Motor Vehicles Title and Registration Fees

Below are the standard fees to transfer a vehicle into your name:

• Title Fee = $35.00
• Lien Fee = $20.00
• Fee for new registration = $10.00 plus 5% of the vehicle purchase price or lease tax price.     
  • A bill of sale is required for all vehicle/trailer transfers, including gifts.
• Iowa Registration = Variable.
  • In Iowa, registration rates are based on weight, list price, and year of the vehicle.  However, vehicles that are 12 years or older are generally a flat rate of $50/year (with a few exceptions). 

Title and Registration Penalties apply if you do not title and register your vehicle within 30 days from the date of sale.   

• The title penalty is $10.  The registration penalty is 5% of the registration (minimum of $5). 
• Registration penalty continues to accrue every month until the vehicle is registered.

Iowa  DOT Vehicle Registration & License Plates

You can use the Iowa DOT's Registration Fee Calculator to verify the annual registration fee or estimate title transfer fees. 

Iowa DOT Calculator INstructions

Under Resources on the Iowa DOT Dealer Licenses & Requirements page, click on Registration fee calculators to access the different calculators.

To get started:

• Hover over Tools,
• then click on Dealer Inquiry.

Weight and List Price Calculator

Look up the annual registration fee for vehicles by VIN or by year, make, and model.

Fee Estimator

Estimates all vehicle fees, including the registration fee, title fee, lien fee, and fee for new registration.

• Complete all yellow-highlighted fields: VIN, Purchase Date, Security Interest Holders, Net Purchase Amount, and Registration Expiration
• Other fields may be completed, if applicable.