Chesapeake property tax runs $1.01 per $100 of assessed value on real estate and $4.08 per $100 on cars, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles. Real estate bills come in four quarterly installments; personal property is due once a year on June 5. Seniors, permanently disabled residents, and veterans rated 100% service-connected disabled can qualify for significant relief.
What You’ll Pay by Property Type
The City Council sets tax rates each year during the budget process, and the real estate rate has held at $1.01 per $100 of assessed value through recent fiscal years. Personal property rates vary widely by asset:1City of Chesapeake. Local Tax Rates
- Cars, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles: $4.08 per $100
- Motor homes and camping trailers: $1.58 per $100
- Boats: $0.09 per $100
- Aircraft: $0.58 per $100
- Business furniture, fixtures, and equipment: $4.08 per $100
- Machinery and tools (manufacturers): $3.20 per $100
- Mobile homes: $1.05 per $100
- Vehicles owned by qualifying disabled veterans or handicapped residents: $0.09 per $100
The gap between vehicles and boats surprises many new residents. A car assessed at $20,000 generates an $816 tax bill; a boat with the same assessed value owes $18.
How Chesapeake Assesses Your Property
The Real Estate Assessor’s Office values every parcel annually at 100% of fair market value, meaning the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller in an open transaction.2City of Chesapeake. Real Estate Assessor’s Office Because the city code requires an annual reassessment, your assessed value can change each year as the market shifts. When neighborhood values climb, your bill rises even if the rate stays flat.
For vehicles and equipment, the Commissioner of the Revenue uses recognized pricing guides to determine current depreciated value. A five-year-old truck is assessed lower than it was new.3City of Chesapeake. Personal Property Taxes
When Payments Are Due
Real estate and personal property follow different schedules, which trips people up. Real estate taxes come in four quarterly installments:4City of Chesapeake. Due Dates
- First quarter: September 30
- Second quarter: December 31
- Third quarter: March 31
- Fourth quarter: June 5
Personal property taxes and city license fees are due once a year, on June 5. When a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
How to Pay
The Treasurer’s Office accepts online payments by electronic check at no extra cost, or by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express with a convenience fee added.5City of Chesapeake. Ways to Pay E-check payments cover real estate, personal property, and stormwater fees; credit cards cover a broader range of city bills, including parking tickets and EMS invoices. You can also mail a check or money order or drop payment at City Hall. Online and phone payments require your tax account number and bill number from the top-right corner of your bill.
Relief for Seniors and Permanently Disabled Residents
Virginia law lets localities exempt or defer real estate taxes for residents who are at least 65 or permanently and totally disabled.6Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 58.1-3210 – Exemption or Deferral of Taxes on Real Property of Certain Elderly and Disabled Chesapeake’s ordinance sets two caps:
- Combined gross household income for the calendar year before the tax year cannot exceed $70,000. If an owner is certified as permanently disabled, the first $10,000 of that person’s income is excluded.
- Combined net worth of all owners, not counting the home and up to three acres around it, cannot exceed $350,000.
Household income includes everyone living in the home, not just the property owner.7City of Chesapeake. Real Estate Tax Relief
Applicants claiming disability need certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Railroad Retirement Board, or the Social Security Administration. If none of those agencies has certified you, sworn affidavits from two Virginia-licensed medical doctors work instead, and at least one must be based on a physical examination. The Medical Affidavit form comes from the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office.
Applications are accepted January 1 through May 15, and you have to reapply every year. Miss May 15, and you wait until the following January.
Disabled Veteran Exemption
The Virginia Constitution exempts from local real estate tax any veteran certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100% service-connected permanent and total disability, as long as the property is the veteran’s principal residence.8Virginia Code Commission. Constitution of Virginia – Article X Section 6-A There is no income or net worth cap on this exemption.
A surviving spouse who has not remarried also qualifies, and the spouse can move to a different principal residence and keep the benefit, a detail many families overlook.9City of Chesapeake. Disabled Veterans Tax Benefits Applications require written VA documentation stating the disability is permanent, with a combined rating of 100% or payment at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability, and that no future examinations are required.
Qualifying disabled veterans also receive the $0.09 per $100 personal property rate on their vehicles instead of the standard $4.08.
Appealing an Assessment
If you believe your real estate assessment is too high, Chesapeake offers three levels of appeal, and you can use any or all of them:2City of Chesapeake. Real Estate Assessor’s Office
- Informal review with the Real Estate Assessor’s Office. This is the fastest path and often resolves straightforward disputes over property condition or comparable sales.
- Board of Equalization. File a formal application between March 1 and April 1 of the tax year. Late applications are not accepted, and no electronic submissions are allowed. The board convenes in May and decides all cases by May 31.
- Circuit Court. File a petition with the Chesapeake Circuit Court if you disagree with the Board of Equalization’s decision.
At the Board of Equalization, the burden is on you to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the assessment exceeds fair market value, lacks uniformity, or was not determined using accepted appraisal practices. You can inspect the assessor’s records, appraisal cards, and working papers at the Assessor’s Office on Cedar Road beforehand.10City of Chesapeake. Appeal Process
For a vehicle, the process is simpler. Download the Vehicle Assessment Appeal form from the city’s website, complete and sign it, and submit it to the Commissioner of the Revenue’s Office by email, fax, or mail.11City of Chesapeake. Personal Property Forms Comparable sale prices or dealer quotes for your make, model, and condition strengthen the case.
What Happens If You Don’t Pay
Chesapeake does not quietly write off unpaid taxes. Once a personal property account becomes delinquent, the city can place a “stop” on your vehicle records through the DMV, blocking you from renewing or transferring your registration until the debt is resolved.12City of Chesapeake. DMV HOLD
If you buy a vehicle after a stop is already in place for delinquent taxes, the DMV will only issue a limited initial registration lasting up to 90 days. After you pay the balance, the DMV can issue a full one-, two-, or three-year registration. Delinquent accounts also accrue penalties, interest, and collection-related fees that grow the longer the balance sits. If you fall behind, contact the Treasurer’s Office before the costs escalate.