Registration/Plate Renewal: What do you pay?

[artguy]

That time of year for me to renew my Auto Registrations or License Plates.

Just wondering what everyone else has to pay and how often?

In Michigan, I pay the following every year:

1982 BMW 320i = $47.00
2002 VW Jetta = $72.00
1993 Infiniti J30 = $134.00
1994 BMW 530i = $174.00
....plus $18.00 for my drivers' license.

$445.00 just for the privilege of driving. :(

Feels like such a rip off. I believe the fees are based on the original value of the vehicle...but how many years does that need to go? You would think it would start getting less as the car gets older. When a vehicle turns 26 years old you can buy a "historical" plate for $15 and it lasts for 10 years, IIRC, but then you are limited to driving no more than a few thousand miles every year.

[Paul in NZ]

nz is about 250 per year per car not including license or insurance.Insurance is not compulsory.You cannot get your registration renewed if your car does not have a current w.o.f(6 monthly safety inspection at about 40 per inspection),cars less than 5 years old have their inspections annually.You can put registration on hold or buy only 3 months at a time...if you dont renew yur registration you can get a fine of about 250.If yu then go in to renew your registration the period doesnt change..goes from the old renewal date(even if it was 6 months ago) through to 3 6 or 12 month from old renewal date.New cars cost more to register,but the fee is the same regardless of car wether it be a 15,000 daihatsu or 200,000 porsche

[Pang]

For my 1994 530i in Australia I pay $486.30 yearly for registration.

[pundit]

That time of year for me to renew my Auto Registrations or License Plates.

Just wondering what everyone else has to pay and how often?

In Michigan, I pay the following every year:

1982 BMW 320i = $47.00
2002 VW Jetta = $72.00
1993 Infiniti J30 = $134.00
1994 BMW 530i = $174.00
....plus $18.00 for my drivers' license.

$445.00 just for the privilege of driving. :( ...
And you're bitchin?!!!
You yanks have it so good that you DO NOT have a clue!

One car here in Australia would cost you $445.00 each year for resgistration even if it was 30 years old and was only worth $50.00.

AND registration fees are now indexed to the inflation rate so they will NEVER go down.
They will only go UP!

So there's a double kick in your arse.
Your car is worth less and less each year BUT your reg goes UP and UP!!

So those four cars would cost you $2,000.00 a year in Australia.
That doesn't include licence or insurance.

Oh and while we're at it how would you like to pay $8.00 a gallon for gas?
Move to the U.K. and find out.

So... what else would you like to bitch about?
The cost of a hot dog and a coke?
Or how about just shut-the-****-up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


























Of course I mean that in the nicest possible way! :D :D :D

[Ferret]

Hmm as someone above points out we pay $8/gallon in gas, actually probably higher than that now.

My car costs me ~400USD/year in road tax, (vehicles license/plates stay with the car for life) plus every 12 months it has to go for an 100USD MOT safety check.

Amongst various bits and pieces they check everything from the condition of your wiper blades to the underchassis/exhuast - no rust within 2" (dont quote that figure) of any mechanical/structural mounting point.

It's not easy to get a 10-15 year old car through an MOT - especially if it's ECU based and the sensors are starting to wear out. Vicious emissions tests...

[LunatiC]

My licence renewal costs about $50 IIRC (which I probably am not), but registration costs $575ish per year here in Victoria, Australia. I have standard registration plates (standard issue). If I want to personalise my plate, it will cost between 300-600 dollars, the less letters on the plate the more expensive it is.

We can also get euro plates (which I really really want), but to get one that is the next number in the series is $399, while if you want your own combination of 2 letters and 3 numbers you will have to pony up $699 for the privilege. I refuse to get the plates that I want simply because the government has added artificial value to two pieces of metal that are painted in a specific style. Note that this is just to get the plate itself (2 slithers of metal you bolt onto your car), you still need to pay $575 every year (in advance) to drive your car around.

Insurance for my 95 525i is at the $1100 mark, this is because my car has a blue and white badge which in Australia it seems to mean that my car has come from a magical fairy land far far away that requires gold-plated parts and German engineers charging a grand an hour to fix. This despite the fact that if my car gets written off, I will only get $14000 because it is the 'market value' of the car. A year ago the 'market value' was $17500.

When I first bought my car ($15500, yes I know expensive for Aussie market), I was paying $1000 to AAMI (insurance company here in Australia) and the car was valued at $18,500. In one year, AAMI asked $1400 and dropped the value of my car to $14000. So I went to RACV who are better insurance companies anyway and give me ever-so-slightly more value than AAMI.

All part of paying the down-under BMW tax I'm afraid. This is the only thing that shits me off for owning a BMW, and it's not even the car's or company's fault.

