Registering and titling a vehicle in Virginia: new residents, purchases and renewals

How to title and register a vehicle in Virginia after buying from a dealer or private seller or moving from another state, which inspections and insurance you need, and how to renew online, by mail or in person.

Guide · Virginia · Vehicle registration · Titles · updated October 29, 2026

Vehicle titles and registration in Virginia are handled by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the same agency that issues driver's licenses. As the DMV puts it, a title proves you own the vehicle, and a registration proves the vehicle is authorized to be driven. You must title a vehicle in Virginia before you can register it. You can do both at the same visit.

Where to go

You can title and register at three kinds of locations:

• A DMV customer service center
• A DMV Select, a partner office for vehicle transactions
• A DMV mobile office

You can also send many applications by mail. To title a vehicle, the DMV lists five alternatives to waiting in line for walk-in service:

• Drop-off, with pick-up in 3–5 days
• An appointment, with the title issued over the counter
• A DMV Select office, also over the counter
• Mail, with delivery times that vary
• Electronic titling

For offices near you, see the Virginia DMV office list.

What a title application needs

For a new vehicle bought in Virginia, bring:

• The Manufacturer's Certificate (or Statement) of Origin
• An Application for Title and Registration (VSA 17A), online or on paper
• Proof of address
• Proof of the purchase price

For a used vehicle with a Virginia title, bring:

• The Virginia title with the "Certification of Buyer" section completed
• Proof of address
• Proof of the purchase price, such as a buyer's order, a bill of sale or the seller's declared price on the title

The DMV lists a $15 titling fee plus sales and use tax. If you are exempt from the tax, bring proof or complete the Purchaser's Statement of Tax Exemption. When a vehicle changes hands, the seller records the odometer reading on the title, and the buyer records it on the application.

When you title, you can choose a paper title or an electronic title that the DMV keeps on record.

Buying from a dealer

If a dealer processes your paperwork, the DMV says it can take up to 30 days for the vehicle to appear in your DMV record. During that period, the dealer gives you a temporary plate transfer or temporary registration so you can drive legally.

Buying from a private seller

For a vehicle with a Virginia title, the DMV's steps are:

1. Check the vehicle's history in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
2. Make sure the seller completes Section A on the front of the title: every owner signs, and the seller fills in your name and address, the odometer reading, the date and the price.
3. Complete your parts of the title. Sign as buyer and complete the Certification of Buyer section on the back. To register at the same time, also fill in the registration section, including the insurance certification.
4. Apply for the title. Take it to a customer service center or DMV Select, or mail it.

If both of you prefer, electronic titling lets you transfer a Virginia-titled vehicle completely online in a private sale.

The seller keeps the license plates and must tell the DMV that the vehicle was sold. For a gift, the seller writes "gift" as the price, and you complete the Purchaser's Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT-3).

Moving to Virginia with a vehicle

The DMV's new-resident checklist gives these deadlines and steps:

• Title your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia. Bring the application, proof of address and your out-of-state title or registration. If you bought the vehicle within the last 12 months, also bring proof of the price.
• Insure the vehicle before you register it, at least to Virginia's minimum liability limits.
• Register it at a customer service center within 30 days of moving.
• Get a safety inspection. Every vehicle must pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid sticker before it is driven in Virginia. Most repair shops perform them.
• Pass an emissions inspection if the vehicle is kept in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William or Stafford, or in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas or Manassas Park. A valid emissions certificate from the last 12 months lets you register without a Virginia emissions inspection.
• Check whether your locality requires a local sticker or decal within 30 days. These come from local offices, not the DMV.

The driver's license deadline is separate. See the Virginia driver's license and ID card guide.

Registering

To register, submit an Application for Registration (VSA 14) with its insurance certification completed, plus the registration fee. A complete registration gets you:

• License plates: one front and one back, or one plate for a motorcycle, tractor truck, semitrailer or trailer
• Decals showing the expiration date
• A registration card, which you keep with you whenever you drive

The fee depends on the vehicle type and weight and the plate you choose. It also depends on whether you register for more than one year: two- and three-year registrations come with small discounts if you are eligible.

Insurance

You must certify minimum insurance coverage to buy plates or decals, and the DMV verifies coverage electronically with insurers. If coverage ends during the registration period, you must do one of the following:

• Reinsure the vehicle.
• Deactivate the plates.
• Surrender the plates.

Owners of uninsured registered vehicles have their driving and registration privileges suspended. To be reinstated, they must pay a $600 non-compliance fee and file an SR-22 for three years. Keep proof of insurance in the vehicle.

Renewing

The DMV emails and texts reminders 30 days before your registration expires and mails them 90 days before. You can renew:

• Online. The DMV says you get a $1 discount. Allow 15 days for your decals to arrive.
• By mail. Also allow 15 days for decals.
• In person at a DMV Select office. Bring the same documents you used to register, including the Application for Registration.

When you sell a vehicle, remove the plates. You can transfer them to a replacement vehicle, or turn them in or deactivate them online or at a DMV office before you cancel your insurance.