Moving to Virginia

On cost, Virginia sits close to the national average.

• The MERIC first quarter 2026 series put the cost of living index at 99.1, ranked 28th, with housing at 99.1.
• The Tax Foundation puts the effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 0.78 percent.
• Income tax is graduated from 2 percent to 5.75 percent, and the top rate starts at $17,000 of taxable income.
• The general sales tax is 5.3 percent in most of the state.
• Higher rates apply in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Central Virginia, and some other localities, up to 7 percent.
• Groceries are taxed at 1 percent statewide.

Expect three car costs beyond registration.

• Every car needs an annual safety inspection, and most repair shops do it.
• Cars garaged in 10 Northern Virginia localities also need an emissions inspection every two years.
• Your city or county also taxes the car as personal property.
• Some localities also require new residents to buy a local sticker or decal within 30 days.

Get a Virginia driver license within 60 days

Get a Virginia driver license within 60 days of moving here. If you hold a commercial driver license, the deadline is 30 days. Apply at any DMV customer service center. Bring one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, and two proofs of Virginia residency. Bring proof of your Social Security number, unless DMV can verify the number electronically. Also bring your current license from another state if you are exchanging it.

Inspect, title, and register the car within 30 days

Before you drive the car here, it must pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid sticker. Most repair shops do the inspection. Driving without a sticker can get you a ticket. Next, title the vehicle in Virginia within 30 days of moving here. You must title it before you can register it. Insure it, then register it at any DMV customer service center within 30 days of moving. Some localities also require new residents to buy a local sticker or decal within 30 days. The local Commissioner of the Revenue, Treasurer, or Director of Finance sells it, not DMV.

No sales and use tax on a car you already own

Virginia charges a 4.15% sales and use tax when a vehicle is titled. The minimum is $75. You do not pay it when you first title a vehicle here that already has a title or registration in your name from another state. If you bought the vehicle in the last 12 months, bring proof that you paid sales tax elsewhere. Without that proof, the exemption does not apply.

Pass an emissions inspection in 10 localities

The emissions inspection applies if the vehicle is garaged in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, or Stafford County. It also applies in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park. DMV will not register the vehicle there until it passes. You can skip the Virginia test at first registration if the vehicle has a valid emissions certificate from the last 12 months. Each emissions inspection is valid for two years. Motorcycles are exempt. So are gasoline vehicles more than 25 years old. Diesels newer than model year 1996 with a gross vehicle weight rating under 8,501 pounds must be tested.

Insure the car before you register it

You must certify insurance on the vehicle before you can buy plates or decals. For policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, the minimum liability limits are $50,000 for injury or death of one person and $100,000 for two or more people. Property damage must be at least $25,000. Your insurer must be authorized to do business in Virginia. If coverage ends during the registration period, reinsure the vehicle, deactivate the plates, or surrender them. Uninsured owners lose their driving and registration privileges. To get them back, you pay a $600 non-compliance fee and file an SR-22 certificate for three years.

Register to vote 11 days before the election

The registration deadline is 11 days before a general or primary election. A mailed application must be postmarked by the deadline. You must give your Social Security number if you have one, or the application is denied. The same deadline applies to updating the address on an existing registration. After the deadline, you can still go to your local registration office, register, and vote a provisional ballot in person.