‘Oh You Drive Something Niiiiiiice:’ Man Renews His Vehicle Online. The Total Makes Him ‘Physically Sick’

"And yall wonder why everyone’s tags are expired."

Photo by: TikTok

Steve Ecker

By: Steve Ecker

Aug 10, 2025 at 9:00am ET

Comment

A man reveals his recent price tag to renew his registration, and it made him “physically sick.”

As of this writing, the TikTok has gone viral, generating over 76,000 views.

In the post, Patrick Wrompas (@namadiapatrick) showcases how his car registration renewal will cost him $920.

“I’m physically sick,” Wrompas listed out in the video.

The car registration renewal website domain reveals that he is renewing his car registration in California. U.S. News ranked California as the most expensive state to own a car. The average annual cost to own a car in California is $6,545.

“And y'all wonder why everyone’s tags are expired,” Wrompas captions the video.

Comments chimed in expressing the prices they pay for car registration, and noted that Wrompas must drive a nice car.

“Oh you drive something niiiiiiice lol,” one TikTok commenter mentions.

“And I’m over here hurting for $75,” another added.

“[Expletive] I was crying over $390,” a third replied.

Other commenters speculated what state and car Wrompas drives in.

“Gotta be California,” one commenter correctly assumed.

“I just know this is a Tesla,” a second commenter guessed. Wrompas replied, “Bingo,” confirming he drives a Tesla.

How Is the California Registration Fee Calculated?

According to the California DMV, the following determine the registration fee:

Tell us what you think!

View

Comments

Your vehicle’s purchase price or declared value
What city and/or county you live in
The unladen or declared gross vehicle weight (GVW) and the number of axles your vehicle may have
Unpaid parking violations or toll evasion bail

The DMV states that, in addition to the registration fee, if your car is registered for highway use, you will likely also have to pay for the following:

California Highway Patrol (CHP) fee
Vehicle license fee
Transportation improvement fee
County/district fee

Flat fees will vary by vehicle type, usage, and weight, according to Factory Warranty List.

The main fee to consider for the registration renewal price is the Vehicle License Fee (VLF). This fee is 0.65% of the vehicle purchase price or value of the vehicle. Instead of paying this fee in your property taxes, it’s paid with the VLF during registration renewal.

Additionally, any unpaid parking violations and tolls will be collected during registration renewal. Any drivers avoiding these fees will have to square away the tab to renew.

Why Are Teslas So Expensive to Renew in California?

The VLF fee, determined by the vehicle value or purchase price, will significantly impact the registration renewal cost. The higher the price tag of the car, the more the VLF will be.

According to Tesla, the cheapest Tesla currently available is the Model 3 Long Range RWD with a starting MSRP of $34,990. “While many of Tesla’s prices seem reasonable at first, it’s relatively easy to add thousands to the bottom line with the automaker’s advanced driver assistance systems, premium colors, wheel upgrades, and more—and that's at the time of purchase,” per InsideEVs.

For the higher-end Tesla models, the starting price for the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck can go up to $100,000.

Taking these prices into consideration, this will play a big part in determining the VLF fee for car registration renewal. For example, the Cybertruck Cyberbeast has a starting MSRP of $99,990. This would make the LVF fee estimate cost around $649, not including the other fees California has.

Looking at the entry option for Tesla with Model 3 Long Range RWD starting at $34,990, the VLF fee estimate cost is around $228 in California, again, not including the other fees.

Tesla drivers in the comments section of Wrompas’ video shared the pain of paying a high price tag for driving a Tesla.

“I paid $775 for my Model Y early this year,” one TikTok commenter shared.

“Yep, my Tesla was $800 and I was shook,” another added.

Motor1 has contacted Wrompas via TikTok direct message and email. This story will be updated if he replies.