Virginia
Vehicle Resource Center
Virginia is well-known for its national history. Virginia is the birthplace of presidents, the country's first permanent colony, and the site for so many historic events that it's no wonder Virginia natives embrace that history so heavily. Virginia is also home to millions of car owners, and all those owners have a whole host of laws, regulations, and maintenance tasks to keep up with every year.
Ownership and Maintenance
Maintaining a Virginia vehicle is difficult work, and it requires understanding the state's laws well. Learn about all the regular renewal requirements and paperwork necessary to legally own a vehicle and drive on Virginia roads and avoid fines and other issues.
All throughout Virginia, annual safety inspections are required for any vehicle that's operated on Virginia roadways. The safety inspection must be performed at an approved inspection location. The inspection looks closely to verify if a vehicle is safe to drive and that it isn't emitting too many harmful particles during operation.
Many garages are certified as legal safety inspection locations throughout Virginia, and having a vehicle inspected is as simple as visiting one of these locations.
It's important to note that Virginia vehicles can be stopped and ticketed for having an expired safety inspection, but only if the inspection is at least four months expired.
Get more details about Virginia safety inspection requirements at the official government inspection page.
Virginia is an at-fault state when it comes to car insurance and accidents. That means that the driver who's deemed at fault for an accident is expected to pay for all the damages and injuries caused by the accident. Virginia requires all its drivers to have liability insurance to protect against these insurance liabilities, and anyone found without insurance will have their license suspended, be unable to register their vehicle and be subject to a $600 fine.
Each Virginian must have the following minimum insurance coverage values in place when driving. Meeting these requirements doesn't guarantee that getting into an automotive accident won't result in legal issues, but most accidents will be covered by insurance unless they are very severe.
Virginia Minimum Insurance Requirements
Virginians must have the following insurance minimums when purchasing insurance before the end of 2024:
Drivers purchasing insurance after 2024 must have the following coverage amounts:
Paying the Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) Fee
Vehicle owners who do not wish to pay for automotive insurance can pay a $500 UMV fee to the Virginia DMV annually to legally drive without auto insurance. The fee makes driving without insurance legal, but if the driver is found at fault for causing an automotive accident, they will still be expected to pay for any injuries and property damage caused. For any additional information about Virginia's insurance laws and requirements, view the Virginia Insurance Guide page.
Every Virginia resident who drives a vehicle must maintain a valid driver's license. Part of this is renewing the license every eight years. At times, the license renewal can be completed online or by mail, but every other renewal period must be completed in person. Fortunately, between the Virginia Service Center Locations and the DMV Connect service, it's easy to find a nearby location to get help renewing a license.
When renewing a license in Virginia, residents must be able to pass a vision screening, provide their expired license and any additional identification documents, and pay the renewal fee of $32 for a standard license. When having the license renewed in person, the individual's photo will be updated as well to keep it current.
Retake Tests After 1 Year
Virginia residents who allow their driver's license to expire for 1-year or longer must retake the written knowledge test, as well as the road skills test, to obtain a license once again.
Get additional information and government help via the Government license renewal guide page.
Each year, Virginia natives must renew their vehicle registration. There are three methods of renewal available to everyone, and choosing any of the options results in the same renewed registration.
Owners can go through the renewal process online and receive a slight discount. They can travel to a DMV Select and renew the registration in person, or they can mail the registration renewal and money and get it renewed that way.
When renewing a registration, the vehicle owner should have:
Vehicle registration renewals typically cost $30.75 for a passenger vehicle, but they can cost more if the vehicle is heavier than 4,001 lbs. There may be emission inspection fees and local vehicle registration fees as well.
Learn all about the different Virginia registration renewal options using the State's registration About page.
Buying & Selling
Vehicle owners and interested buyers both need to know how to go through a legal vehicle sale. Buyers also need to spend time thinking about how to evaluate a vehicle and get useful information about a vehicle being considered. Only this information will result in successful vehicle purchases.
When a vehicle is sold in Virginia, the buyer must title and register the vehicle in their name. This process is a straightforward one, but only when the buyer has the necessary documents and information. Without those things, getting a vehicle properly titled and registered becomes very difficult.
Have the following:
With the necessary documents in hand, $15 for a titling fee, and a minimum of $30.75 for the vehicle registration, buyers should head to the nearest DMV location and have the vehicle titled and registered. Once this process is complete, the vehicle is legally the possession of the buyer, and the registration must be renewed annually.
