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The real sticker shock in California isn’t at the dealership — it’s at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

I just paid $237 to renew the registration on a nine-year-old vehicle with 135,000 miles. That’s not a typo. It’s a recurring annual charge on a depreciating asset that, in most places, would cost a fraction of that to keep on the road.

In Georgia, the fee is about $20. California’s is roughly 12 times higher. We can debate exact comparisons, but the order of magnitude tells the story: Something is out of balance.

This isn’t just about one bill. It’s about a system that layers fees, surcharges and assessments onto drivers year after year, with little transparency and no obvious connection to value or usage. A nine-year-old car isn’t a luxury good. For many households, it’s a necessity — and often the only affordable one.

What makes the charge harder to accept is what we see (and feel) on the road. Potholes, rough pavement and long-delayed maintenance remain common. Drivers are paying more, but it’s not clear they’re getting better roads in return.

Reasonable people can disagree about spending priorities. But there should be agreement on basics: iI fees are high, the results should be visible, and the structure should be fair.

Here are three straightforward fixes. Cap or scale fees for older vehicles. As a car ages and loses value, the annual charge should fall meaningfully. A simple cap for high-mileage, older vehicles would align cost with reality.

Show the math. Publish a clear, line-by-line explanation of how registration fees are calculated and where the money goes. If drivers can see the connection, trust improves.

Tie dollars to pavement. Prioritize road maintenance and publish outcomes — miles resurfaced, potholes filled, timelines met — so taxpayers can see what they’re buying.

Californians understand that maintaining a vast transportation network costs money. But a system that feels disconnected from value, opaque in its structure, and uneven in its results invites frustration — and erodes trust.

A fee of $237 for a nine-year-old car isn’t just a line item. It’s a signal that the balance between cost, fairness and accountability needs to be reset.

Peter Coe Verbica

Felton 

Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives District 19