Cost to Register a Car After Moving to Vermont
Moving to Vermontmeans re-titling and re-registering your vehicle as a new resident — and usually transferring your license and passing any required inspection first. Here's the full cost and the order to do it in, computed from Vermont's current fee schedule.
One-time costs when you arrive
- Title fee$42.00
- One-time total$42.00
Your ongoing annual cost
For a typical three-year-old gas vehicle, expect about $91.00 per year — driving an EV changes that to $180.00. Vermont charges $91 per year (or $167 per two years) for gas passenger vehicles after the roughly 20% fee increase under Act 62, including the Clean Air fee. Since January 2025, battery EVs pay an $89 annual infrastructure fee (about $178 total) and plug-in hybrids $44.50. A 6% purchase and use tax applies at titling.
Inspection you'll need before Vermont will register it
Vermont requires a annual safety inspection and an emissions/smog test (about $50–$75). You must pass it before the state will issue or renew your registration, so budget the time as well as the fee. Vermont requires an annual safety inspection with an OBD emissions check (vehicles 16 model years and newer) to register.
Transfer your out-of-state driver's license
New residents also swap their license. In Vermont a license runs $51.00 to transfer, then $51.00 to renew every 4 years, issued by the Vermont DMV. A REAL ID-compliant license costs no extra. Do this before you register — most states want a local license or proof of residency on the registration application.
Before you budget
- EV/PHEV infrastructure fees took effect January 1, 2025.
Estimate your exact Vermont cost
Your vehicle
- Base registration fee$91.00
- Title fee$42.00
Estimate only — actual fees are set by your state and county at the time of registration. Data last reviewed 2026-07-16.
All figures computed from official fee schedules — sources: https://dmv.vermont.gov/registrations/fees — last reviewed 2026-07-16.