According to the Virginia state government's information page, the state must collect a 4.15% sales tax for every vehicle sold within the state. This fee is assessed on all vehicles, but the minimum tax charge is $70, which means that most vehicles with price tags under $16,000 will come with the $70 fee.
Before purchasing a used vehicle, it's essential to learn as much as possible about it. Consider paying for a Virginia Vehicle History Search or a License Plate Lookup from GoodCar to learn more about the vehicle. These reports give details about the vehicle's history, open recalls, features and specifications, previous accidents, and more. By paying for this simple report, buyers can avoid damaged vehicles and troublesome misunderstandings.
Laws and Regulations
Virginia driving laws are known for being some of the strictest in the country. Understanding the laws that govern drivers is an essential first step toward staying safe and out of trouble.
Driving while intoxicated is a strict offense in Virginia that can result in a 1-year license suspension, an ignition interlock device, and steep fines for a first-time offense. This is an issue that every driver should be careful to avoid.
Virginia drivers are considered impaired when they have a BAC (blood alcohol content) of .08 or higher. Drivers under 18 are considered impaired when they have a BAC of .02 or higher. Drivers who exhibit clear signs of impairment can also be charged with driving while impaired, even with slightly lower BAC levels than .08 in some instances.
Get all the details about Virginia's drunk driving laws and penalties via this state webpage.
Children under the age of 8 must be properly seated in the right child restraint to help protect them from injury. Different restraints are required for children of different ages, and drivers who don't meet the necessary requirements can be fined between $50 and $500.
Rear Facing Seats
Children under two years old are required to sit in a rear-facing seat until they've reached the weight requirement on a forward-facing seat. Children should be kept rear-facing for as long as possible for added safety.
Forward-Facing Seats
There is no specific age requirement tied to a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness. Instead, children should graduate from rear-facing seats to forward-facing when they are too large to use a rear-facing option comfortably.
Booster Seats
Booster seats are the proper option for children who surpass the weight and height limits of a forward-facing car seat. Children are expected to remain in a booster seat until they reach the age of 8 or until they are tall enough to safely use a vehicle's seat belt should restraint. This is normally when a child is approximately 4'9" in height. Learn more about child safety seat laws via the Virginia child safety seat page.
Adding tint to the windows of a Virginia car is a simple way to protect against sun damage, keep the vehicle's interior cooler, and increase privacy. There are laws governing what type of window tint can be installed on a Virginia vehicle though.
The law states that:
The law also goes on to prohibit reflective materials, prismatic materials, and other specialty materials. Learn more about Virginia tint rules and regulations by reviewing the Virginia tint guidelines here.
Any new vehicle that was delivered by the manufacturer less than 18 months ago is covered by the state's Lemon Law. This law states that vehicles must not suffer from defects that reduce their resale value or cause them to function improperly if those defects are covered by the manufacturer's warranty.
Vehicle owners must inform the manufacturer about the problem so the company can make an effort to repair the issue. If the issue is not resolved after three separate repair attempts, or the vehicle is in the garage for at least 30 days getting covered repairs, it is deemed a lemon, and the manufacturer must replace it.
Find out more about Virginia's Lemon Law on the state's informational page.
Useful Things to Know
As a car owner in Virginia, there is so much to know. Use these additional resources to find service stations, locate EV charging stations, see crash trends, and learn more about owning a vehicle in Virginia.
View Updated Virginia Car Crash Trends
Virginia is a safer-than-average state for traffic fatalities, according to 2021 IIHS statistics. Approximately 1.21 people die for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the state, and there were a total of 973 deaths over 906 accidents in 2021. Learning why car accidents occur in VA can help drivers prepare for safe driving. Get the complete picture using the car accident statistics from GoodCar.
Find a Virginia Customer Service Center
When renewing a license, getting help with title or registration tasks, or many other DMV-related services, a Virginia Customer Service Center is essential. Use the following tool to find the nearest center to your location: Virginia Customer Service Center Locator
Find EV Charging Locations in Virginia
EV drivers throughout the state of Virginia must learn to locate charging stations near them. This charging locator makes it easy to find the closest stations: Virginia EV Charging Station Search Locator
Virginia DMV Connect Locations
Get help from the traveling Virginia DMV Connect service by using this simple locator tool to see when and where Virginia DMV officials will be available near you: DMV Virginia Connect Locator
Virginia Driver's Manual
Drivers who are studying for the written exam when attempting to attain a driver's license or anyone interested in learning more about Virginia road laws can benefit from reading through the state's driver's manual linked below: Virginia Driver's Manual
Get the Latest Virginia Vehicle Information with GoodCar
Virginia vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.