Texas doc fee: $225 is presumed reasonable
What a Texas dealer may charge for paperwork, and how to check the fee on your quote.
- Presumed reasonable
- $225
- Kind of limit
- Not a hard limit
- In force since
- July 11, 2024
- On the quote it may read
- Documentary fee, Doc fee
- Sales tax on the fee
- No
- Must be shown with
- A notice that the fee is not an official fee and not required by law
- Same fee for
- Cash buyers and credit buyers
- Law
- Tex. Fin. Code 348.006Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner
- Checked
- September 29, 2026
Have a quote? See how its doc fee compares with the amount your state presumes reasonable, along with every other fee on it.
Reading the fee on your quote
- Above $225
- The dealer must first send the state a notice and a cost analysis.
- At or under $225
- Presumed reasonable. Dealers rarely drop it.
- What to ask for
- A lower price or a lower out-the-door total.
Questions about the Texas doc fee
What is the doc fee limit in Texas?
Texas sets no hard limit. A documentary fee of $225 or less is presumed reasonable under Tex. Fin. Code 348.006. Above $225: the dealer must first send the state a notice and a cost analysis.
Is the doc fee taxed in Texas?
No. Texas does not charge sales tax on the documentary fee.
When did Texas raise the amount from $150 to $225?
On July 11, 2024. The Finance Commission chose not to tie the amount to inflation, so it stays $225 until the rule changes.
Can the doc fee be negotiated in Texas?
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.