Efforts to shore up Delaware’s infrastructure fund come to fruition today, with the cost of 14 DMV fees increasing.
More than half of the roughly $25 million raised through this plan is the result of an increase to the Vehicle Document Fee that drivers must pay any time they buy a new or used car in Delaware. State lawmakers boosted that figure from 3.75 percent to 4.25 percent, which was last increased in 2007.
Those registering cars bought outside the state also have to pay the fee unless they were charged a similar tax within the past 90 days.
Otherwise, the bulk of the fee hikes won’t affect most Delawareans.
They include charges for reinstating a driver’s license, buying someone’s driver’s license record and duplicating different state documents. Some of those fees haven't been changed since the mid 1980s or early 1990s.
Legislators engaged in intense negotiations over the plan for months, with Republicans winning significant concessions from Democrats on other budget issues after agreeing to pass the plan just before midnight June 30th.
None of the new money can be used for anything other than transportation projects unless three-quarters of the General Assembly sign off on it in a bill other than the three associated with the budget.
DelDOT officials are also borrowing a similar amount of money and expect to invest about $300 million of new cash in infrastructure over the next six years.
