The 2026 Government Fee Index
We verified government fee schedules in all 50 states — across vehicle registration, boats, trailers, LLC maintenance, carry permits, and fishing licenses — and computed what the same typical household pays per year in each. The spread is dramatic: Pennsylvania ($121/yr) versus California ($1,321/yr) — a 11× difference for identical stuff.
Methodology
One scenario, every state: a 3-year-old $35,000 gas car, an 18-foot motorized boat, a utility trailer, a single-member LLC in good standing, a resident fishing license, and a carry permit (renewal cost averaged per year). Recurring state fees only — county/local add-ons, taxes on income, and one-time purchase taxes excluded. Computed July 2026 from the same verified data that powers our calculators.
The full 50-state ranking
| # | State | Vehicle | Boat | Trailer | LLC | Carry permit | Fishing | Total / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $48 | $20 | $15 | $7 | $4 | $28 | $121 |
| 2 | New York | $32 | $15 | $43 | $5 | $3 | $25 | $123 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $30 | $19 | $6 | $30 | $25 | $17 | $127 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $52 | $15 | $9 | $25 | $10 | $19 | $130 |
| 5 | Georgia | $20 | $23 | $12 | $60 | $6 | $15 | $136 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | $85 | $11 | — | $25 | $4 | $20 | $145 |
| 7 | Alaska | $50 | $8 | $15 | $50 | $5 | $20 | $148 |
| 8 | Idaho | $65 | $46 | $5 | — | $3 | $31 | $150 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $74 | $25 | — | — | $19 | $35 | $153 |
| 10 | Kansas | $43 | $14 | $35 | $45 | — | $28 | $164 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $50 | $24 | $9 | $50 | $10 | $24 | $167 |
| 12 | Texas | $80 | $27 | $45 | — | $8 | $30 | $189 |
| 13 | Arkansas | $28 | $5 | $7 | $150 | $11 | $11 | $211 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $93 | $15 | $20 | $50 | $12 | $29 | $219 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | $98 | $60 | — | $25 | $17 | $31 | $231 |
| 16 | Ohio | $36 | $16 | $145 | — | $10 | $25 | $232 |
| 17 | Michigan | $151 | $14 | — | $25 | $23 | $26 | $239 |
| 18 | Montana | $217 | — | — | — | $6 | $31 | $254 |
| 19 | South Dakota | $74 | $35 | $72 | $55 | — | $31 | $267 |
| 20 | Alabama | $186 | $30 | $12 | — | $25 | $17 | $270 |
| 21 | Vermont | $91 | $49 | $63 | $45 | — | $28 | $276 |
| 22 | Utah | $154 | $30 | $38 | $18 | $4 | $40 | $284 |
| 23 | Florida | $46 | $32 | $45 | $139 | $6 | $17 | $285 |
| 24 | Indiana | $214 | $25 | $25 | $16 | — | $23 | $303 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $72 | $28 | $23 | $75 | $100 | $23 | $320 |
| 26 | Illinois | $151 | $17 | $54 | $75 | $30 | $15 | $342 |
| 27 | South Carolina | $336 | $10 | $5 | — | — | $10 | $361 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $318 | $9 | $10 | — | $14 | $10 | $361 |
| 29 | Oregon | $68 | $64 | $63 | $100 | $19 | $50 | $363 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $282 | $52 | — | $15 | $12 | $23 | $384 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $29 | $31 | — | $300 | $6 | $33 | $399 |
| 32 | Arizona | $366 | $30 | — | — | $9 | $37 | $442 |
| 33 | Delaware | $40 | $40 | $40 | $300 | $22 | $9 | $450 |
| 34 | Iowa | $365 | $14 | $30 | $15 | $5 | $22 | $451 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $153 | $34 | $32 | $200 | $15 | $30 | $465 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $345 | $40 | $20 | $60 | $10 | $27 | $502 |
| 37 | Colorado | $332 | $61 | $45 | $25 | $13 | $45 | $521 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $476 | $31 | — | — | $15 | $25 | $547 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $471 | $20 | $8 | $13 | $10 | $38 | $559 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $369 | $34 | $24 | $100 | $2 | $45 | $574 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $406 | $20 | $115 | $15 | $13 | $6 | $575 |
| 42 | Maine | $385 | $46 | $20 | $85 | $9 | $30 | $575 |
| 43 | Washington | $402 | $33 | $32 | $70 | $6 | $40 | $583 |
| 44 | Missouri | $574 | $18 | — | — | $10 | $14 | $617 |
| 45 | Maryland | $192 | $35 | $81 | $300 | $25 | $32 | $665 |
| 46 | Virginia | $566 | $12 | $29 | $50 | $10 | $23 | $689 |
| 47 | Connecticut | $533 | $60 | $10 | $80 | $14 | $28 | $725 |
| 48 | Nevada | $492 | $25 | $24 | $350 | $13 | $40 | $944 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | $380 | $33 | $100 | $500 | $17 | $40 | $1,070 |
| 50 | California | $355 | $10 | — | $810 | $82 | $65 | $1,321 |
What moved in 2025–26
- Washington raised hunting and fishing license fees ~38% in July 2025 — the first increase since 2011 — and its vehicle sales-tax rate hit 7.0% in January.
- Kansas went the other way: LLC formation was cut from $160 to $85 and carry-permit renewals became free.
- New Jersey cut business formation fees to $100 in July 2026 — while remaining the most expensive state to maintain a carry permit ($200 every 2 years).
- California's $800 minimum LLC franchise tax keeps it the most expensive state for small-business fees, at over $4,100 across five years.
- Marylanddoubled its title fee to $200 and raised its excise tax to 6.5%; its $300 LLC annual report remains among the nation's highest.
Cite this data
Free to use with attribution (CC-BY 4.0). Suggested citation: "RegistryFee 2026 Government Fee Index, registryfee.com/guides/government-fee-index-2026 (verified July 2026)". Read how we verify every fee. Custom cuts of the data for journalists: admin@registryfee.com.
All figures computed from official state fee schedules verified July 17, 2026.