Among the first responsibilities of moving to a new location is changing information with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). According to state law, officially moving to a new address requires a resident to update his/her information in 30 days or less. Registering a car is important among these responsibilities, including cars that are new.
According to Virginia DMV, a vehicle must be titled upon moving to Virginia, be registered and acquire license plates, and obtain a sticker or decal from your locality.
"A vehicle must be titled before it is registered," said Bill Foy, public relations manager at DMV.
GETTING A vehicle titled requires filling out the Application for Title (VSA 17A) and Registration (VSA 14), proof of registration, proof of purchase price, and if the vehicle was previously registered out of state, a title or registration card from the previous state of residence, Foy said.
"A vehicle can be titled at the dealership or people can bring the information that is necessary to a customer service center," said Foy. "It cannot be titled online."
DMV also requires a $10 titling fee, along with a 3 percent motor vehicle sales and use tax based on the vehicles sale price or $35, whichever is greater. The next step is recording the odometer reading. Lastly, the owner must select between a paper title and an electronic title to ensure the safety of their title, according to the DMV Web site.
Aside from completing the application for titling (VSA 17A), owners must provide English translations of all documents in a foreign language and must provide one of the required customs document with the original stamp and signature of the inspector, Foy said.
The next step, registration, requires a fee that is determined by the empty weight or gross weight of your vehicles, the type of license plate that is purchased and the period of time Ñ one or two years Ñ that the vehicle will be registered.
The fees for passenger vehicles are $29.50 for vehicles 4,000 pounds or less and $34.50 for vehicles more than 4,001 pounds; a pickup truck weighing 6,501 to 7,500 is $40.50; a motorcycle is $27.50, Foy said.
Both steps must be completed within 30 days of moving and must be done in person so that the DMV can obtain the proper documents, said Foy. A resident new to Virginia must get a driver's license within 60 days. New cars must be registered right away and obtain proper tags. It is also important to register a vehicle in Loudoun as well as the DMV, said Robert S. Wertz, commissioner of the revenue for Loudoun County.
THE LAST STEP for registering a car in Virginia is obtaining a sticker from your locality.
According to Wertz, purchasing a decal must be done within 60 days of moving the vehicle to the county. New residents are required to file a personal property return with the Commissioner of the Revenue and then obtain the decal. Residents can obtain the decal in person at the treasurer's office or online at www.loudoun.gov/cor. The fee for the decal is $25.
In some Virginia counties, decals will no longer have to be issued. Starting July 1, Fairfax County will no longer require them, Wertz said, however, Loudoun County residents are still required to have them. Decals must be purchased annually and be displayed on vehicles by Nov. 15. New Decals are available July 1, Wertz said.
Those who are new to Virginia must obtain a Virginia driver's license, obtain a vehicle safety inspection sticker to ensure safety, and meet Virginia's emission standards and insurance standards before titling their vehicles or getting their car registered. The minimum insurance coverage in Virginia is $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person; $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people; and $20,000 for property damage, according the DMV Web site.