
| District of Columbia | Not confirmed |
| Florida | Taxed |
| Georgia | Taxed |
| Hawaii | Not confirmed |
| Idaho | Taxed |
| Kansas | Taxed |
| Kentucky | Not confirmed |
| Maine | Taxed |
| Massachusetts | Taxed |
| Montana | Not taxed |
| Nebraska | Taxed |
| Nevada | Taxed |
| New Hampshire | Not taxed |
| New Jersey | Taxed |
| New Mexico | Not taxed |
| North Carolina | Taxed |
| North Dakota | Not taxed |
| Oklahoma | Not taxed |
| South Carolina | Not confirmed |
| South Dakota | Taxed |
| Tennessee | Taxed |
| Texas | Not taxed |
| Utah | Taxed |
| Vermont | Taxed |
| Virginia | Taxed |
| Wisconsin | Taxed |
| Wyoming | Taxed |
What a doc fee covers, and what it does not
The doc fee pays for the dealer's work on the sale: preparing the contract, submitting the title and registration, and keeping records. It is separate from the state's own title and registration fees, which the dealer collects and passes on.
Because the fee looks official on an offer sheet, buyers often assume it is fixed by the state. Only where the state sets a cap is there a legal limit. Everywhere else the amount is the dealer's choice, and it varies a lot from one dealer to the next.
How to handle the doc fee when you buy
- Ask for the doc fee amount before you agree on a price, and compare offers on the out-the-door total.
- In a capped state, check that the fee on the contract is no higher than the cap.
- In a state without a cap, treat a high fee as part of the price and negotiate the total down.
- Check whether the fee is taxed in your state, since that adds to the cost.
Frequently asked questions
What is a dealer doc fee?
A documentation fee, also called a doc fee, dealer fee or processing fee, is what a dealer charges for preparing the sale and title paperwork. It is the dealer's charge, not a government fee, even when it appears next to the tax and title fees on the offer sheet.
Which states cap dealer doc fees?
In our data, California, Arkansas, New York, Iowa, Washington, Oregon, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Missouri and Maryland set a maximum doc fee. Some of these caps rise each year with inflation, so the state page shows the date each one took effect.
Which state has the lowest doc fee cap?
California has the lowest cap in our data, at $85. Maryland has the highest, at $800.
Is the doc fee negotiable?
In a state with a cap, the dealer cannot charge more than the cap. In a state without one, the dealer sets the fee, and it is usually printed on a sign or the offer sheet. If a dealer will not lower the fee itself, you can still negotiate the car's price so the total comes down by the same amount.
Is sales tax charged on the doc fee?
It depends on the state. In our data the doc fee is taxed in 26 jurisdictions and not taxed in 15; the rest we could not confirm from a source. The out-the-door calculator for each state adds the tax where it applies.
Where these figures come from
Each cap comes from a state statute, regulation or agency notice, or where we could not find one, a cited secondary source, marked above. Some caps are set by a formula that changes each year; in that case we show the amount for the current period and say so on the state page. See our methodology.