[repenttokyo]

as i read the topic i CAN'T help but notice how it's all CHEAPEST in america, and yet americans are always bitching how gas is expensive and how everything else is expensive....are you nuts? ever been outside the redneck zone? let's say europe or anywhere else in the world?

i'm not american, but it's fairly ignorant to call the US the 'redneck zone.' so watch your tongue.

[repenttokyo]

it costs me $255 to license my car here in quebec and over $100 to renew my license to drive.

[dennyg]

That time of year for me to renew my Auto Registrations or License Plates.

Just wondering what everyone else has to pay and how often?

In Michigan, I pay the following every year:

1982 BMW 320i = $47.00
2002 VW Jetta = $72.00
1993 Infiniti J30 = $134.00
1994 BMW 530i = $174.00
....plus $18.00 for my drivers' license.

$445.00 just for the privilege of driving. :(

Feels like such a rip off. I believe the fees are based on the original value of the vehicle...but how many years does that need to go? You would think it would start getting less as the car gets older. When a vehicle turns 26 years old you can buy a "historical" plate for $15 and it lasts for 10 years, IIRC, but then you are limited to driving no more than a few thousand miles every year.
I am in MI too and you should transfer the cheapest plate. Then replate that car. Saves you over a hundred bucks. Only thing is it takes two trips to dmv. Their computer will not recognize transfer until next day. In fact I save over two hundred as I have two bimmers that would cost over 180 and I just plate my junker Ford F150 three times and transfer to the cars.

[filip00]

$445.00 just for the privilege of driving. :(

Feels like such a rip off. I believe the fees are based on the original value of the vehicle...but how many years does that need to go? You would think it would start getting less as the car gets older. When a vehicle turns 26 years old you can buy a "historical" plate for $15 and it lasts for 10 years, IIRC, but then you are limited to driving no more than a few thousand miles every year.


man, shut up! :D

here in croatia our ANNUAL registration for cars is a rip off!

i pay EVERY YEAR for simply insuring my car and paying the taxes, $1000!! for ONE CAR!

[filip00]

as i read the topic i CAN'T help but notice how it's all CHEAPEST in america, and yet americans are always bitching how gas is expensive and how everything else is expensive....are you nuts? ever been outside the redneck zone? let's say europe or anywhere else in the world?

[Ross]

$78 in Illinois. $%^$^%$ oppressive government!!

[artguy]

...(trying to snuff out the flames)

Sorry I didn’t mean to start an international incident. :D

Thanks for the comments though (seriously!) I was hoping to hear what it is like outside the states. That's why I posted this here.

Believe me, I do feel fortunate to have cheaper costs in the USA and I don’t take them for granted. I am amazed at the costs others are forced to pay in Europe, Australia, Canada and elsewhere.

My main complaint was costs between the states. Each state is able to develop their own laws and systems for car registration and insurance. The costs vary greatly from state to state. It's almost like different countries at times.

[Ross]

Redneck zone? Perhaps you'll want to take that back.

[Traian]

It's $74 annually here in Ontario :)

But the insurance is over $2K for liability only so that stops me from putting too broad of a smile on my face.

Anyway, just because a person's getting a better deal doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to complain anymore. I know this isn't completely true or fair, since governments find a way despite their best intentions to look out for their own interests first, but maybe if everyone who's living with $8/gallon gas or $500 road taxes had complained more they wouldn't be in that situation.

[Black 535i]

...but that is with vanity plates (letters only), would be $92.50 with personalized (letters and numbers).

[Dave M]

Wow, do I feel fortunate to live where I do (for more than just transportation reasons).

Here in Northern Ontario, I pay ~$75 a year for registration, regardless of cost of age/vehicle. Licenses last at least five years and I can’t remember what they cost to renew, so it can’t be much. My insurance is less than$500/ year per vehicle (all I know is that a pick-up truck, the e34 and my home insurance costs $150 / month). There is no requirement to have periodic inspections or emissions testing. The air and water are also clean as a whistle :D Oh yeah, we live in the city, have four parking spots and no need to pay for parking at work. No traffic jams, little crime, skiing, paddling, hunting, fishing etc. all around us.

Now, if we could just get more jobs, an NHL team and another day off a week………………...

I spent 25 years of my life in Toronto and would never consider returning, poor buggers ;)

Dave M

[filip00]

Redneck zone? Perhaps you'll want to take that back.


sorry ross, i didn't mean to offend anyone, but i can't help but notice what i said before! it's always complaints from america, and you guys have it all! what the hell?

[Ross]

"it's always complaints from america"
That's still a generalization and an incorrect one at that.
I do agree that I for one sometimes lose track of how fortunate I am and that my problems and complaints are trivial.

[Black 535i]

Didn't the government just invent another holiday for you this year? 'Family day' or something? Must be nice to live where they just invent holidays out of boredom? Too bad they don't do that here in Illinois. BTW, just kidding as a former resident of TO.