Raising Vehicle Registration Fees
Issue Overview: At $46, Idaho's average annual registration fee ranks 30th in the nation. It has not been increased since 1997.
Issue Background: An Idaho Transportation Department proposal asked to raise fees and registrations by 75 percent, which would increase revenue to the State Highway Account by $13 million annually. Funds from these fees would be used by the department to restore a state-funded construction program that has been depleted due to hyper-inflation and diminished buying power. Currently, about one-third of Idaho's state-funded transportation revenue is from vehicle registration fees, while two-thirds is from fuel tax. State officials have determined that $200 million more dollars are needed annually for the next 30 years just to keep up with deteriorating pavement and road and bridge repairs throughout the state.
NFIB Position: Seventy-one percent of NFIB/Idaho members oppose raising vehicle registration and fees (2008 State Member Ballot), because given all the new funding going in to transportation projects through the GARVEE program, the state should make a special effort to spread the existing project work around to include small business all over the state.
Issue Status: No serious legislative effort to raise vehicle registration fees occurred.
