To transfer vehicle tags in Virginia, file a License Plate Application (VSA 10) with the “Transfer Existing License Plates” box checked, submit it alongside your Application for Certificate of Title and Registration (VSA 17A) for the new vehicle, and pay a $2.00 transfer fee. You have 30 days from the purchase date to get it done.
The 30-Day Deadline
Virginia law gives you 30 days after buying or receiving a vehicle to apply for a certificate of title and forward the signed title to the DMV with your registration application.1Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code Title 46.2 Chapter 6 – Titling and Registration of Motor Vehicles The plate transfer rides on that same trip to the DMV, so the same clock effectively applies. Missing the window doesn’t lock you out of the transfer, but driving an unregistered vehicle exposes you to a traffic stop and citation.
If you’re new to Virginia rather than replacing a vehicle, the 30 days runs from the date you establish residency. Some localities also expect you to buy a local vehicle sticker or decal in that same period.2Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. New to Virginia
The Two Forms You File Together
Two separate DMV forms drive the transaction. The VSA 17A titles and registers the new vehicle. The VSA 10 moves your plates from the old vehicle to the new one.3Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. VSA 10 – License Plate Application Many people file only the title application and assume the plates come with it. They don’t. Check the “Transfer Existing License Plates” box on the VSA 10 and turn in both forms at once.
Documents to Bring
The signed Virginia title from the seller is the core document. For a brand-new vehicle bought from a dealer, a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin takes its place. If there’s an outstanding lien on the vehicle, add a lien release from the lienholder.
You also need proof of purchase price so the DMV can calculate sales and use tax. On vehicles five years old or newer, the price the seller writes on the title itself counts as your bill of sale. For older vehicles where the seller left the price blank, submit a Vehicle Price Certification (SUT 1) or a handwritten bill of sale signed by both parties showing the price, year, make, model, VIN, and sale date.4Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
Bring your valid Virginia driver’s license and proof of Virginia auto insurance. Insurance is now mandatory: the $500 uninsured motorist fee that used to let drivers register without coverage was repealed effective July 1, 2024.5Virginia General Assembly. SB951 – 2023 Session Confirm your policy already covers the new vehicle before you show up.
Fees and Taxes
Plan for these charges at the counter:
- Title fee: $15.00 for a new certificate of title.
- Plate transfer fee: $2.00 to move your existing plates.
- Registration fee: $30.00 per year for passenger vehicles at 4,000 pounds or less, $35.00 for those over 4,000 pounds. If time remained on your prior registration, you may owe a prorated amount for the new period.
- Sales and use tax: 4.15% of the purchase price, with a $75 minimum regardless of how little you paid.
Sales and use tax is usually the largest line. A $20,000 used car generates $830 in tax. A $1,000 vehicle still triggers the $75 floor.4Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
Where to Submit
In Person
Any Virginia DMV customer service center or DMV Select office will process a walk-in transfer. Bring your completed VSA 17A and VSA 10, the signed title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, proof of insurance, your driver’s license, and payment. The DMV titles the vehicle, registers it, and transfers the plates in one visit, and you leave with a new registration card.7Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle Customer service centers also offer drop-off service if you’d rather leave the paperwork and come back for the finished documents.8Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Your Vehicle or Trailer
By Mail
You can mail the VSA 10 and the applicable fee to handle the plate transfer, and the titling application and its supporting documents can be mailed as well. Processing takes longer than the in-person route.
Online
Virginia’s electronic titling system lets buyer and seller transfer ownership online when both are Virginia residents with active myDMV accounts.9Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Electronic Titling It handles original registration cleanly. Moving your existing plates from a vehicle you already own onto the newly titled one is not clearly offered as a standalone online transaction, so plan to handle the plate transfer separately in person or by mail even if you title online.
Inspection Before You Drive
Every vehicle registered in Virginia must carry a valid annual safety inspection sticker before it hits public roads.10Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-1157 – Inspection of Motor Vehicles Required Dealer vehicles usually come with a current sticker. For a private sale, verify the inspection status before closing. Vehicles garaged in certain Northern Virginia localities also require an emissions inspection; if you’re outside that region, emissions testing doesn’t apply.11Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Emissions Inspections
Gifts Between Close Family
A vehicle given to you by a spouse, parent, or child (biological or adopted) is exempt from the 4.15% sales and use tax.12Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 58.1-2403 – Exemptions Claim the exemption by filing a Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption (SUT 3) that identifies the relationship.13Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Purchaser’s Statement of Tax Exemption – SUT 3
One catch, outside of spouse-to-spouse transfers: if you assume any unpaid debt on the vehicle as part of the gift, Virginia treats that debt as the purchase price and taxes it. Gifts from siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone outside the spouse-parent-child circle don’t qualify at all; you’ll owe tax on fair market value.
Inherited Vehicles
If you’re a co-owner with right of survivorship (the title uses “or” between names, or “or survivor”), you can retitle the vehicle in your name by submitting a certified death certificate, the title, and the applicable fees, and the DMV lets survivors start this online.14Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Transfer Vehicle Ownership – Resources for Family of Deceased Vehicles inherited through an estate are exempt from sales and use tax. The existing registration and plates on the inherited vehicle stay valid until the registration period ends, ownership transfers, or an executor transfers the vehicle, whichever comes first.15Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Transfer Vehicle Registration – Resources for Family of Deceased
Plates You’re Not Keeping
If you sell or trade in a vehicle and don’t move the plates to a replacement, Virginia law requires you to surrender them right away.16Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. What to Do with Your License Plates Active plates on a vehicle you no longer own can pull you into toll charges, parking tickets, and liability tied to the new owner’s driving.
- Online surrender is fastest but forfeits any registration fee refund.
- In-person surrender at a customer service center may qualify you for a partial refund of remaining registration fees; no appointment required.
- Mail surrender uses a Vehicle Registration Refund Application (FMS 210) sent with the plates to the DMV in Richmond, with a possible partial refund if six or more months remain on your registration.
Once you have replacement plates for a new vehicle, you can destroy the old ones yourself.
Don’t Forget Local Personal Property Tax
Virginia counties and cities levy an annual personal property tax on vehicles, and it’s separate from anything paid at the DMV. Localities can require proof that you’ve paid before issuing a local vehicle license or decal.17Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-752 – Taxes and License Fees Imposed by Counties, Cities, and Towns Rates vary widely. Contact your local commissioner of the revenue after the DMV visit to make sure the vehicle is assessed correctly; delinquent local tax bills compound and can block future registrations.