State of Dealer Fees 2026
We analyzed 89,293 verified out-the-door quotes from 21,559 dealers across the U.S. to reveal what car buyers are actually paying in doc fees, add-ons, and markup. Here's what we found.
Data collected July 2025 — September 2026. Updated in realtime as new quotes are verified.
National Overview
Based on 89,293 verified quotes across 21,559 dealers:
- 90% of dealers include add-ons on their quotes, with an average of $324 in additional products and coverages when present.
- 20 states enforce doc fee caps. Capped states average significantly lower doc fees than uncapped states.
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive doc fees is over $4,468.
Grade Distribution
How do America's dealers stack up? Here's the breakdown across 21,559 rated dealers.
Top 10 Most Transparent Dealers
These dealers consistently deliver the lowest fees, fewest add-ons, and most accurate pricing. Click column headers to sort.
| Rank | Dealer | Grade | Quotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Helfman River Oaks Chrysler Jeep DodgeTX | A 100/100 | 12 |
| #2 | Heidebreicht ChevroletMI | A 100/100 | 6 |
| #3 | HeartlandMO | A 100/100 | 10 |
| #4 | Healey Brothers FordNY | A 100/100 | 8 |
| #5 | Hayward HondaCA | A 100/100 | 21 |
| #6 | Hayford FordMN | A 100/100 | 6 |
| #7 | Hawk Volkswagen Of JolietIL | A 100/100 | 7 |
| #8 | Hawk Chevrolet Of JolietIL | A 100/100 | 6 |
| #9 | Harvey Lexus Of Grand RapidsMI | A 100/100 | 5 |
| #10 | Bayer Auto GroupTX | A 100/100 | 7 |
Top 10 Highest Doc Fees
These dealers charge the most in documentation fees. Some exceed the state average by 2-3x.
| # | Dealer | Doc Fee | Quotes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean CadillacFL | $1,850 | 7 |
| 2 | Midway AutohausIL | $1,663 | 7 |
| 3 | Phil Smith KiaFL | $1,640 | 5 |
| 4 | Coral Springs Buick GMCFL | $1,566 | 12 |
| 5 | Auto Giants NissanVA | $1,499 | 11 |
| 6 | Jim Mckay ChevroletVA | $1,495 | 24 |
| 7 | Luxury Auto CollectionAZ | $1,489 | 13 |
| 8 | Mckay ChevroletMA | $1,450 | 20 |
| 9 | Open Road SubaruNJ | $1,398 | 3 |
| 10 | Titan ChevroletFL | $1,306 | 5 |
Doc Fees by State
Click column headers to sort. States with legislated doc fee caps are marked in Cap.
| State | Avg Doc Fee | Dealers | Avg Score |
|---|---|---|---|
FloridaNo cap | $910 | 1380 | 79/100 |
VirginiaNo cap | $830 | 620 | 83/100 |
Washington DCNo cap | $800 | 1 | 99/100 |
GeorgiaNo cap | $769 | 671 | 82/100 |
MarylandCap $800 | $756 | 393 | 89/100 |
North CarolinaNo cap | $733 | 682 | 84/100 |
ConnecticutNo cap | $714 | 283 | 86/100 |
New JerseyNo cap | $709 | 564 | 82/100 |
AlabamaNo cap | $689 | 305 | 81/100 |
TennesseeNo cap | $673 | 447 | 82/100 |
DelawareNo cap | $628 | 66 | 86/100 |
ColoradoNo cap | $612 | 576 | 74/100 |
KentuckyNo cap | $596 | 240 | 85/100 |
NevadaNo cap | $593 | 192 | 75/100 |
New HampshireNo cap | $578 | 122 | 86/100 |
ArizonaNo cap | $565 | 675 | 74/100 |
VermontNo cap | $556 | 65 | 92/100 |
MassachusettsNo cap | $543 | 428 | 87/100 |
MaineNo cap | $542 | 80 | 93/100 |
OklahomaNo cap | $528 | 218 | 82/100 |
South CarolinaCap $225 | $511 | 291 | 85/100 |
West VirginiaCap $575 | $508 | 97 | 89/100 |
KansasNo cap | $506 | 190 | 83/100 |
MissouriCap $621 | $484 | 352 | 78/100 |
HawaiiNo cap | $474 | 119 | 78/100 |
WyomingNo cap | $471 | 75 | 78/100 |
PennsylvaniaCap $490 | $466 | 844 | 88/100 |
UtahNo cap | $434 | 385 | 78/100 |
LouisianaCap $436 | $422 | 241 | 80/100 |
Rhode IslandCap $400 | $419 | 51 | 89/100 |
WisconsinNo cap | $393 | 421 | 86/100 |
MississippiCap $425 | $389 | 149 | 87/100 |
IdahoNo cap | $385 | 230 | 80/100 |
OhioCap $398 | $384 | 707 | 89/100 |
New MexicoNo cap | $379 | 184 | 70/100 |
IllinoisCap $378 | $365 | 883 | 85/100 |
MinnesotaCap $350 | $328 | 348 | 85/100 |
MontanaNo cap | $320 | 126 | 74/100 |
NebraskaNo cap | $317 | 108 | 74/100 |
MichiganCap $280 | $288 | 512 | 87/100 |
North DakotaNo cap | $282 | 50 | 91/100 |
South DakotaNo cap | $280 | 48 | 79/100 |
AlaskaNo cap | $250 | 42 | 72/100 |
IndianaCap $251 | $242 | 374 | 85/100 |
OregonCap $250 | $231 | 361 | 77/100 |
TexasCap $225 | $225 | 1762 | 81/100 |
WashingtonCap $200 | $209 | 629 | 83/100 |
New YorkCap $175 | $204 | 714 | 83/100 |
IowaCap $180 | $196 | 214 | 83/100 |
ArkansasCap $129 | $133 | 141 | 85/100 |
CaliforniaCap $85 | $112 | 2454 | 77/100 |
Transparency by Brand
How transparent are dealers for each brand? Ranked by number of verified quotes.
Most Common Dealer Add-Ons
These are the most frequently charged add-on items across all verified quotes. Many are negotiable or removable.
💡 Tip: Most add-ons are negotiable. Ask the dealer to remove or reduce these before signing.
Key Findings
Doc Fees Vary Wildly
Doc fees range from $0 to over $2,000 depending on the dealer and state. The national average is $462, but states like Florida average $999 while California averages just $85. Even within the same state, fees vary dramatically between dealers.
Add-ons Are the Hidden Cost
While 71% of dealers charge no mandatory add-ons, those that do average $324in extras like paint protection, nitrogen tire fill, and VIN etching. These are often negotiable — knowing your dealer's track record gives you leverage.
Reviews vs. Reality
Traditional review sites let dealers game ratings through paid programs and selective review solicitation. Our transparency scores are based purely on verified pricing data — what buyers actually paid, not how friendly the salesperson was.
Knowledge Is Leverage
Buyers who compare OTD quotes from multiple dealers save an average of 3-5% off the first price they're quoted. Use the data in this report to know what fees are normal in your state before you step into a dealership.
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Methodology
This report is based on 89,293 verified out-the-door (OTD) price quotes collected between July 2025 and September 2026. Each quote is a real price breakdown from a dealer to a buyer, extracted from quote images using AI and verified for accuracy. Dealer transparency scores weight four factors: fee transparency (30%), add-on behavior (30%), price accuracy (30%), and data quality (10%). Dealers must have at least 1 quote to be scored. Read the full methodology →