Alabama car registration and title fees

• Title fee — $15.00. The state's fee for the certificate of title, charged once on the application. A lien noted on the same application does not add a second state fee. (Ala. Code 32-8-6(a), (c); ADOR FAQ (title $15 plus $3 licensing official fee))
• Title agent's commission — $1.50. A state-set $1.50 that the dealer, as the state's designated agent, adds to each title application and keeps. A county license office charges $3 in all if you apply there instead. (Ala. Code 32-8-6(b); ADOR FAQ)
• License tax and registration fee — $23.00. One year of registration for a passenger car: $13 plus a $10 added fee. A pickup of 8,000 lbs or less pays the same. Heavier pickups pay $35 to $105. The first registration is charged by the month, for the months left until your renewal month, so the first bill can be lower. You pay it at your county license office within 20 days. (Ala. Code 40-12-242(a)(1), 40-12-273(a), 40-12-248, 40-12-259; ADOR Motor Vehicle Registration Fees page)
• County issuance fee — $1.25. The county license official's fee for issuing the plate. Some counties add a local issuance fee, which is not included here. (Ala. Code 40-12-271; ADOR FAQ)
• Plate transfer fee — $1.25. The state fee to move your plate to the new car. Some counties add a local issuance fee, which is not included here. (ADOR FAQ: What is the fee to transfer a license plate?)
• Electric vehicle registration fee — $203.00. An extra annual license tax and registration fee on a battery electric vehicle. It is also charged by the month in the first year. It goes up $3 on July 1, 2027, and every fourth year after. (Ala. Code 40-12-242(b), (c); ADOR MVD Memo 2023-002)
• Electric vehicle registration fee — $206.00. An extra annual license tax and registration fee on a battery electric vehicle: $203 plus the $3 step on July 1, 2027. It is also charged by the month in the first year. It goes up $3 again in 2031. (Ala. Code 40-12-242(b), (c); ADOR MVD Memo 2023-002)
• Plug-in hybrid registration fee — $103.00. An extra annual license tax and registration fee on a plug-in hybrid. It is also charged by the month in the first year. It goes up $3 on July 1, 2027, and every fourth year after. A hybrid that does not plug in pays no extra fee. (Ala. Code 40-12-242(b), (c); ADOR MVD Memo 2023-002)
• Plug-in hybrid registration fee — $106.00. An extra annual license tax and registration fee on a plug-in hybrid: $103 plus the $3 step on July 1, 2027. It is also charged by the month in the first year. A hybrid that does not plug in pays no extra fee. (Ala. Code 40-12-242(b), (c); ADOR MVD Memo 2023-002)

• Temporary tag — $2.25 (dealer fee). The 20-day temporary tag the dealer issues so you can drive until the county issues your plate. The state sets the fee at $2.25 and the dealer remits it. A charge the dealer collects for the state and passes on belongs in the advertised price under the FTC's position. Not needed if you move your own plate. (Ala. Code 32-6-214, 32-6-215; Ala. Admin. Code r. 810-5-1-.228)

• Alabama taxes a car as property every year. The county charges ad valorem tax of 15% of the car's value, from the state's valuation table, times your local millage rate. Total millage runs from about 25 to about 75 mills depending on county, school district and city. At 50 mills, a car valued at $30,000 pays about $225 for 12 months. You pay it at the county license office with your registration, for the months left until your renewal month. It is not in this total.
• Your registration renews every year in a month set by the first letter of your last name: A and D in January, B in February, C and E in March, F, G and N in April, H and O in May, I and M in June, L and P in July, J, K and R in August, Q, S and T in September, U through Z in October. Leased, commercial and fleet vehicles renew in October or November.
• You have 20 calendar days from the purchase date to register the car. After that the state adds a $15 penalty plus interest.

• The extra electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid fee renews every year with your registration. It goes up $3 on July 1, 2027, and every fourth year after.
• A hybrid that does not plug in pays the same registration fee as a gas car. Alabama's extra fee applies only to battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

• Registering the car: in Alabama the dealer files your title application as the state's designated agent and issues a 20-day temporary tag. You take the paperwork to your county license office within 20 days to get your plate, and you pay the registration fee and the county's ad valorem tax there. The total includes the title and registration fees. It leaves out ad valorem tax, which depends on your county and the car's value.
• The local part follows the dealership, not your home. A licensed Alabama dealer collects the state tax plus the tax of the city and county where the sale is made, and you cannot be charged a second city or county tax when you register. The calculator uses the rate for the ZIP you entered, which is right when you buy near home. If the dealer is in another city, its rate applies instead.
• A title fee that is separately stated on the contract is not taxed. If it is not separately stated, it is.
• Registration estimates: the plate fee shown is the full $23 for 12 months. You are charged by the month for the time left until your renewal month, so it may be less. A pickup over 8,000 lbs pays more, up to $105. Some counties add local fees.

Source: Alabama Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax Rates / Local Cities and Counties Tax Rates Text File · rules last verified Oct 11, 2026. Methodology.