U.S: motor vehicle registrations by state

In 2021, California was the federal state with the highest number of motor vehicle registrations in the United States. More than 31.3 million motor vehicles were registered in the nation’s most populous state. Overall, the United States recorded just under 282.4 million vehicle registrations.

Vehicle classes

Automobiles and trucks are the leading categories in terms of motor vehicle sales in the United States, accounting for roughly 96 percent of all registrations. Motorcycles and buses comprise the remaining categories, with buses accounting for a miniscule 0.33 percent of registrations. In terms of sales, light trucks were the most popular category in 2022 with retail sales of nearly 10.9 million units.

Leading state

California recorded around 30.4 million registrations of automobiles and trucks, having a resident population of just under 40 million people. California is the largest market for car registration. The state is known for progressive state legislation that promotes the manufacturing and sale of electric vehicles.

Motor vehicle registrations in the U.S. in 2021, by state

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Release date

2023

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

2021

Supplementary notes

* Some data estimated by FHWA using secondary data sources due to data quality concerns.
** The state verified significant decreases due to the instability causzed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with accurate reporting anticipated to resume in 2023. Until then, the data was estimated by FHWA.
*** State provided estimated registration data in lieu of actual registration counts.

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