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Cost of Pa. vanity license plates to skyrocket in July

Other PennDOT fee increases go into effect today.

Get ready to pay a little more to keep your car on the road in Pennsylvania.

Vehicle registrations, drivers' license renewals and dozens of other fees imposed by the state Department of Transportation will increase Tuesday. The fee increases were one of the major funding components — along with an increase in the state's taxes on gasoline — included in the $2.3 billion transportation infrastructure bill passed by the General Assembly last year.

The revenue from the transportation bill is going toward fixing bridges, mending potholes and funding mass transit operations, but residents will foot the bill next time they visit PennDOT.

Registration fees for cars and motorcycles are increasing by $1 on April 1, while registration fees for pick-ups will climb by $1.50. Further increases are planned for 2017 with annual increases tied to inflation in subsequent years.

Drivers' license fees also increase by $1, to $22 per year, with further increases planned to match inflation.

Bigger increases will hit in other areas. The cost for a certificate of title will jump to $50 from the current fee of $22.50, while certified copies of PennDOT records will jump by 400 percent to $22 from the current $5 fee.

And don't lose your drivers' license. The old fee for a replacement was only $5, but it will now cost $19.

Other fees will increase in July.

Drivers who want to display a special message with their license plate should get their applications in soon. Vanity plates will cost $76 after July 1, compared to $20 now.

According to the governor's Transportation Advisory Commission, the average Pennsylvania driver can expect to pay $22 more this year and $132 more in 2018, when all the fee and tax increases hit their high-water marks. The commission's 2011 report formed the basis for the transportation plan passed last year.

Boehm is a reporter for PA Independent and can be reached at Eric@PAIndependent.com. Follow @PAIndependent on Twitter for more.