South Dakota electric vehicle fee
South Dakota charges $100 a year on an electric car, on top of everything a gas car pays.
How much is the South Dakota EV registration fee?
$100 a year. That sits on top of the ordinary $72 registration, so an electric car costs $172 a year to keep on the road where a gas car costs $72.
South Dakota charges a $100 annual fee on a plug-in electric vehicle, one that is charged from an external source, on top of the normal registration. There is no separate fee for a conventional hybrid. source 1
| Fuel type | Extra per year | Total registration |
|---|---|---|
| Gas or diesel | Nothing | $72 |
| Electric | $100 | $172 |
What South Dakota's $100 adds up to
A single year of $100 is easy to wave off. Held over the time most people keep a car, the South Dakota charge is not.
| Years owned | Extra paid for driving electric in South Dakota |
|---|---|
| 1 | $100 |
| 3 | $300 |
| 5 | $500 |
| 10 | $1,000 |
Against that, an electric car pays no fuel tax, which is the whole reason South Dakota charges it. Whether you come out ahead comes down to your mileage: a gas car pays fuel tax on every gallon, so the more you drive, the more the $100 looks like a bargain, and a car that barely leaves the garage pays more than its share.
What the South Dakota charge is for
In South Dakota the charge is $100 a year, on top of whatever the registration itself costs.
The reasoning is the same one every state uses. Roads are paid for out of fuel tax, collected a few cents at a time at the pump, and an electric car uses those roads while buying no fuel. The annual charge stands in for the fuel tax it never pays. 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota compares
South Dakota is 36th highest of the 41 states that charge an electric car fee.
| State | Electric | Plug-in hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $270 | Not charged |
| Minnesota | $150 | $75 |
| Nebraska | $150 | $75 |
| Montana | $130 | $70 |
| South Dakota | $100 | Not charged |
| Hawaii | $50 | Not charged |
South Dakota 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 South Dakota EV fee
How much is EV registration in South Dakota?
$100 a year on top of the normal registration, so $172 in total against $72 for a gas car.
Why is EV registration so expensive in South Dakota?
Because the fee is meant to replace the fuel tax an electric car does not pay. South Dakota has set that replacement at $100 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 South Dakota, yes, by $100 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 South Dakota EV fee ever waived?
Not as a general rule. South Dakota DOR 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 South Dakota
The electric vehicle charge is one line on a longer bill. These pages cover the rest for South Dakota:
Nearby states
Or see every state on the EV registration fee by state page.
Where these numbers come from
- South Dakota DOR, All Vehicles – Title, Fees & Registration, retrieved 2026-10-17
- South Dakota DOR, Non-Commercial Vehicle License Fee schedule, retrieved 2026-10-17
- SDCL 32-5B-1, motor vehicle excise tax (4%), retrieved 2026-10-17
- South Dakota Codified Laws 32-5-2.6 (renewal up to 90 days early), retrieved 2026-10-17
- Fall River County Treasurer, transferring an out-of-state title already in your name (tax credit rules), retrieved 2026-10-17
- SDCL 32-3-18.2, $100 administration fee for out-of-state applicants (from July 1, 2024), retrieved 2026-10-17
- South Dakota Codified Law 32-5-9, retrieved 2026-10-22
- South Dakota Codified Laws 32-5B-2, motor vehicle excise tax exemptions, retrieved 2026-10-30
Not affiliated with South Dakota Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division. Several states re-set this figure annually, so check the date above.