Michigan electric vehicle fee
Michigan charges $267 a year on an electric car, on top of everything a gas car pays.
How much is the Michigan EV registration fee?
$267 a year. It sits on top of the ordinary registration.
Michigan charges an electric vehicle fee of $267 a year for a passenger vehicle ($367 for trucks and buses) on top of the registration tax, when you register, renew or move a plate onto an EV. A plug-in hybrid pays $113 instead. The Secretary of State lists these fees only for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. source 4
| Fuel type | Extra per year |
|---|---|
| Gas or diesel | Nothing |
| Electric | $267 |
What Michigan's $267 adds up to
$267 once sounds minor. Multiply it by the years you will own the car and the Michigan figure starts to matter.
| Years owned | Extra paid for driving electric in Michigan |
|---|---|
| 1 | $267 |
| 3 | $801 |
| 5 | $1,335 |
| 10 | $2,670 |
The offset is fuel tax you no longer pay. A high-mileage driver easily spends more than $267 a year in gas tax, so they gain; a light-mileage driver in Michigan can end up paying more through this charge than they ever would at the pump.
What the Michigan charge is for
In Michigan the charge is $267 a year, on top of whatever the registration itself costs.
Behind the number is a simple argument. Fuel tax funds the roads, an electric car pays none because it buys no gas, so Michigan bills a flat charge in its place. More on why states charge it.
Whether the amount is a fair swap is where the states stop agreeing. New Jersey charges $270 and Hawaii charges $50 for the same car doing the same mileage. The reasoning and the full range are set out here.
When you pay it
In Michigan it is charged from the first registration, so it lands in the bill on the day you buy the car rather than a year later.
The calculator on the Michigan registration page applies that rule. Set the fuel type to electric and it shows you the figure in place, with everything else itemized around it.
How Michigan compares
Michigan is 2nd highest of the 41 states that charge an electric car fee.
| State | Electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $270 | Not charged |
| Michigan | $267 | Not charged |
| Indiana | $242 | $81 |
| Ohio | $200 | $150 |
| Wisconsin | $175 | $75 |
| Illinois | $100 | Not charged |
| Hawaii | $50 | Not charged |
Michigan shown against the states next to it and the two ends of the range. All 51 side by side on the EV fee by state page.
Questions about the Michigan EV fee
How much is EV registration in Michigan?
$267 a year on top of the normal registration.
Why is EV registration so expensive in Michigan?
Because the fee is meant to replace the fuel tax an electric car does not pay. Michigan has set that replacement at $267 a year, which is towards the middle of the range. The states have landed on very different numbers for the same argument.
Do electric cars have higher registration fees than gas cars?
In Michigan, yes, by $267 a year. Everything else on the bill is the same.
Is there a federal EV registration fee?
No. There is no federal vehicle registration in the United States at all. Registration is run state by state, which is exactly why the charge on an electric car runs from nothing to $270 depending on where you park it.
Is the Michigan EV fee ever waived?
Not as a general rule. Michigan SOS publishes the fee as applying to electric vehicles at registration, and we are not aware of a published waiver. If you think an exemption applies to you, ask them directly rather than relying on a calculator.
More on registering a car in Michigan
The electric vehicle charge is one line on a longer bill. These pages cover the rest for Michigan:
Nearby states
Or see every state on the EV registration fee by state page.
Where these numbers come from
- Michigan Vehicle Code, MCL 257.801, registration taxes, retrieved 2026-10-11
- Michigan Department of Treasury form 485, instructions for Michigan vehicle dealers collecting sales tax, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Michigan DIFS bulletin 2025-03-CF, documentary preparation fee maximum, retrieved 2026-09-16
- Michigan Secretary of State, License plates and tabs (EV $267, PHEV $113, birthday expiry, 1 and 2 year renewals, Recreation Passport), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Michigan Secretary of State, Titles FAQ (new residents must title and register immediately), retrieved 2026-10-11
- Michigan Secretary of State, Personalized plates ($8 first month, $2 each month after, $15 renewal), retrieved 2026-10-28
- Michigan Secretary of State, Standard plate options, retrieved 2026-10-28
- Michigan Department of State, What’s on your plate? (plates in circulation, legacy plates), December 22, 2025, retrieved 2026-10-28
- Michigan Department of Treasury, Revenue Administrative Bulletin 2018-5 (use tax on vehicles transferred between relatives), retrieved 2026-10-30
Not affiliated with Michigan Department of State. Several states re-set this figure annually, so check the date above.