Overview
Five counties (Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Cache) add a $3 air-quality fee for emissions oversight, and eleven counties add a separate $10 corridor-preservation fee for road planning. Pick your vehicle, county, and age below to see the real total - a 1-year-old car in Salt Lake County runs close to $211 a year; the same car at 13 years old drops to about $71.
01 - Official fees
Utah registration fees fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base registration (car/truck ≤14,000 lbs) | $44.00 | |
| Base registration (street motorcycle) | $46.00 | |
| Uninsured motorist identification fee | $1.00 | |
| Driver education fee | $2.50 | |
| Air quality (APC) fee | $3.00 | Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Cache counties |
| County corridor preservation fee | $10.00 | 11 participating counties |
| Uniform fee - 0–2 yrs / 3–5 / 6–8 / 9–11 / 12+ | $150 / $110 / $80 / $50 / $10 | |
| Uniform fee - motorcycle, same brackets | $95 / $70 / $50 / $35 / $10 | |
| Alternative-fuel fee - hybrid / plug-in / EV | $21.75 / $56.50 / $180.00 |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) - counties can add small local fees.
02 - Step by step
How registration is billed in Utah
- 1
The DMV looks up your vehicle's model year to find its uniform-fee bracket - no appraisal or assessor visit needed.
- 2
It adds the flat base fee ($44 car, $46 motorcycle) and the small statutory add-ons.
- 3
If you're in one of the emissions or corridor-preservation counties, those fees stack on automatically.
- 4
EV, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid owners get the alternative-fuel fee added - or an EV owner can request enrollment in the Road Usage Charge program instead.
- 5
Everything is billed as one line at renewal, due annually on your assigned month.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Utah vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Utah registration fees FAQ
How much does it cost to register a car in Utah per year?
For a car 3–5 years old in a standard county with no add-on fees: $44 base + $1 uninsured motorist fee + $2.50 education fee + $110 uniform fee = $157.50. In Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, or Weber County, add the $10 corridor fee and $3 air-quality fee for $170.50.
Why does my neighbor's near-identical car cost so much more to register than mine?
Almost certainly vehicle age. Utah's uniform fee is the biggest line on the bill and it drops every three years - $150 for a car under 3 years old falls to $110, then $80, $50, and finally $10 once the car turns 12. Two otherwise-identical cars four years apart in age can differ by $60–$100 a year just from that fee.
Do trucks and SUVs pay the same as cars?
Yes, as long as they're 14,000 lbs gross vehicle weight or under - that covers essentially every consumer pickup, SUV, and van. Heavier commercial trucks fall under a separate percentage-of-value uniform fee instead of the age-based schedule.
What's the air quality fee and who actually pays it?
It's a flat $3 charged only in the five counties that run vehicle emissions programs - Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, and Cache. It funds the inspection and monitoring infrastructure; drivers elsewhere in the state don't see it on their bill.
How is the EV fee different from the hybrid fee?
Hybrids that don't plug in pay $21.75 a year, plug-in hybrids pay $56.50, and fully electric vehicles pay $180 - all meant to replace the gas tax those vehicles don't pay at the pump. EV owners uniquely get an opt-out: enroll in the Road Usage Charge program and pay 1.25 cents per mile instead, capped at $180, which beats the flat fee if you drive under about 14,000 miles a year.
Does Utah still require a safety inspection to register?
No - Utah eliminated routine safety inspections for private passenger vehicles effective January 1, 2018. A handful of exceptions remain: rebuilt/salvage titles, first-time street-legal ATV registrations, and three-axle motorhomes still need one.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.