Virginia Car Registration

In all of the states, getting your car registered with a government authority is mandatory. The main purpose of a car registration is to establish the ownership of the vehicle and to make it relatively easy for the tax authorities to identify the owner of the vehicle. Almost all vehicles have their own identification numbers; however it is with registration only that you get a vehicle registration plate and a certificate confirming that the vehicle has been registered by a government authority. In almost all of the states in the US, a vehicle is registered by the state’s department of motor vehicles (DMV). It is important to keep in mind that vehicle registration laws vary from state to state.

In Virginia, car registration is only for commercial and personal vehicles, however other vehicles like tractors that do not always use the public roads are not necessarily required to be registered. In order to register your car, it is important to show a proof to the local authorities that you have your car insured or to pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee but since it provides coverage, insurance is a more viable option. Along with the insurance, it is essential to get the vehicle’s title transfer before applying for registration. A proof must be provided to your local DMV that your vehicle has passed a safety inspection which is applicable to used cars only. A routine safety inspection is required every 12 months after which you are issued with a sticker which is to be placed inside the windshield. In Virginia it is illegal to drive without this sticker which essentially works as proof.

The vehicle must also pass the vehicle emission testing which is compulsory for certain models like hybrids or those that do not run on clean fuel. Vehicle emission testing is usually done for used cars. Once you have provided DMV with all the necessary requirements mentioned above, you will then have to complete a vehicle registration application and submit to your local department of motor registration. After the submission, the DMV of Virginia will issue the vehicle owner with one or usually two license plates. The Virginia DMV offers a variety of specialty plates along with some frames that you might need.