12 States That Charge The Highest Fees for Owning an EV

Purchasing an electric vehicle is a great way to save money on gas. However, owning an EV comes with other costs.

For example, 39 states have introduced new registration fees specific to EVs. That is something you should be aware of if you want to make smart car owner moves.

Here are the 12 states that charge the highest EV fees annually. All data comes from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

New Jersey claims the highest EV/hybrid fee in the nation, clocking in at $250 — and it’ll get higher in just a few years when it increases to $290 after July 1, 2028.

Proceeds from this fee are used exclusively for transportation projects.

Michigan is home to the “Motor City” of Detroit, which has a storied history of vehicle production.

EV registration fees range from $140 to $240 and are indexed to inflation, meaning they will rise over time. Proceeds from the fee are earmarked for road maintenance in cities, villages, and other places.

Indiana’s EV fee is $221. For hybrids, you will pay $74. The fee will rise with inflation, with adjustments occurring every five years.

The state uses the money it collects from the fees to maintain roads and bridges.

EV registration fees will set you back $200 annually in Alabama. If you have a hybrid, you will pay $100.

The state uses some of this money to help pay for electric vehicle infrastructure. Other funds are used to construct and maintain roads, highways, and bridges.

In Arkansas, you will pay $200 for an EV. The fee is $50 for a hybrid, and $100 for a plug-in hybrid EV.

The fees the state collects are considered to be “special revenues” and are earmarked for the State Highway and Transportation Department Fund.

If you own a noncommercial alternative fuel vehicle in Georgia, you will pay $200. For commercial vehicles, the fee rises to $300.

This is another state that indexes its fees to inflation. All money that comes in from these fees must be used for transportation purposes, which can include everything from road maintenance to bus and airport needs.

Pennsylvania charges a $200 annual EV registration fee that will rise to $250 in 2026. After that, the fee will be adjusted annually for inflation.

Plug-in hybrids start at $50 in 2025 and increase to $62.50 in 2026, with inflation adjustments thereafter.

All proceeds are used for bridge improvements.

Ohio charges $200 for battery electric vehicles, $150 for plug-in hybrid vehicles, and $100 for hybrid vehicles.

More than half of the money from these fees ends up in a highway operating fund, with the rest divided among municipalities, counties, and townships.

Today, you will pay $200 to register an EV in Tennessee. That cost will bounce up to $274 in 2027 and 2028 and will be adjusted annually for inflation thereafter.

Hybrid vehicles have a $100 annual fee and will be adjusted for inflation beginning in 2028.

Around 60% of the revenues from these fees go into the state highway fund, with the remainder of proceeds going into local funds.

In Texas, registration for a new EV is $400. However, the fee quickly drops to $200 for EVs after the first year of registration.

All fees go to the state’s highway fund.

EV owners pay $200 annually in West Virginia, while hybrid owners pay $100.

Revenues from fees on vehicles powered by hydrogen, natural gas, or electricity-petrochemical combinations go to a state road fund and are used for state bond payments, Division of Highways administration costs, and road maintenance, construction, and improvements.

Electric vehicle fee revenues are deposited into the state’s transportation fund.

Wyoming has a $200 fee for plug-in electric vehicles. All revenues go into the state highway fund.

Driving an EV can lower some costs. For starters, you won’t have to pay high gas prices. If you shop around carefully, you might even save on car insurance.

However, registration fees are one cost you cannot avoid.

If you don’t like the idea of paying around $200 in registration fees, you could move to Colorado or South Dakota: They charge just $50 annually to register an EV, the lowest fees in the U.S.