PennDOT Form MV-70S is the Bureau of Motor Vehicles’ official schedule of fees — a reference chart, not an application — that lists every dollar amount you might owe for a title, registration, plate, lien, or related service in Pennsylvania. You don’t fill it out. You use it to look up what you owe, then send that payment with whatever application form your transaction actually requires. The most recent version is dated January 2026 and is available as a free PDF download from PennDOT’s website.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees
Title and Lien Fees
An original certificate of title costs $72. The same $72 applies to a duplicate title, whether the owner, a lienholder, or a registered dealer requests it. If you finance a vehicle and the lender needs a lien recorded with a new title issued, the combined fee is $108. Renewing a lien without issuing a new title costs $36; renewing a lien with a title issued is $108. Satisfying a lien and receiving a clean title costs $72.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees
Registration Fees for Cars and Motorcycles
A standard passenger vehicle registration is $48 per year. Motorcycle registration is $25. A motor-driven cycle or motorized pedalcycle is $11. School buses and school vehicles cost $45, while ambulances, hearses, and taxis run $104. Special mobile equipment registration is $70. Every non-exempt vehicle also owes a $5 annual local-use fee on top of the registration charge.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees
Weight-Based Fees for Trucks and Trailers
Truck and tractor registration fees scale by registered gross weight, and PennDOT directs you to the full weight table on MV-70S itself for the complete breakdown.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees To look up your fee, use the registered gross weight printed on your current registration card, not the vehicle’s curb weight. That figure reflects total loaded capacity, which is what PennDOT uses to slot you into the correct bracket.
Trailer and semi-trailer fees are set by weight tier:
- 3,000 pounds or less: $7 per year, or $35 for a five-year registration.
- 3,001 to 10,000 pounds: $15 per year, or $75 for five years (effective for registrations expiring July 2025 or later).
- 10,001 pounds or more: $46 per year, or $223 for a permanent registration.
Recreational trailers and recreational cargo trailers use a separate table:
- 8,000 pounds or less: $15 per year, or $75 for five years.
- 8,001 to 13,000 pounds: $44 per year, or $220 for five years.
- 13,001 pounds or more: $115 per year, or $537 for a permanent registration.
Personalized and Specialty Plate Fees
A personal (vanity) registration plate carries a one-time issuance fee of $76 on top of your annual registration charge. You pay that $76 once per plate; replacements of the same plate don’t trigger a second issuance fee. Organization plates cost $25 extra, and street rod plates cost $51 extra, both one-time. Personal organization plates, which combine a vanity message with an organization background, add $100, or $50 if tied to a disability or veteran plate.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Vehicles You can check whether a personalized plate combination is available through PennDOT’s online vehicle services portal before paying.4Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Online Driver and Vehicle Services
Replacement and Miscellaneous Fees
A replacement license plate costs $14. Duplicate registration cards range from free to $7 depending on timing. Requesting one online through PennDOT’s website is free. Requesting it at the same time as a registration renewal, transfer, or plate replacement costs $2. At any other time, a duplicate registration card costs $7.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees
Other line items include $10 for a 20-day hunter permit, $12 for an annual inspection sticker, $10 for a semi-annual inspection sticker, and $119 to restore a suspended motor vehicle registration.2Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees
Which Application Form Goes With Your Payment
MV-70S tells you what you owe. The transaction itself moves on a separate application form, and which one depends on what you’re doing:
- Transferring ownership: Form MV-4ST (Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration), available only through authorized PennDOT agents, plus your Pennsylvania title, driver’s license or photo ID, and proof of insurance.
- Renewing a registration when you’ve lost the renewal notice: Form MV-140.
- Replacing a lost or stolen plate, or getting a duplicate registration card by mail: Form MV-44.
- Getting a duplicate title as the owner: Form MV-38O.
- Changing your address: Form MV-63.
- Requesting a refund for unused registration: Form MV-700.
How to Pay
For online transactions, PennDOT accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.6Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Online Transactions and Payments FAQs For mail-in transactions, make checks and money orders payable to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”7Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pay Your Apportioned and PA Fleet Invoices Do not mail cash. It will not be credited to your account, and PennDOT is not responsible for it.
What It Costs If Your Registration Expires
Driving on an expired registration is a summary offense under Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code. The fine is $75 or double the registration fee, whichever is greater. If the vehicle was registered in Pennsylvania within the previous 60 days, the fine drops to $25. For motor carrier vehicles other than trailers, the reduced fine is $50 if registered within 60 days, and double the maximum possible registration fee if outside that window.8Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Section 1301 Those fines are on top of whatever you still owe for the renewal itself.
Federal Tax Deduction
Pennsylvania’s registration fees are based on vehicle type and weight, not market value. The IRS only allows a personal property tax deduction on Schedule A for the portion of a state registration fee calculated by value. Because Pennsylvania’s fees are flat or weight-based, they do not qualify for the federal itemized deduction. If you itemize, don’t include your PennDOT registration charges on your federal return.