What “Due at signing” means
Due at signing (or drive-off) bundles everything payable on day one. Some items are unavoidable: the first month’s payment, government fees and, in many states, upfront taxes. Others are choices: a cap cost reduction, or paying the acquisition fee and doc fee up front instead of rolling them in.
Advertised lease payments almost always assume a specific due-at-signing amount, often a few thousand dollars.
How it shows up at the dealership
Expect the worksheet to show a payment and a due-at-signing figure together. Changing one changes the other. To compare two offers, convert both to the same due-at-signing basis, or compute total lease cost: (payment × months) + due at signing.
Lease ads often show a small payment in large type and the due-at-signing amount in the fine print. Two ads with the same payment can differ by thousands of dollars at signing.
Worked example · illustrative numbers, not a quote
What’s in $4,059 due at signing
| First month’s payment | $515 |
| Acquisition fee | $695 |
| Doc fee | $499 |
| Registration and plates | $350 |
| Cap cost reduction (cash down) | $2,000 |
| Due at signing | $4,059 |
On a “$0 down” version of the same lease, the driver would still pay about $2,059 at signing.
What to do
- Ask for an itemized due-at-signing list.
- Compare leases on total cost over the term, not on the payment alone.
- Keep the cap cost reduction at $0 where you can.
What to say
“Please itemize the due-at-signing amount, and quote it again with zero cap cost reduction so I can compare it with another offer.”
Also called: drive-off, drive-off amount, amount due at lease signing.