Generated from our rules database — not a stale blog table
Dealer doc fees by state
18 states cap the doc fee by statute (published counts vary because some “caps” are indirect). Everywhere else it's uncapped dealer margin — $300 to $1,200+ — and negotiable. Each row shows when we last verified it.
| State | Capped? | Cap | Typical (median reported) | Notes / statute | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Alaska | Uncapped | — | — | No limit but must be in advertised price · must be included in advertised price verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Arizona | Uncapped | — | $500.00 | No cap per AADA; reasonableness std | Jul 2026 |
| Arkansas | Capped | $129.00 | — | VERIFY cite verifying | Jul 2026 |
| California | Capped | $85.00 | — | CVC 11713.1 · 85 dmv partner 70 nonpartner | Jul 2026 |
| Colorado | Uncapped | — | $600.00 | No cap per CADA verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Connecticut | Uncapped | — | $599.00 | No cap per CARA verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Delaware | Capped | — | — | DE "document fee" is a STATE tax (~4.25% of price) in lieu of sales tax, not a dealer fee - model as tax_scheme · state document fee pct of price in lieu of sales tax verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Florida | Uncapped | — | $899.00 | No cap; disclosure required | Jul 2026 |
| Georgia | Uncapped | — | $599.00 | No cap; itemization required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Hawaii | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Idaho | Uncapped | — | $400.00 | No cap found | Jul 2026 |
| Illinois | Capped | $377.63 | — | 625 ILCS 5/2-119 area - VERIFY · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Indiana | Capped | $251.00 | — | eff. Jul 2025 - VERIFY cite · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Iowa | Capped | $180.00 | — | VERIFY cite verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Kansas | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Kentucky | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Louisiana | Capped | $436.00 | — | VERIFY cite · cpi max 3pct annual · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Maine | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Maryland | Capped | $800.00 | — | SB 362 (2024) verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Michigan | Capped | $280.00 | — | VERIFY cite · lesser of 280 or 5pct · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Minnesota | Capped | $350.00 | — | eff. Jul 2025 - VERIFY cite · 350 or 10pct if under 3499 verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Mississippi | Uncapped | — | — | 7 districts, individual caps per MS MVC · district caps 25pct above district avg verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Missouri | Capped | $620.79 | — | eff. Feb 2026 - VERIFY cite · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Montana | Uncapped | — | — | No cap per MTADA verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Nebraska | Uncapped | — | — | No cap per NE DMV verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Nevada | Uncapped | — | $499.00 | No cap per NFADA | Jul 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Uncapped | — | $465.00 | Doc fee capped $27 but admin fees uncapped - encode as uncapped verifying | Jul 2026 |
| New Jersey | Uncapped | — | $640.00 | No cap; itemized; taxable verifying | Jul 2026 |
| New Mexico | Uncapped | — | $339.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| New York | Capped | $175.00 | — | VERIFY exact cite (Reg 78.13) verifying | Jul 2026 |
| North Carolina | Uncapped | — | $725.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| North Dakota | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Ohio | Capped | $398.00 | — | VERIFY cite · lesser of 398 or 10pct · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Uncapped | — | $499.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Oregon | Capped | $250.00 | — | ORS 822.043(4), amended 2025 c.415 · 250 with integrator 200 without | Jul 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | Capped | $490.00 | — | eff. Jan 2026 - VERIFY cite · 490 online 409 manual · CPI-indexed verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| South Carolina | Uncapped | — | $395.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| South Dakota | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Tennessee | Uncapped | — | $499.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Texas | Capped | $225.00 | — | OCCC guidance eff. Jul 2024 · occc safe harbor not hard cap | Jul 2026 |
| Utah | Uncapped | — | $299.00 | No cap per UT DMV verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Vermont | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Virginia | Uncapped | — | $899.00 | No cap | Jul 2026 |
| Washington | Capped | $200.00 | — | RCW 46.70.180(2) - VERIFY cite verifying | Jul 2026 |
| West Virginia | Capped | $575.00 | — | VERIFY cite verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Uncapped | — | $279.00 | No cap verifying | Jul 2026 |
| Wyoming | Uncapped | — | — | Research required verifying | Jul 2026 |
How to use this at the dealership
In a capped state, a doc fee above the cap is simply not allowed — say so. In an uncapped state, the fee itself rarely moves, but the total OTD always can: negotiate the bottom line and let the dealer decide which lines bend. Build your OTD worksheet before you walk in.
Medians marked “live” recompute nightly from buyer reports. Rows marked “verifying” carry amounts from multi-source industry tables pending statute-level confirmation — methodology.