If you plug in you now have to pay up to drive in Pennsylvania.
Under a law that takes effect for registrations expiring on May 1, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will have to pay a fee each year to help with road maintenance.
Legislation signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year is aimed at “leveling the roadway” for drivers who use state highways since gas-powered vehicle drivers already pay a gas tax every time they fill up their vehicles at gas stations.
The annual fee is set at $200 for 2025 for full electric vehicles and $50 for plug-in hybrids. In 2026 that amount jumps to $250 for EVs and $63 for hybrids. After that, the annual fee would be reset based on the prior year’s consumer price index.
The fee is assessed with the annual vehicle registration. Starting in July 2026, motorists will have the option to pay the EV fee in monthly installments.
If the fee is not paid the registration will not be considered valid for law enforcement purposes.
At least 36 other states already have EV fees in place.
The fee is expected to generate $16 million in 2025, which would be deposited in the state’s Motor License Fund that helps pay for construction, maintenance, repair and safety improvements on highways and bridges.
Roughly 65,000 electric vehicles are registered in Pennsylvania.
