To fill out the VSA 14, Virginia’s Vehicle Registration Application, enter your owner information and Virginia customer or ID number, describe the vehicle by year, make, model, body type, and full 17-character VIN, certify liability insurance from a Virginia-licensed carrier, mark personal or business use for the Personal Property Tax Relief question, sign and date the form, and submit it with the correct fee. The form is one page and handles registration only. If your vehicle isn’t yet titled in Virginia, you need the VSA 17A instead, which covers title and registration together.1Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. VSA 17A Certificate of Title and Registration
Gather These Before You Start
Missing documentation is the most common reason a VSA 14 gets rejected. Have four things ready.
A Virginia title on the vehicle. The VSA 14 assumes the car is already titled in the state. If you’re a new resident, bought from a private seller, or inherited the car, title it first with the VSA 17A. New Virginia residents must title within 30 days of moving.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. New to Virginia
Liability insurance from a company licensed in Virginia. Every registered vehicle must carry it. The old uninsured motor vehicle fee option was eliminated on July 1, 2024. If coverage lapses after you register, you face a $600 non-compliance fee, a mandatory SR-22 filing for three years, and suspension of your driving and registration privileges.3Virginia Legislative Information System. SB951 – 2023 Regular Session4Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Insurance Requirements
A current emissions inspection if the vehicle is garaged in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, or Stafford county, or in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, or Manassas Park. The inspection costs no more than $28 and is valid for two years. Results transmit electronically to the DMV within about 24 hours, so you don’t need to bring paperwork.5Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Emissions Inspections
Payment for the registration fee, discussed below.
You can download the VSA 14 as a printable PDF from the DMV website or pick one up at any customer service center.6Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. First Time Vehicle Registration
Section-by-Section Instructions
Owner Information
Enter your full legal name (last, first, middle initial, suffix) or the business name if the vehicle is business-owned. Provide your DMV customer number, Federal Employer Identification Number, or Social Security number, plus a telephone number.7Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration Application Your DMV customer number appears on your Virginia driver’s license and on prior DMV correspondence. Use it in place of your Social Security number when you can.
Vehicle Information
Record year, make, model, body type, and the full 17-character VIN. Copy the VIN directly from the dashboard plate or door jamb sticker. A single wrong character will delay processing.7Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration Application
Insurance Certification
Name your insurance company and certify that liability coverage from a Virginia-licensed carrier is in force and will remain in force through the registration period.7Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration Application You sign this under penalty. The DMV verifies coverage electronically with carriers, so a false certification will surface.
Personal Property Tax Relief Eligibility
This section decides whether the vehicle qualifies under the Personal Property Tax Relief Act, which reduces the local personal property tax on qualifying vehicles used for personal transportation. The form asks a series of yes/no questions about how the vehicle is used. Answering “yes” to any of them (for example, the vehicle is used in a business, is available for hire, or weighs more than 10,000 pounds) means you check “Business Use” and the vehicle does not qualify. Answering “no” to all of them means you check “Personal Use.”7Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration Application If you’re applying for farm plates, also complete the Farm Vehicle Plate Certification (VSA 131).
Signature
Sign and date. Every field should be legible and match your supporting documents. Using a false name or address on a Virginia registration application is a Class 1 misdemeanor under Virginia Code 46.2-612.8Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-612 – Failure to Surrender Revoked Certificate of Title, Registration
What You’ll Pay
Virginia bases passenger vehicle registration fees on empty weight. Annual state fees for standard passenger vehicles:
- 4,000 pounds or less: $30.75
- 4,001 to 6,500 pounds: $35.75
Two-year registrations run $40.75 and $45.75 for the same weight classes. Motorcycles, trucks, and trailers have separate schedules.9Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Fees Specialty and personalized plates add a surcharge on top of the base fee. Organizational plates supporting a specific cause typically add $15 to $25 annually, and some personalized combinations cost more.
Note that the 4.15% sales and use tax (minimum $75) is a titling tax, not a registration one. It comes into play when you title the vehicle, not when you file a VSA 14 for registration alone.10Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
Highway Use Fee for Electric and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
If the vehicle is fully electric or is rated at 25 MPG or higher, Virginia adds a Highway Use Fee (HUF) to your registration cost. The fee offsets the fuel tax those vehicles don’t generate at the pump. For fully electric vehicles, the 2025 annual HUF is $131.88. For hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles, the amount depends on the combined MPG rating, and the DMV publishes an annual chart with exact figures.11Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. 2025 Estimated Highway Use Fee Chart The fuel tax rate used in the calculation updates every July 1.12Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. What Is the Highway Use Fee
A voluntary Mileage Choice Program lets you pay per mile instead of the flat annual HUF. The per-mile rate equals your annual HUF divided by 11,600 (the average annual miles driven by Virginians). You enroll online through a third-party provider, Emovis, before renewing. They send a device that tracks mileage, you’re charged incrementally, and you never pay more than the flat HUF would have been.13Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Virginia’s Mileage Choice Program
Where to Submit It
You have three options.
In person at a DMV customer service center, walk-in or by appointment. You typically leave with your registration card and plate decals in hand.
In person at a DMV Select office. These are satellite locations that handle original registrations, renewals, transfers, and plate surrenders.14Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. DMV Select
By mail, with the completed form, supporting documents, and payment. For USPS: Virginia DMV, Titling Department, P.O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269. For UPS or FedEx: Virginia DMV, Titling Department, 2300 West Broad St, Richmond, VA 23269.15Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Submit Titling and Registration Applications by Mail
The DMV advises allowing 15 days for mail delivery of registration materials.16Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Renew Your Vehicle Registration by Mail Decals for online or mail transactions ship within five business days.17Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Skip the Line and Go Online When your registration card arrives, check the name, address, vehicle description, and plate number against your records. If anything is wrong, contact the DMV before your next renewal rather than after.