Convenience Fee for Plate & Registration Services

Understanding the convenience fee charged when Don Wood Automotive handles your license plate, title, and registration on your behalf.

✓ This Fee Is Optional — You May Handle Registration Yourself
💡

You always have a choice. The convenience fee applies only when you elect to have Don Wood Automotive handle your license plate, title, and registration transactions with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles on your behalf. If you prefer to handle these transactions yourself directly with the BMV, no convenience fee will be charged. The fee is disclosed in writing before your transaction is finalized.

Legal Authority — Ohio Law

Ohio law permits licensed motor vehicle dealers to charge a convenience fee when providing title, license plate, and registration services on behalf of a customer. This fee compensates the dealership for the time, administrative effort, and cost involved in processing these transactions through the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) as an authorized agent acting on the customer’s behalf.

Ohio Rev. Code § 4503.10 · Ohio Rev. Code § 4505.06 · Ohio BMV dealer titling & registration agent rules

$50
Flat Convenience Fee
per Transaction
— only if —
Dealer Handles
Your Plate &
Registration
Fee applies only when
you choose this service

What Is This Convenience Fee?

When you purchase or lease a vehicle at Don Wood Automotive, you have the option of having our team handle your license plate, title transfer, and vehicle registration directly with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles on your behalf. This is a value-added service that saves you from having to visit a BMV location yourself.

The convenience fee of $50 covers the administrative work our staff performs to complete these transactions for you, including:

  • License plate procurement & transfer
  • Ohio title application filing
  • Vehicle registration processing
  • BMV transaction submission
  • Tag & registration delivery coordination
  • Verification of title accuracy
  • Lienholder notification (if applicable)
  • Follow-up on pending title issues

Your Options

You have a genuine choice. Here is what each option means:

Option A

Dealer Handles It — $50 Fee

We process your license plate, title, and registration with the Ohio BMV on your behalf. A $50 convenience fee applies. You drive away without a BMV visit.

Option B — No Fee

You Handle It Yourself

You visit the Ohio BMV directly to handle your own title transfer, license plate, and registration. No convenience fee is charged by the dealership.

Why Ohio Permits This Fee

Under Ohio law, licensed motor vehicle dealers are authorized to act as agents on behalf of customers for title and registration transactions with the Ohio BMV. When a dealer performs this service, they are investing staff time, administrative resources, and assuming responsibility for the accuracy and timely filing of the customer’s paperwork.

Ohio law recognizes the right of dealers to charge a reasonable convenience fee for this service, provided it is clearly disclosed to the customer before the transaction is finalized and the customer has the option to decline and handle the transaction themselves.

This fee is separate from and in addition to any state title fees, registration fees, or taxes charged by the Ohio BMV. Those government-assessed fees are passed through directly to the state and are not retained by the dealership.

What This Fee Does Not Cover

The $50 convenience fee is the dealer’s charge for the service of handling your plate and registration work. It does not include and is separate from:

  • Ohio state title fees — set by the Ohio BMV, passed through directly
  • Vehicle registration fees — set by the county and state, passed through directly
  • Sales tax — collected and remitted to the State of Ohio
  • Documentary service charge — a separate, required fee authorized under Ohio Rev. Code § 4517.261

Transparency & Disclosure

Don Wood Automotive applies this convenience fee consistently to all customers who elect dealer-handled plate and registration services. The fee is always disclosed in writing on your purchase agreement before you sign.

If you have any questions about this fee or prefer to handle your own BMV transactions, please let any member of our sales or finance team know before finalizing your paperwork.

Convenience fee of $50 applies only when customer elects dealer-handled plate, title, and registration services. Fee is optional — customers may handle BMV transactions directly at no charge from the dealership. Fee is always disclosed in writing prior to transaction completion. State title fees, registration fees, and sales tax are separate and passed through directly to the applicable government agency. · Don Wood Automotive · Athens, Ohio