Wisconsin car registration and title fees

• Title fee — $214.50. Certificate of title: $207 plus a $7.50 supplemental fee. Raised from $164.50 on October 1, 2025. (Wis. Stat. 342.14(1), (3m); 2025 Wis. Act 15)
• Registration (annual) — $85.00. One year of registration for a car, SUV or passenger van. Not charged if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing — the time left on them carries over. (Wis. Stat. 341.25(1)(a); 341.27(3))
• New plate fee — $12.00. $6 for each of the two plates. DMV began collecting it in April 2026. (Wis. Stat. 341.135(2m))
• Electric vehicle surcharge (annual) — $175.00. Charged with registration every year on a fully electric car. (Wis. Stat. 341.25(1)(L))
• Hybrid surcharge (annual) — $75.00. Charged with registration every year on any car that runs on both electricity and gasoline — conventional hybrids as well as plug-ins. (Wis. Stat. 341.25(1)(L))
• Lien filing fee — $10.00. Records your lender's lien on the title, and covers releasing it when the loan is paid off. (Wis. Stat. 342.14(2))
• County wheel tax ($15/yr) — $15.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• County wheel tax ($20/yr) — $20.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• County wheel tax ($25/yr) — $25.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• County wheel tax ($30/yr) — $30.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• County wheel tax ($35/yr) — $35.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• County wheel tax ($40/yr) — $40.00. Annual local registration fee ("wheel tax") where the car is kept. Not charged again if you transfer plates from a car you are replacing. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($10/yr) — $10.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($15/yr) — $15.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($20/yr) — $20.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($25/yr) — $25.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($30/yr) — $30.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($35/yr) — $35.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($40/yr) — $40.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($41/yr) — $41.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)
• City or village wheel tax ($50/yr) — $50.00. Annual local registration fee charged by your city or village, on top of any county wheel tax. City limits don't follow ZIP codes, so this is an estimate — if you live just outside the city named here, it may not apply. (Wis. Stat. 341.35; WisDOT wheel tax list)

• Registration renews every year at $85, and any wheel tax where you live renews with it.
• In Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties, cars need an emissions test starting with the renewal in their fourth model year. A new car does not need one at purchase.

• The $175 electric vehicle surcharge is charged again with every annual renewal.
• The $75 hybrid surcharge is charged again with every annual renewal.

• Wisconsin dealers are required to handle your title and registration, so those fees are in the total: $214.50 for the title, $85 for a year of registration and $12 for new plates. Electric cars pay $175 more a year, and hybrids, including plug-ins, $75.
• If you are transferring plates from a car you are replacing, you skip the registration fee, the plate fee and the wheel tax.

Source: WI DOR rate and boundary files (WIRandB, monthly); Wis. Stat. 77.70, 77.701, 77.71(4); DOR Publication 202 · rules last verified Oct 2, 2026. Methodology.