What it actually costs to license and run an independent used-car lot, state by state — the license fee, the surety bond, the documentation-fee cap, and the sales-tax rules that change what each deal owes. One consolidated, sourced reference instead of fifty scattered pages.
Computed straight from the table below — bond figures are the minimum required in each state.
Sort by state, bond, or doc-fee cap. You pay a bond premium of about 1–5% a year, not the full bond. A “Verified” badge means the fee and bond were checked against the state agency; “Bond only” means confirm the current license fee with your state.
| State | License fee | Surety bond | Doc-fee cap | Sales-tax quirks | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AlabamaBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
AlaskaBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | — |
ArizonaVerified Retail bond $100,000; wholesale-only $25,000. | $15 + $100 | $100,000 retail / $25,000 wholesale | — | Standard | Guide |
ArkansasBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | $129 | Standard | — |
CaliforniaVerified Lowest doc-fee cap in the country. | $175 + fees | $50,000 | $85 ($70 non-partner) |
| Guide |
ColoradoVerified | $455 | $50,000 | — | Standard | Guide |
ConnecticutBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | — |
DelawareBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
FloridaVerified No cap — dealers commonly charge $800–$999. | $75 | $25,000 | No statutory cap |
| Guide |
GeorgiaVerified Bond raised to $50,000 (Jul 2026). | $170 | $50,000 | — |
| Guide |
HawaiiBond only | Verify with state | $25,000–$100,000 (by volume) | — |
| — |
IdahoBond only | Verify with state | $20,000 | — | Standard | — |
IllinoisVerified | $1,000 / $500 | $50,000 | ~$378 (CPI-indexed) |
| Guide |
IndianaBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | $251 (CPI-indexed) | Standard | Guide |
IowaBond only | Verify with state | $75,000 | $180 | Standard | — |
KansasBond only | Verify with state | $30,000 | — | Standard | — |
KentuckyBond only | Verify with state | $15,000 | — |
| — |
LouisianaBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 (2-year) | $436 (CPI-indexed) | Standard | Guide |
MaineBond only | Verify with state | $25,000–$100,000 (by volume) | — | Standard | — |
MarylandVerified Highest statutory doc-fee cap in the country. | $450 + $100/tag | $15,000–$150,000 (by volume) | $800 | Standard | Guide |
MassachusettsVerified | Up to $200 | $25,000 | — | Standard | Guide |
MichiganBond only | Verify with state | $10,000 | $280 or 5% (whichever is less) |
| Guide |
MinnesotaBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | $350 | Standard | — |
MississippiBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
MissouriVerified $100,000 bond if delivering. | $150/yr | $50,000 | $621 (CPI-indexed) | Standard | Guide |
MontanaBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
NebraskaBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | — |
NevadaBond only | Verify with state | $100,000 | — | Standard | — |
New HampshireBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
New JerseyVerified Among the lowest all-in first-year costs. | $100 | $10,000 | — | Standard | Guide |
New MexicoBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | — |
New YorkVerified | ~$487.50 | $20,000+ | $175 |
| Guide |
North CarolinaVerified | $97 | $50,000 | — |
| Guide |
North DakotaBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
OhioVerified Bond raised to $75,000 (Apr 2026); doc-fee cap CPI-indexed. | $100 | $75,000 | $398 or 10% (whichever is less) |
| Guide |
OklahomaBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
OregonBond only | Verify with state | $40,000 | $200 ($250 electronic) | Standard | — |
PennsylvaniaVerified | $190 | $20,000 | $409 ($490 electronic) |
| Guide |
Rhode IslandBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | — |
South CarolinaBond only Vehicle tax is a $500-capped Infrastructure Maintenance Fee, not general sales tax. | Verify with state | $30,000 | — |
| Guide |
South DakotaBond only | Verify with state | $5,000–$50,000 (by type) | — | Standard | — |
TennesseeVerified Garage-liability insurance ($300,000 min) also required to license. | $600 | $50,000 | — | Standard | Guide |
TexasVerified OCCC $225 safe harbor — above it you must justify the cost. | $700 initial | $25,000 | $225 safe harbor (no hard cap) |
| Guide |
UtahBond only | Verify with state | $75,000 | — | Standard | — |
VermontBond only | Verify with state | $20,000–$35,000 (by volume) | — | Standard | — |
VirginiaVerified | $225 (+$350 fund) | $50,000 | No statutory cap |
| Guide |
WashingtonVerified | $975 | $30,000 | $200 (must disclose negotiable) | Standard | Guide |
West VirginiaBond only | Verify with state | $10,000 | $575 | Standard | — |
WisconsinBond only | Verify with state | $50,000 | — | Standard | Guide |
WyomingBond only | Verify with state | $25,000 | — | Standard | — |
Free to cite and embed with attribution to DealerVLO (https://www.dealervlo.com), under CC BY 4.0. Updated 2026-09-19.
Estimate your own first-year total with the free calculator, dig into your state's specifics, or see how DealerVLO fills the state title and registration forms once you're licensed.