In California the fees vary based on the value of the vehicle at the time
of first registration. My 1966 MGB was registered in my name in 1988 with
a purchase price of $700 or $800 (I forget). Here's the fee breakdown
from 1999:
Registration Fee $30 (fixed amount)
Vehicle License Fee (VLF) $8 (varies with value -- see below)
Weight Fee $0 (apparently not applicable)
Special Plate Fee $0 (if you have a commemorative license plate design)
County/District Fees $8 (also vary)
Owner Responsibility Fee $0 (no idea -- obviously not applicable to
LBC owners!)
VLF Offset -$2 (see rant below)
TOTAL DUE $44
This "VLF Offset" negative-dollar figure is due to a shameless
election-year voter-pandering scheme called the "Car Tax Rebate",
announced with much ballyhoo. The state legislature, in a pathetic
display, jumped on the opportunity to get on the books with a "tax cut",
and rolled back the VLF by 25%, thus generating a massive $2 rebate for
yours truly (whoop-de-doo!), while consumers of luxury imports and
massive gas-guzzlers got rebates ranging up into 3 figures, all while
depriving the state of something like $1.5 billion in revenues (which, in
the best of all possible worlds, would be used to repair and maintain
some of the miserable state highways). This might be called regressive
non-taxation. Obviously, I have no complaint about the measly $44 fee
total. It just irks me that the big cuts went to the fat cats. Just for
the record, the total in 1988 was $25.
KGROWLER@aol.com had this to say:
>Yesterday I went to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office (which in most
>other states I have resided in would be called the Department of Motor
>Vehicles) to change the title of a '65 Midget I bought last spring into my
>name. Normally I wouldn't bother with a car that I am not putting plates on
>and driving. I usually just hang on to the signed off title until I need to
>plate it. The change of plans was precipitated by a new fee schedule going
>in
>to effect Jan. 1. The cost of converting a title is currently $13. Next week
>it jumps to $65! Annual plates jump as well. This makes me curious as to
>what
>similar fees are elsewhere. I know the $48 annual plate fee we were paying
>is
>relatively cheap. It is jumping to $78 which still isn't bad compared to
>some
>states. What kind of fees are assessed in other states, provinces and
>countries?
>
>Kim Tonry
>Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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