A motor vehicle dealer may charge a negotiable documentary fee ("doc fee") to prepare and complete title and registration paperwork, to collect and submit taxes, to prepare any other information associated with titling and registering a vehicle, and to comply with federal and state laws and regulations relating to the privacy and safeguarding of customer information requirements, providing financial services to the customer and preparation and retrieval of documents.

On January 12, 2023, the maximum allowable documentary fee increased to $374 for processing title work manually and $449 for processing title work online. 

The documentary fee is non-taxable; may be excluded from a dealer’s advertised price for the sale of a vehicle; is a negotiable item, so the actual dollar amount may not be pre-printed on the buyer’s order; is a dealer-imposed charge, not a state-mandated fee; and must be disclosed on a sign in the dealership.

The documentary fee will continue to be adjusted annually in accordance with the Federal Consumer Price Index. If a dealership’s documentary fee exceeds the permissible charge, the Attorney General’s Office may consider the charge to be deceptive as to what services are being performed and may find the charge subject to enforcement action.