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District of Columbia title transfer fees
How much is the title fee in District of Columbia?
$30
In plain English
The DMV lists $30 for a vehicle title only, new or replacement, and $20 per lien for lien recordation if the vehicle is financed. It says a 2.5% service fee was added on December 15, 2025, to debit and credit card transactions completed online, through the mobile app, and in person.
“Vehicle Title Only (New and Replacement) $30.00”
The official words for the rest
“Lien Recordation (if vehicle is financed) $20.00/lien”
“On December 15, 2025, a 2.5% service fee was added to all debit and credit card transactions completed online, through the mobile app, and in-person.”
Worked example
Example: a $12,000 used car bought from a private seller in District of Columbia. Title fee: $30. Tax is left out of this example. Not included: registration and plates, a lien fee, an out-of-state inspection, county or office add-ons, and late fees.
A made-up price; every other figure is from the quotes on this page. It is an illustration, not a bill.
What other fees come with it?
- Out-of-state inspection
“The vehicle must pass DC inspection. Brand new passenger class vehicles do not require inspections.”
- Lien fee$20added if there is a loan
“Lien Recordation (if vehicle is financed) $20.00/lien”
What are the steps in District of Columbia, and by when?
In plain English
The primary owner must be a District resident with a DC DMV credential.
The official words
“The primary owner must be a District resident with a DC DMV credential.”
The vehicle must pass DC inspection, though brand new passenger class vehicles do not require inspections.
The official words
“The vehicle must pass DC inspection. Brand new passenger class vehicles do not require inspections.”
The DMV's list includes the current title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, and a car bill of sale.
The official words
“Current title or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin”
“Car Bill of Sale”
For a used car, one form of odometer statement on the DMV's list is the certification of odometer mileage on the back of the title, made when the title is signed over.
The official words
“Certification of odometer mileage on back of title (when signed over)”
Registering a new or used vehicle in the District means a visit to a DC DMV service center. The first item on the page's list of what to bring is a completed Certificate of Title/Temporary Tag Application.
The official words
“To legally register your new or used vehicle in the District, you must visit a DC DMV service center with the following:”
“Completed Certificate of Title/Temporary Tag Application”
Proof of insurance must be printed to be accepted in person.
The official words
“Proof of insurance must be printed to be accepted in person.”
The registration fee table's rows read Passenger Class I (3499 or less) $72.00 and $70.00, and Passenger Class II (3500 - 4999) $175.00 and $175.00. The rows do not say what the two amounts in each are for.
The official words
“Passenger Class I <= 3499 $72.00 $70.00 Passenger Class II 3500 - 4999 $175.00 $175.00”
The DC DMV vehicle title is mailed to the primary owner or the primary lien holder within 10 business days of presenting all the required documentation to DC DMV.
The official words
“Your DC DMV vehicle title will be mailed to the primary owner or the primary lien holder, within 10 business days of presenting all the required documentation to DC DMV.”
What if the car comes from another state?
New residents have
60 days
“If you move to the District, you have 60 calendar days from the date you begin to live in DC to register your vehicle with DC DMV.”
In plain English
An out-of-state driver license must first be converted to a District of Columbia driver license or non-driver identification card.
The official words
“You must first convert your out-of-state driver license to a District of Columbia driver license or non-driver identification card.”
A person who moves to the District has 60 calendar days from the date of beginning to live in DC to register the vehicle with DC DMV.
The official words
“If you move to the District, you have 60 calendar days from the date you begin to live in DC to register your vehicle with DC DMV.”
What about tax on the purchase in District of Columbia?
In plain English
On the DMV's title and excise tax fee page, rates are applied to the vehicle's fair market value at the time of application, as defined by the current National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) guide for the Eastern Region. The rates are determined by both the vehicle's unladen weight and its city mpg.
The official words
“Rates are applied to the fair market value (as defined by the current National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Business Guide for the Eastern Region) of the vehicle at the time of application”
“Tax rates/fees are determined by both vehicle unladen weight and mpg city”
We don’t work out tax for District of Columbia.
A calculator on a state or county government site: Vehicle Registration and Title Fee Estimator (dmv.dc.gov).
What does a gift or family transfer change in District of Columbia?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for District of Columbia. That is about our reading, not about District of Columbia’s rules.
What happens if the transfer is late in District of Columbia?
Nothing on this in the official pages we read for District of Columbia. That is about our reading, not about District of Columbia’s rules.
What the pages we read do not cover
The quotes we hold do not print the excise tax rates themselves.
They do not give a deadline for a buyer who already lives in the District, or a late penalty.
They do not cover gifts or transfers within a family.
How District of Columbia compares
The title fee quoted for District of Columbia is $30. Of the other 37 states with a figure, 26 states quote less, 10 states quote more and 1 state quotes the same. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
LowerHigher
The states whose flat title fee sits closest to District of Columbia’s. Each figure is copied from the quote at the top of that state’s page, with its source and read date. A title fee is one line, not the whole cost.
Every state in one table · How a title transfer works
Add it up for District of Columbia
Reference only, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with the agency. Full statement
Sources
17 quoted lines from 5 official sources, each matched word for word on November 12, 2026. The state’s own titling page is dmv.dc.gov.
- DC Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Title and Excise Tax Fees · dmv.dc.gov
- DC Department of Motor Vehicles, Registration of a New or Used Vehicle · dmv.dc.gov
- DC Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Registration Fees · dmv.dc.gov
- Code of the District of Columbia, section 50-2201.03 (title fees; excise tax) · code.dccouncil.gov
- DC Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Titles · dmv.dc.gov