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Virginia · Virginia DMV

Virginia Vehicle Registration & Title Fees 2026 (Calculator)

Virginia charges 4.15% sales and use tax on the full price (no trade-in credit), a $15 title and $30.75 a year to register a car up to 4,000 lbs. Electric vehicles add a $135.63 highway use fee.

Checked against official sources on September 24, 2026 · Sources

What are you doing?

$
$

Leave at 0 if you're not trading in.

lbs

Cars over 4,000 lbs pay $35.75; pickups by gross weight.

Due at the DMV

$1,290.75

Then about $30.75 a year to renew

  • Vehicles rated 25 MPG combined or better also pay a highway use fee based on fuel economy. Not included.
  • Most Virginia localities also bill yearly personal property tax on vehicles, and some add a local registration fee. Not included.

Estimate only. Fees from Virginia's official fee schedules; confirm the final amount with the agency before you pay.

Virginia vehicle fees at a glance

Sales and use tax (SUT) Of the gross price — trade-ins not subtracted; minimum $75 4.15%
Title $15
Registration — car up to 4,000 lbs $30.75/yr
Registration — car 4,001–6,500 lbs $35.75/yr
Registration — pickup 6,501–10,000 lbs $44.75/yr
Registration — motorcycle $24.75/yr
Highway use fee — electric Fuel-efficient gas and hybrid vehicles pay a smaller fee $135.63/yr
Northern Virginia emissions area +$2/yr

How Virginia calculates it

Sales and use tax is on the whole price. Virginia's 4.15% SUT uses the gross sales price after rebates, including the dealer processing fee. Unlike most states, a trade-in doesn't reduce it. The minimum is $75.

Registration is $30.75 a year for a car up to 4,000 lbs and $35.75 above that. Northern Virginia's emissions localities add $2. Electric vehicles pay a $135.63 highway use fee; gas and hybrid vehicles rated 25 MPG or better pay a smaller, MPG-based fee.

Moving to Virginia? If the vehicle is already titled or registered in your name in another state, you don't pay SUT — though if you bought it within the last 12 months you must show tax was paid elsewhere.

Watch for local taxes. Most cities and counties bill a yearly personal property tax on vehicles, and some charge a local registration fee. Those are set locally and aren't in this calculator.

What to bring

  • The title signed over to you
  • Application for Certificate of Title and Registration (VSA 17A)
  • Proof of Virginia address and identity
  • A passed safety inspection (and emissions test in Northern Virginia)

Virginia registration questions

How much does it cost to register a car in Virginia?
For a $30,000 car: $1,245 sales and use tax, a $15 title and $30.75 registration (up to 4,000 lbs) — about $1,290.75. Local personal property tax is billed separately.
Does a trade-in lower sales tax in Virginia?
No. Virginia’s 4.15% SUT is on the gross sales price, before any trade-in credit.
How much is a title transfer in Virginia?
$15, plus 4.15% SUT on the sale price (minimum $75).
What is the Virginia highway use fee?
A yearly fee for vehicles that use little or no gas: $135.63 for electric vehicles, and a smaller amount based on fuel economy for vehicles rated 25 MPG or better.
Do new residents pay sales tax in Virginia?
Not if the vehicle is titled or registered in your name in another state. If you bought it within the last year, bring proof you paid sales tax where you bought it.

Sources

All figures on this page were checked against these sources on September 24, 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us.

  1. 1. Virginia DMV — DMV Fees (DMV 201)
  2. 2. Virginia DMV — Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
  3. 3. Virginia DMV — Highway Use Fee