Official fees
Delaware registration fee chart
Passenger car / truck
$40.00
per year
Motorcycle
$15.00
per year
Trailer, 0–1,000 lbs
$15.00
per year
Trailer, 1,001–2,000 lbs
$20.00
per year
Trailer, 2,001–5,000 lbs
$40.00
per year
Fully electric vehicle surcharge
$110.00/yr
≤6,000 lbs GVW
Plug-in hybrid surcharge
$85.00/yr
≤6,000 lbs GVW
Hybrid (non-plug-in) surcharge
$60.00/yr
≤6,000 lbs GVW
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - counties can add small local fees.
Step by step
How to register a vehicle in Delaware
- 1
Get Delaware liability insurance in place before you go - the DMV verifies it on the spot.
- 2
Bring the title (or dealer paperwork), proof of insurance, and ID to a DMV service center.
- 3
New-to-Delaware vehicles in their first 7 model years usually only need a VIN check, not a full inspection.
- 4
Pay the base registration fee plus any alternative-fuel surcharge that applies.
- 5
Plates and registration card are issued the same visit for most passenger vehicles.
- Car / truck
- $40/yr
- Motorcycle
- $15/yr
- County add-ons
- None, anywhere
- Electric vehicle fee
- $110/yr
- Hybrid fee
- $60–$85/yr
Overview
The one add-on to know about is the alternative-fuel vehicle (AFV) fee that took effect October 1, 2025: $110 a year for a fully electric car under 6,000 lbs, $85 for a plug-in hybrid, and $60 for a regular (non-plug-in) hybrid, replacing the gas-tax revenue those vehicles don't generate. Trailers scale by weight instead of a flat rate. Use the calculator below for your exact vehicle.
Same state, other costs
More Delaware vehicle costs
Common questions
Delaware registration fees FAQ
- How much does it cost to register a car in Delaware?
- $40 a year for a standard passenger car or truck - flat, statewide, no county fee. A fully electric car adds $110 a year, a plug-in hybrid adds $85, and a regular hybrid adds $60, all for vehicles up to 6,000 lbs GVW.
- Why don't Delaware's fees vary by county the way other states' do?
- Delaware only has three counties and runs vehicle registration entirely through the state DMV rather than county tax offices, so there's never been a mechanism for counties to add their own vehicle fee on top. What you see in the Delaware Code is what everyone pays.
- What's the new alternative-fuel fee about?
- Effective October 1, 2025 under 21 Del. C. §2151A, Delaware added an annual surcharge on EVs, plug-in hybrids, and regular hybrids to replace the gas-tax revenue those vehicles don't pay into the Transportation Trust Fund. It's billed alongside the regular $40 registration, not instead of it.
- How much is it to register a heavier truck or a trailer over 5,000 lbs?
- Trailers step up in $5-per-1,000-lb increments past the first 1,000 lbs ($15 base). Commercial trucks and heavier alternative-fuel vehicles move into higher weight brackets - up to $900 a year for an alt-fuel vehicle over 26,000 lbs - on a separate weight-tiered schedule from the passenger-car rate.
- Do motorcycles pay the alternative-fuel surcharge too?
- Yes, but it's a flat $15 a year regardless of weight class - electric, plug-in, or otherwise - on top of the $15 base motorcycle registration.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
