Maryland doc fee limit: $800 in 2026
What a Maryland dealer may charge for paperwork, and how to check the fee on your quote.
- Limit
- $800
- Kind of limit
- Legal maximum
- In force since
- July 1, 2024
- On the quote it may read
- Dealer processing charge, Processing fee, Doc fee
- Sales tax on the fee
- Yes
- Electronic registration fee
- Separate, $20 at most
- Must be shown as
- Dealer processing charge (not required by law)
- Law
- Md. Code, Transportation 15-311.1Maryland General Assembly
- Checked
- September 29, 2026
Have a quote? See how its doc fee compares with your state's limit, along with every other fee on it.
Reading the fee on your quote
- Above $800
- The part above $800 is over the legal maximum.
- At or under $800
- The fee is allowed. Dealers rarely drop it.
- What to ask for
- A lower price or a lower out-the-door total.
Questions about the Maryland doc fee
What is the doc fee limit in Maryland in 2026?
Maryland limits the dealer dealer processing charge to $800 under Md. Code, Transportation 15-311.1. The figure has been in force since July 1, 2024.
Can a dealer in Maryland charge more than $800?
No. $800 is the legal maximum for the dealer processing charge. Other charges on a quote, such as registration and title, are separate from it.
Is the doc fee taxed in Maryland?
Yes. Maryland charges sales tax on the dealer processing charge.
When did the Maryland processing charge go from $500 to $800?
On July 1, 2024. The limit had been $500 since July 1, 2020. The figure is set in the statute and does not rise with inflation.
Can the doc fee be negotiated in Maryland?
Rarely. Dealers charge every buyer the same fee. The ask that works is a lower price or a lower out-the-door total, which holds the fee.