District of Columbia / passenger registration and title
DC Vehicle Registration and Title Excise Calculator
DC changed its passenger weight fees on March 30, 2026. An ordinary 3,200-pound passenger car has a $70 annual registration component; a 5,500-pound car has a $300 component. Your title excise uses a different weight basis and city-MPG table. Keep those calculations separate.
The current annual weight schedule
| Manufacturer shipping weight | Annual registration |
|---|---|
| Up to 3,499 lb | $70 |
| 3,500–4,999 lb | $175 |
| 5,000–5,999 lb | $300 |
| 6,000–10,000 lb | $550 |
Above 10,000 pounds, DC lists another $75 per 1,000 pounds over 10,000. The published table does not settle how a partial additional thousand is rounded. Obtain the assessed registration line for that case rather than rounding it yourself. The $70 disability-weight classification requires the weight to result from a disability accommodation and DMV-issued disability tags; having a placard does not establish eligibility.
Battery-electric registration has two separate rules
A brand-new battery-electric passenger vehicle below 5,000 pounds pays $40 in its first two registration years. After those first two years, it returns to the applicable ordinary weight class. A battery EV below 5,000 pounds may also subtract 1,000 pounds from its manufacturer shipping weight when finding that class. Gas-electric and plug-in hybrids do not qualify for either provision.
Worked renewal: an older battery EV with a 4,200-pound shipping weight has a 3,200-pound adjusted registration weight, giving a $70 annual component. A conventional hybrid with the same shipping weight remains in the $175 class. At exactly 5,000 pounds, the battery EV no longer qualifies for the deduction and falls in the $300 class. These are registration components, not predictions of the whole bill.
DC title excise: fair market value and city MPG
The title excise table effective February 17, 2025 applies to the DMV-assessed fair market value, using the vehicle's unladen weight and EPA city fuel economy rounded down to a whole number. A purchase price, combined MPG or electric MPGe is not a substitute. The 1,000-pound EV registration deduction does not change the excise weight.
| Unladen weight | City ≤20 | 21–25 | 26–30 | 31–39 | 40+ | Battery EV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤3,499 lb | 9% | 5% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1% |
| 3,500–4,999 lb | 10% | 6% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 2.5% | 2% |
| ≥5,000 lb | 11% | 7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 3% |
Worked ordinary purchase: a 3,200-pound gas car with EPA city MPG of 24 and an assessed fair market value of $30,000 has $1,500 title excise: $30,000 × 5%. Add the $70 annual registration component and $30 ordinary title for a $1,600 known subtotal. Registration cards, tags, liens and other applicable charges remain unresolved. Electric vehicles are no longer automatically exempt from DC title excise.
If the applicant qualifies for the DC earned income tax credit, a special comparison can change the applicable excise. Enter the DMV-confirmed excise amount for this class. For a previously owned transfer or other exemption, choose the exempt case only after the agency confirms this exact transaction. An unknown exemption is not a zero-dollar tax.
Check the complete assessment before paying
DC lists a registration-card charge separately. We do not silently assume that it is absent or that every transaction owes it. Since December 15, 2025, credit and debit card transactions also carry a 2.5% service fee on the full bill. Multiplying a partial subtotal by that percentage would produce an incomplete payment charge, so the agency's final amount controls.
Primary sources and neighboring systems
- DC DMV registration, excise and payment fee tables
- DC Code §50-1501.03: registration classifications
- DC Code §50-2201.03: motor-vehicle excise
- DC DMV registration and title estimator
- DC DMV title and lien fees
Moving across the District boundary changes the registration system. Maryland uses shipping-weight classes and annual EMS-inclusive amounts; Virginia separates the passenger base from its highway-use fee. Use the jurisdiction where the vehicle must be registered rather than combining these jurisdictions' fee lines.
Updated · Published by DMV Fee Calculator Editorial Team.