Arlington Car Tax: Rates, Deadlines, and Late Penalties

The Arlington car tax is a county personal property tax charged at $5.00 per every $100 of a vehicle’s assessed value, with Virginia’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act knocking down the bill on most personal-use cars. It applies to any vehicle regularly parked in Arlington for more than 30 days, even one wearing out-of-state plates, and payment is due every year by October 5.¹

Which Vehicles Are Taxable

Any car, truck, motorcycle, or trailer kept in Arlington County for more than 30 days is subject to the tax, regardless of where it’s registered.² “Kept” means where the vehicle is regularly parked overnight. If you commute into Arlington but garage your car in Fairfax, Arlington has no claim on it. A vehicle parked at your Arlington apartment every night is taxable even if your license and plates say somewhere else.

The tax year runs January 1 through December 31, and the county prorates the bill by month. A period of half a month or more counts as a full month.³ Move in on January 18, and January counts in full. Sell a car on June 10, and you owe for six months.

How the Bill Is Calculated

The rate is $5.00 per $100 of assessed value. On a car assessed at $15,000, the gross tax is $750 before relief.

Arlington’s Commissioner of Revenue sets that assessed value using the clean loan value from the NADA Used Car Guide (now published by J.D. Power) as of January 1.⁴ Clean loan value assumes a vehicle in good condition, so the starting number can run higher than what a dealer would actually pay you. If your car has unusually high mileage or significant body damage, you can request an adjustment with proof such as an odometer reading, repair receipt, or shop estimate dated close to January 1.² Filing an appeal doesn’t push back your payment deadline; if the county later lowers your assessment, you get a refund.

Virginia’s Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA) then reduces the bill on qualifying personal-use vehicles. In Arlington, that means 100% relief on the first $3,000 of assessed value, partial relief on value from $3,001 to $20,000, and no relief on any value above $20,000, which is taxed at the full rate.⁵ The vehicle has to be used primarily for personal transportation, not business, and the relief is automatic. You don’t apply separately; the reduced amount is already baked into the bill you receive.⁶

Register With the County Within 60 Days

New Arlington residents and anyone who acquires a vehicle garaged here have 60 days to register it with the Commissioner of Revenue.⁷ This is separate from your DMV registration. A Virginia title or out-of-state plates aren’t enough; the county keeps its own tax rolls.

Registration is done through the Personal Property New Account Form on the county’s website. You’ll need the VIN, date of purchase, purchase price, and the overnight garaging address.² Miss the 60-day window and the county can tack on a 10% late filing penalty on top of the tax itself.⁴

Paying by the October 5 Deadline

Vehicle personal property tax bills are due by October 5 each year.¹ If October 5 lands on a weekend, the deadline typically shifts to the next business day, but confirm each year on the county’s tax calendar.

You have three main payment routes:

Online through the Customer Assessment and Payment Portal (CAPP), where you can view the bill, pay by electronic check, and sign up for email reminders. Credit and debit cards work but carry a 2.35% convenience fee charged by the processor, not the county.⁸
By mail with a check or money order payable to “Arlington County Treasurer” at the address on your bill.
In the 24-hour drop box at the Bozman Government Center. Checks and money orders only, no cash.⁹

What a Late Payment Costs

Missing October 5 triggers penalties and interest that stack fast. Virginia law lets localities add a penalty of up to 10% on past-due personal property taxes, and for vehicle taxes more than 30 days overdue that ceiling rises to 25% of the amount owed. Interest can accrue at up to 10% per year, and in the second and later years of delinquency can match the IRS underpayment rate if that rate is higher.¹⁰ If the debt moves to collections, attorney and collection fees of up to 20% of the delinquent balance can be added.

The sharpest consequence is a DMV stop. Arlington can notify the Virginia DMV to block your vehicle registration renewal until the delinquent taxes are paid in full.¹¹ Once you pay, the hold comes off within 24 hours. Driving on an expired registration in the meantime is a separate problem.

Report Changes So You Don’t Overpay

Because the tax is prorated monthly, telling the county about changes promptly keeps your bill accurate. If you sell a vehicle, move out of Arlington, or transfer a car to someone else, notify the Commissioner of Revenue so your account reflects the right number of taxable months.³ Skip that step and you’ll keep getting billed for a car that’s no longer here. Replacing one vehicle with another mid-year? Report both the disposal and the acquisition, and each will be prorated to the months it was actually in Arlington.

Military Exemption

Active-duty military members and their legal spouses may qualify for a full exemption under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act. The servicemember has to maintain a legal domicile outside Virginia and provide a current Leave and Earnings Statement showing the out-of-state home of record, and a spouse claiming exemption must share that same out-of-state domicile.¹² The exemption has to be renewed each year with updated documentation.

Virginia law also provides a separate benefit for active-duty members with leased vehicles: when the lease requires the military member or spouse to pay the personal property tax, PPTRA reimbursement covers 100% of the tax on the first $20,000 of assessed value.⁶ That’s a markedly better outcome than the standard PPTRA relief most residents receive.

1
Arlington County Virginia Government. Tax Payment Due Dates
2
Arlington County Virginia Government. Registering a Vehicle
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Arlington County Virginia Government. Reporting Vehicle Changes
4
Arlington County, Virginia. Vehicle Personal Property Tax: Questions and Answers
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Arlington County Government. County Board Report – Personal Property Tax Relief
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3524 – Tangible Personal Property Tax Relief
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Arlington County Virginia Government. Vehicle and Driver’s License Information for People New to Arlington
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Arlington County Virginia Government. Payment Options
9
Arlington County Government. Arlington County Real Estate and Car Taxes Due October 5
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Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-3916 – Counties, Cities, and Towns May Provide Dates for Filing
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Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Delinquent Property Taxes and Vehicle Registration
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Arlington County Virginia Government. Tax Exemption for Non-Resident Military Servicemembers and Legal Spouses