"If the price sounds too good to be true, it probably has a $999 documentation fee hiding behind it."

-Chase Jordan

Dealer Documentation Fees: What They Are, Why They Exist, and When to Push Back

📄 What Is a Doc Fee?

A dealer documentation fee (or “doc fee”) is a charge that dealerships add to your vehicle purchase to cover the cost of processing paperwork—things like:

• Filing your vehicle title

• Registering your plates

• Preparing the sales contract

• People get paid to do this stuff

But here’s the twist: there’s no set standard, and these fees vary wildly depending on where you live.

🌎 U.S. vs. Canada: Big Differences

In the U.S., doc fees range from $75 in some states to over $1,200 in others.

• California: $85 cap

• New York: $175 cap

• Florida: $799–$999 is common (no legal cap)

• Arizona/Texas/Georgia: Also very high—often $699–$1,195

In Canada, it’s often labeled as a “dealer administration fee” and can range from $300 to $800 CAD, depending on province and dealer.

🧠 Did You Know?

• Doc fees are pure profit for most dealers. The real admin cost is minimal. (Let's say $20 per hour admin person. .5 of an hour to get the paperwork handled = $10. Even if it take 1 hour or even 2 hours!!!! Still only $40!!! Why am I getting charged $799???)

• They’re not set by the manufacturer.

• Some dealers hide doc fees behind other names like “processing,” “admin,” or “handling.”

🤔 Can You Negotiate a Doc Fee?

Kind of and its worth a try.

Most dealerships will refuse to remove it—but you can absolutely negotiate the price of the vehicle down to offset the fee.

💬 Try saying:

“I understand you charge a $999 doc fee. Let’s reduce the price of the vehicle by $999 to keep it fair.”

They’ll usually play ball if they want the sale. They could give you half or more. Nothing to lose!

🔍 Watch Out for These Red Flags:

• ✅ Doc fee charged on a used vehicle with no plate/title work

• ✅ Multiple “processing” or “electronic filing” fees

• ✅ High doc fee with no explanation

Take photos of the fee breakdown and compare with other dealerships in your area.

🛡️ How Deal Guard Handles Doc Fees

At Deal Guard, we:

• Identify and flag excessive doc fees instantly

• Request breakdowns of admin charges in writing

• Negotiate price offsets so our clients don’t pay more than they should

In many cases, we’ve saved clients from being overcharged $500–$1,200 in doc-related fluff.

👉 Let Deal Guard check your deal before you sign

⚡ Final Takeaway

Doc fees are legal—but that doesn’t mean they’re always fair.

You can’t always get rid of them, but you can hold the line and demand transparency.

And if you'd rather skip the fight?

That’s what Deal Guard is here for.

👋 From Chase:

🚗 Think paperwork should cost a thousand bucks?

Me neither.

That’s why Deal Guard digs deep into every doc fee, every shady line item, and every "admin charge"—so you don’t overpay or get blindsided.

We do the hard part so you can drive away confident.

Start smart car buying at GETDEALGUARD.COM.

Or get your laugh on over at FUNNEWCAR.COM. We’ve got you either way.

Talk soon,
Chase Jordan