EV Registration Fees by State: What Electric Cars Pay Extra
EVs skip the gas tax, so 41 states bill them an annual registration surcharge instead — from $50 up to $273.59 in Georgia (median $140). 10 states charge nothing. Below: every state's BEV and plug-in-hybrid fee, and the number that actually matters — total annual running cost once home charging is added.
By the CarWhere Research Team · Fees as of 2026-07 · Download the table (CSV) · Press: [email protected]
Key findings
- 41 states charge BEVs a surcharge; median $140/yr among them. 10 states charge $0.
- Steepest: Georgia $273.59, New Jersey $270, Michigan $267 — several are indexed, so they rise automatically.
- 5 states also tax public charging per kWh; 4 offer a per-mile alternative to the flat fee.
- Fee + home charging combined: cheapest Nevada ($711/yr), priciest Hawaii ($2,687/yr) — both far below the ~$3,434/yr average gas bill.
- Benchmark: a 28-MPG gas car at 12,000 mi/yr pays roughly $130/yr in state gas tax at a typical 30¢/gal rate — fees above that out-tax the gas car.
Every state, ranked by BEV surcharge
Annual amounts on top of standard registration. Total = surcharge + home charging at 15,000 mi/yr (EIA state rates, EPA median efficiency).
| State | BEV fee | PHEV fee | Fee + charging | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $273.59 | $273.59 | $1,163/yr | indexed annually |
| New Jersey | $270 | $270 | $1,646/yr | rises $10/yr by statute; state rebate available |
| Michigan | $267 | $113 | $1,552/yr | indexed to state gas tax |
| Pennsylvania | $250 | $63 | $1,467/yr | state rebate available |
| Indiana | $242 | $81 | $1,193/yr | indexed annually |
| Washington | $225 | $225 | $1,043/yr | EV sales-tax exemption available |
| North Carolina | $214.50 | $107.25 | $1,051/yr | |
| Alabama | $203 | $103 | $1,116/yr | |
| Arkansas | $200 | $100 | $1,003/yr | |
| Ohio | $200 | $150 | $1,283/yr | |
| Rhode Island | $200 | $100 | $1,775/yr | state rebate available |
| Tennessee | $200 | $100 | $950/yr | |
| Texas | $200 | — | $1,089/yr | |
| West Virginia | $200 | $100 | $1,112/yr | |
| Utah | $187.50 | $71.50 | $932/yr | per-mile road-use option ($0.0125/mi) |
| Wisconsin | $175 | $75 | $1,260/yr | plus per-kWh tax on public charging |
| Minnesota | $150 | $75 | $1,111/yr | |
| Mississippi | $150 | $75 | $957/yr | indexed to inflation |
| Missouri | $150 | $75 | $1,045/yr | |
| Nebraska | $150 | $75 | $907/yr | |
| Idaho | $140 | $75 | $887/yr | |
| Virginia | $135.63 | varies | $1,122/yr | PHEV varies $7-$103 by efficiency; per-mile option ($0.0117/mi) |
| Kansas | $135 | $70 | $1,000/yr | plus per-kWh tax on public charging |
| Iowa | $130 | $65 | $1,084/yr | plus per-kWh tax on public charging |
| Montana | $130 | $70 | $1,000/yr | |
| Kentucky | $126 | $126 | $897/yr | plus per-kWh tax on public charging |
| Maryland | $125 | $100 | $1,321/yr | state credit available |
| California | $121 | — | $1,784/yr | indexed to CPI |
| North Dakota | $120 | $50 | $864/yr | |
| Oregon | $115 | $35 | $1,005/yr | per-mile road-use option ($0.02/mi); state rebate available |
| Delaware | $110 | $85 | $1,155/yr | state rebate available |
| Louisiana | $110 | $60 | $829/yr | |
| Oklahoma | $110 | $82 | $938/yr | plus per-kWh tax on public charging |
| Illinois | $100 | — | $1,180/yr | state rebate available |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $50 | $1,645/yr | |
| South Dakota | $100 | — | $947/yr | |
| Wyoming | $100 | $50 | $907/yr | |
| Colorado | $89.05 | $76.05 | $1,049/yr | state purchase credit available |
| Vermont | $89 | $44.50 | $1,421/yr | |
| South Carolina | $60 | $30 | $941/yr | biennial $120/$60, shown per year |
| Hawaii | $50 | — | $2,687/yr | per-mile road-use option ($0.008/mi) |
| Alaska | — | — | $1,644/yr | |
| Arizona | — | — | $841/yr | |
| Connecticut | — | — | $1,370/yr | state rebate available |
| District of Columbia | — | — | $1,452/yr | reduced registration rates for EVs |
| Florida | — | — | $838/yr | |
| Maine | — | — | $1,795/yr | state rebate available |
| Massachusetts | — | — | $1,704/yr | state rebate available |
| Nevada | — | — | $711/yr | |
| New Mexico | — | — | $923/yr | state credit available |
| New York | — | — | $1,601/yr | state rebate available |
Weighing an EV against gas or hybrid?
Run the three-way math for your state in the gas vs hybrid vs EV calculator, see home-charging cost in all 50 states, and check what buyers actually paid for the EVs you're considering — the purchase price moves the math more than any fee.
Methodology
Annual registration surcharge on top of standard registration. BEV = battery electric; PHEV = plug-in hybrid. Several states index fees to inflation or gas-tax rates, so amounts drift year to year. Amounts are statutory levels as of 2026-07, from state DMV fee schedules as surveyed in the Tax Foundation's "Electric Vehicle Tax Treatment by State, 2026"; South Carolina's biennial fee is shown per year. The combined column adds CarWhere's state home-charging estimate (EIA residential rates × EPA median MY2024+ EV efficiency, 15,000 mi/yr). State rebates and purchase credits noted where they exist but not netted against fees. Full table as CSV.
Frequently asked questions
Which states charge an extra registration fee for electric cars?
41 states charge battery-electric vehicles an annual surcharge on top of normal registration (as of 2026-07). The steepest: Georgia ($273.59), New Jersey ($270), Michigan ($267), Pennsylvania ($250) and Indiana ($242). 10 states — including Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia — charge no EV surcharge at all.
Why do states charge EV registration fees?
Road maintenance is funded largely by per-gallon gas taxes, which EVs never pay. The annual surcharge is the substitute. Whether it is proportionate varies: a typical gas car paying a 30¢/gal state gas tax at 12,000 miles and 28 MPG contributes about $129/year, so fees above roughly that level tax an EV harder than the gas car it replaced.
Do plug-in hybrids pay EV registration fees too?
In most fee states, yes, at a reduced rate — typically half the BEV fee. A few states charge PHEVs the full amount (Georgia, New Jersey, Washington, Kentucky), and some fee states exempt PHEVs entirely.
What is the total annual cost to run an EV, fee plus charging?
Combining each state's surcharge with home-charging cost (15,000 mi/yr at state residential electricity rates), the cheapest states are Nevada ($711/yr) and Louisiana ($829/yr); the most expensive are Hawaii ($2,687/yr) and Maine ($1,795/yr). Even at the high end, that's well under the ~$3,434/yr average fuel bill for a gas vehicle.
Where does this data come from?
Fee amounts are each state's statutory registration surcharge as of 2026-07, per state DMV fee schedules (compiled via the Tax Foundation's 2026 survey of state EV tax treatment). Charging costs use EIA residential electricity rates and EPA median EV efficiency. Several states index fees to inflation or gas-tax rates, so amounts drift year to year. Republish with attribution to CarWhere (carwhere.com).