Alaska DMV fees and vehicle registration tax

A tax set by each municipality

The motor vehicle registration tax is a local tax that the DMV collects for the cities and boroughs that choose it under AS 28.10.431, and it replaces any local property or use tax on the vehicle. Each municipality sets its own schedule by age. The DMV chart for 2026 shows $150 for a new car in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough, down to $70 from the eighth year; $140 down to $30 in the Kenai Peninsula Borough; a flat $70 in Juneau; and the highest amounts in Kodiak, from $300 for a new vehicle. A car counts as one year old during its model year and ages every January 1.

Buying used: the registration comes with the car

When a vehicle already registered in Alaska is sold, its registration moves to the new owner, and the registration tax is not charged again until the next renewal. The buyer only pays the $15 title, plus $15 more to record a lien when the purchase is financed. The catch is that an expired registration also transfers: if the seller let it lapse, the fees are calculated from the expiration date, so check the sticker before agreeing on a price.

Local sales taxes and the rest of the bill

Alaska has no statewide sales tax, but many cities and boroughs outside Anchorage levy one, with their own rates, exemptions and sometimes a limit per sale, collected by the dealer. Electric cars pay no extra state fee and no emissions or safety inspection is required. Renewing in person rather than online or by mail adds $10 to the registration. For a state where yearly car taxes are much heavier, see Washington, or estimate any state with the DMV fees calculator.

What sets Alaska apart

• Alaska has no state sales tax on cars and registers passenger vehicles for two years at a time for $100 (Alaska Statutes AS 28.10.421).
• Municipalities that opt in collect a motor vehicle registration tax through the DMV, and paying it replaces any local use or ad valorem tax on the vehicle (Alaska Statutes AS 28.10.431).
• In Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough the two-year registration tax is $150 for a new car and falls to $70 from the eighth year (Alaska DMV).
• For the registration tax, a vehicle counts as one year old during its model year and ages every January 1 (Alaska DMV).
• When a registered car is sold, its registration passes to the buyer and the registration tax is not charged again until the next renewal (Alaska DMV).
• A certificate of title costs $15, the same as recording a lien (Alaska Statutes AS 28.10.441).
• Renewing in person instead of by mail, online or at a DMV partner adds $10 (Alaska DMV).

What the Alaska calculation cannot know

• Alaska has no state sales tax, but many cities and boroughs levy their own, each with its own rate, exemptions and often a cap per sale; the dealer collects it. The line is shown without an amount outside Anchorage and Fairbanks.
• Registration tax schedules are listed for the municipalities on the DMV chart; a few addresses outside taxable boundaries or sharing a zip code are exempt, which the DMV decides case by case.
• On a used car already registered in Alaska, the registration and its tax transfer to the buyer; the next renewal date depends on the seller’s expiration date, which the form does not ask.
• A first registration is normally for 24 months, but the fee is prorated when a shorter period is issued; the engine shows the 24-month amounts.
• Lien recording ($15) and the $10 surcharge for in-person renewals are not included.
• No dealer documentation fee cap was read on an official Alaska page; type the dealer’s fee.