Motor vehicle document fee; claims for refunds [For application of this section, see 80 Del. Laws, c. 77, § 2; 85 Del. Laws, c. 40, § 15].
Del. Code tit. 30, § 3002
in effect(a) There is imposed upon the sale, transfer or registration of any new or used motor vehicle, truck tractor, trailer or motorcycle in this State a motor vehicle document fee, which fee is to be paid by the owner and shall be collected by the Division of Motor Vehicles for deposit to the credit of the Transportation Trust Fund pursuant to Chapter 14 of Title 2, as amended, and any resolution or agreement of the Delaware Transportation Authority, authorizing the issuance of bonds to finance the costs of transportation facilities described in said title, to be used to finance the costs of roads, highways and other transportation facilities and not to defray the expenses and obligations of the general government of the State. This motor vehicle document fee shall not be imposed on the sale, transfer or registration of motor vehicles, truck tractors, trailers or motorcycles in the following circumstances:
(1) Renewal registration in the name of the same owner;
(2) Motor vehicles, truck tractors, trailers or motorcycles which are transferred or sold for the purpose of resale;
(3) Trailers where the vendor thereof delivers the trailer outside the State to a nonresident of this State and where there is imposed upon the retail sales price of said trailer a sales tax; provided, however, that the vendor provides satisfactory evidence to the Division of Motor Vehicles that the trailer was so delivered and that the sales tax was in fact paid;
(4) Motor vehicles, truck tractors, trailers or motorcycles which are bought by the owner and registered outside the State and then are subsequently registered or titled within the State pursuant to § 2102 of Title 21; provided, such owner had paid to such other state a sales tax, transfer tax or some similar levy on the purchase of such motor vehicles, truck tractors, trailers or motorcycles within 90 days prior to registration or titling in this State;
(5) Truck tractors with truck trailers where the owner thereof has obtained a title in another state in the same name as applied for in this State, and where application for fleet registration and inspection is obtained pursuant to § 2143 of Title 21, and where registration fees are paid pursuant to the fee provisions of § 2152 of Title 21;
(6) All motor vehicles, trailers or motorcycles purchased, transferred, registered, owned, operated or used by: This State, its agencies and departments; any political subdivision of the State; the American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; any volunteer fire company and the Delaware Civil Air Patrol; the American Red Cross; and the Salvation Army; or
(7) Any vehicle meeting the requirements of a school bus and specified in a contract with a public school district or the State Board of Education to transport public school pupils on a daily basis from home to school and return and for which the owner is reimbursed on the basis of a return of capital allowance provided in the transportation formula for school bus contracts. Any such vehicle that is older than the age specified in the capital allowance schedule at the time it is purchased shall be subject to the full document fee which shall not be reimbursable.
(b) The amount of the purchase price shall be evidenced by a notarized bill of sale.
(c) The document fee imposed herein shall be computed as follows:
(1) Where the purchase price is less than $400, there shall be a uniform rate of $8.00;
(2) Where the purchase price is $400 or more, up to and including $500, the document fee shall be $13.75;
(3) The document fee payable thereafter shall increase in increments of $5.25 per each additional $100 of purchase price or any fraction thereof, rounded to the nearest dollar; except that the document fee thereafter for mobile homes shall increase in increments of $3.75 per each additional $100 of purchase price or any fraction thereof, rounded to the nearest dollar.
(d) No action or claim that is otherwise permitted against the State or an agency or authority of the State to recover any fee, or portion of any fee, erroneously or illegally collected by or paid to the State or agency or authority hereunder, may be commenced or otherwise asserted after expiration of 1 year from the earlier of:
(1) The date of the payment; or
(2) The date the payment was required to be made.
Source: DE Code (Official Site)URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title30/c030/index.htmlFetched: 10/4/2026