Registration Fees by Vehicle Type

All vehicles must be registered to legally be driven in Iowa.  The annual registration fees are determined by Iowa Code sections 321.109 and 321.115 through 321.124 and are to be paid to the county treasurer’s office in the county of residence.

A summary of registration fees by vehicle type has been provided below:

Ambulance - Motor vehicle equipped with life support systems used for transporting sick or injured persons needing medical care to medical facilities.
$50 

Antique Vehicles - Motor vehicle 25 years old or older
Purchased/Transferred on or after January 1, 2009:

• Standard minimum fee for the vehicle type applies

Grandfather Clause – Titled/Registered prior to January 1, 2009

• Model Year 1970-1983 - $23
• Model Year 1969 & older - $16

Autocycle - An autocycle is a three-wheeled vehicle that has a steering wheel and seating that does not require the operator to straddle or sit astride.  These vehicles typically have bucket seats, seat belts, a steering wheel, and gas and brake pedals similar to a car.

​Buses - Excluding church, private school and transit bus
Fee is formulated based on gross weight of empty vehicle plus 150 pounds multiplied by the number of passenger seats in the vehicle.

Bus Fees Chart

Church Bus
$25

Private-School Bus
No Fee – Plates Issued at State Level

Transit Bus
No Fee – Plates Issued at State Level

Electric Vehicles - Fee is based on weight and list price of the vehicle.  Beginning with January 2020 renewals, an additional supplemental registration fee will be imposed on Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicles as required by the Iowa Legislature, HF767.  The purpose of the supplemental registration fee is to mitigate the impact of those vehicles generating little to no fuel tax used to fund Iowa roads.  The supplemental registration fee will be phased in over three years beginning January 1, 2020.

The formula to calculate the registration fee for electric vehicles is as follows:  $0.40 per hundred pounds of vehicle weight, plus a percentage of the vehicle list price (reduced for older model years), plus the supplemental registration fee (based on vehicle type and phased in period).

Registration Fee Based on List Price and Age of Vehicle

Supplemental Registration Fee for Passenger Electric Vehicles - phased in over three years beginning January 1, 2020

Example - January 2022 Renewal of a 2019 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

Hearse
$50 

Motor Homes

Motorcycle

* Beginning with January 2020 renewals, an additional supplemental registration fee will be imposed on Battery Electric and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Motorcycles as required by the Iowa Legislature, HF767.  The purpose of the supplemental registration fee is to mitigate the impact of those vehicles generating little to no fuel tax used to fund Iowa roads.  The supplemental registration fee will be phased in over a three year period as outlined in the following table:

Supplemental Registration Fee for Battery Electric (BEV) and Plug-in Electric (PHEV) Motorcycles - phased in over three years beginning January 1, 2020

Motorized Bicycle or Moped
$7

Motorsport/Recreational Vehicle
$400

Multipurpose Vehicle - 1992 and older models
$55 - Examples: Chevrolet Blazer, Ford Bronco, IHC Scout, AMC Jeep CJ, and Dodge Ram Charger.

$60 - Special Equipped

321.109 - A multipurpose vehicle that has permanently installed equipment manufactured for and necessary to assist a person with a disability, who is either the owner or a member of the owner's household, in entering and exiting the vehicle, or if the owner or a member of the owner's household uses a wheelchair as his/her only means of mobility, the annual registration fee is $60.

Specially Equipped Vehicle Owner's Certification

Passenger cars (excluding Battery Electric & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles), low speed vehicles, 1993 and newer multipurpose vehicles, & 2010 and newer model year trucks (10K or less)
(Pertains to all vehicles where the registration fees are based on weight and list price of the vehicle.)

The formula is calculated as follows:  $0.40 per hundred pounds of vehicle weight, plus

Example: Weight: 3,000 pounds, list price: $18,500

Special Truck & Truck Tractor
Special Truck Fees Chart

Semi-Trailer (includes 5^th wheel and goose-neck) - Some part of the weight of the semi-trailer and load rests upon the towing vehicle.  Trailers more than 2,000 lbs.
$30

Regular Trailer - Less than 2,000 lbs.
$20

Travel Trailer - Designed as a place of human habitation for vacation or recreational purposes.  Based on square footage of floor space rounded to nearest whole dollar.

Regular Truck, Truck Tractor and Buses
Gross weight or combined gross weight of combination of vehicles. Certain motor trucks registered for 6 tons or less, towing trailers or semi trailers, not for hire, are exempt from registration for combined gross weight.

Regular Truck Fees Chart

Business Trade Truck
A business trade truck is 2010 model year or newer and weighs 10k or less and owned by a Corp., LLC, or Partnership, or by a person who files a schedule C or schedule F form with IRS which is eligible for depreciation under the IRS Code.

Leased - Same above criteria except: The lessee is a Corp, LLC, or Partnership and the truck is used primarily for purposes of the business, or the lessee is a person who files a schedule C or F form with IRS and the truck is used primarily for purposes of the person's own business or farming operation.

Penalties, up to $2,250, apply for falsely registering a vehicle as a business-trade truck. The owner must self-certify on the title application and each renewal to maintain business-trade usage.

Business Trade Truck Chart