MA · Registration fee guide
Massachusetts car registration fees
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Massachusetts charges a flat $60 to register a standard passenger car, and the registration is renewed every two years.
Your itemized estimate
Estimate your registration
Use your vehicle details to calculate the listed fees. Amounts reflect the schedule verified in 2026.
Start with the published example below, then adjust the details for your vehicle.
Published example · listed fees
$60.0024-month renewal example
No listed fees for this selection.
- State fees$60.00
- County / local$0.00
- One-time$0.00
View breakdown data
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| State fees | $60.00 |
| County / local | $0.00 |
| One-time | $0.00 |
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Registration fee (2 years, standard passenger plate) | $60.00 |
Estimate only. Includes only the fees listed here; other taxes, penalties or local charges may apply. Confirm with the official agency.
Confirm with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)
Registration fee schedule
Only applicable fees contribute to your estimate. Optional fees are excluded unless selected. One-time fees apply only to new registrations.
| Fee | Amount or rule | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee (2 years, standard passenger plate) | $60.00 Passenger Normal (PAN) plate: $60 registration fee, $60 renewal, renewed every two years. MGL c. 90, s. 33 requires the fee to be collected every two years. Electric plates are also $60 biennially. | All listed vehiclesAll listed vehicles |
| Reserved plate special fee (2 years) | $40.00 Passenger Reserved (PAR) plates add a $40 special fee to the $60 registration ($100 total, renewed biennially). Vanity plates are a different, annual plate type and are not modeled. | OptionalAll listed vehicles; optional |
| Certificate of title | $75.00 RMV Schedule of Fees, Title Fees. | New registrationAll listed vehicles; one-time |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, vehicle in the year before its model year (50% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 1.25% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. Prorated by month for vehicles first registered after January. | Optionalmodel year min: 2027; optional |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, vehicle in its model year (90% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 2.25% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. | Optionalmax age years: 0; model year max: 2026; optional |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, second year (60% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 1.5% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. | Optionalmin age years: 1; max age years: 1; optional |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, third year (40% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 1% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. | Optionalmin age years: 2; max age years: 2; optional |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, fourth year (25% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 0.625% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. | Optionalmin age years: 3; max age years: 3; optional |
| Motor vehicle excise, 1 year, fifth year and later (10% of list price x $25 per $1,000) | 0.25% of vehicle value; minimum $5.00 Annual excise billed by your city or town, not paid to the RMV. Enter the manufacturer's original list price as the vehicle value. MGL c. 60A, s. 1; $5 minimum. | Optionalmin age years: 4; optional |
How Massachusetts fees work
Massachusetts charges a flat $60 to register a standard passenger car, and the registration is renewed every two years. Electric cars on standard plates pay the same $60, with no extra surcharge. A first registration also pays $75 for the certificate of title. Separately, your city or town bills a yearly motor vehicle excise of $25 per $1,000 of value, where value is a set percentage of the manufacturer's original list price that falls from 90% in the model year to 10% from the fifth year on.
The listed registration period is 24 months. Agency information
Cost factors: flat, value, age.
Late registration
The RMV publishes no late renewal fee for passenger registrations. If you owe unpaid excise to your city or town, the RMV marks the registration for non-renewal, and you must pay the RMV a $20 fee on top of the excise to clear it. Unpaid parking tickets and E-ZPass violations also block renewal.
Confirm deadlines and penalties with the agencyWorked example
2022 gas sedan, $25,000 list price, 2026 renewal: $60 registration fee for two years. Not included in the total: the town's yearly excise, which for a car in its fifth year is $25,000 x 10% x $25 / $1,000 = $62.50.
Listed total: $60.00
See the fee rules and sources aboveCommon questions
How are Massachusetts registration fees calculated?
Massachusetts charges a flat $60 to register a standard passenger car, and the registration is renewed every two years. Electric cars on standard plates pay the same $60, with no extra surcharge. A first registration also pays $75 for the certificate of title. Separately, your city or town bills a yearly motor vehicle excise of $25 per $1,000 of value, where value is a set percentage of the manufacturer's original list price that falls from 90% in the model year to 10% from the fifth year on.
Where can I confirm my final registration cost?
Confirm the final amount with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). Its official website is linked below the calculator and in this guide’s sources.
What other limitations should I consider?
The $60 registration covers two years. The motor vehicle excise is a separate yearly bill from your city or town (or the Department of Revenue if the car is garaged outside Massachusetts), so the excise lines are optional and show one year only. The excise uses a percentage of the manufacturer's original list price for the model year, not the purchase price or book value. Enter that list price as the vehicle value; the registration fee itself does not depend on it. The excise is $5 minimum and is prorated by month for a car first registered after January. Some veterans and people with qualifying disabilities are exempt. Electric and hybrid cars pay no extra registration surcharge; Electric plates cost $60 every two years, like standard plates. Not included: sales or use tax on the purchase price (due when you first register), inspection fees, and vanity or other specialty plate fees (vanity plates renew yearly at a different price). The RMV fee schedule is dated May 2025, and the RMV notes fees can change.
Sources and last checked
Sources
- Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles fees Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
- RMV Schedule of Fees (May 2025, PDF) Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
- Passenger registration fees (CSV) Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
- Renew your vehicle or trailer registration Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
- MGL c. 90, s. 33 - Registration fees Massachusetts Legislature
- MGL c. 60A, s. 1 - Motor vehicle excise Massachusetts Legislature
- Motor vehicle excise guide Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Last verified
Fees can change. Confirm your final amount with the official registration agency before paying.
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