Treasurer

No New Vehicle Decal This Year

You may have noticed there was no new vehicle decal inclosed in your 2020 Personal Property Tax bills. Please keep the blue decal on your vehicle's windshield until further notice. 

Blue Vehicle Decal 2020-2021

Why is there not a new decal this year?

The City of Falls Church is one of the only Virginia localities to still have an annual motor vehicle license, more commonly referred to as the vehicle decal. Most Virginia localities have now eliminated their vehicle decals or moved to a permanent decal due to advances in technology such as license plate readers and the ability to import DMV car registration records into most software programs.

The Treasurer's Office is working on an ordinance to amend the City Code regarding the vehicle decal. The ordinance would eliminate the annual issuance of a new vehicle decal and move to a permanent decal instead. The City Council is scheduled to make a 2nd reading on the proposed ordinance at their October 13 Regular Meeting. You can submit comments about the proposed change in ordinance by emailing cityclerk@fallschurchva.gov.. 

Why move to a permanent decal instead of eliminating it entirely?

The visual aid of a decal on a vehicle is an important enforcement tool for small localities, including the City of Falls Church. It helps determine at a glance if a vehicle has been licensed in Falls Church and is taxed appropriately. This enforcement effort is carried out by parking enforcement officers issuing tickets to vehicles without a decal owned by City of Falls Church residents. 

What's the $33 Fee for?

The annual $33 fee is for the motor vehicle license, not for the actual decal itself.

However, a decrease in printing and postage costs would save tax payers approximately $12,000 per year. In addition, the annual burden to residents of keeping up with the current year decal would be lifted and City staff will be able to focus on other important issues in lieu of the annual awareness campaigns about when and which decal to use.

Services During COVID-19

Virtually all services provided by the Treasurer’s Office can be accessed online, by mail, or email. If you have a question about any of the services or need help finding anything online, please email us at treasurer@fallschurchva.gov or call our main number at 703-248-5046 (TTY 711) and leave a message. 

Online Payments

Residents and businesses can now pay for a number of additional services online at www.fallschurchva.gov/Pay:

Payments by Text

The Treasurer’s Office is excited to offer citizens another way to pay their tax bills: text message. Pay by Text customers can make payments anytime, anywhere on their mobile phone. Customers will receive text alerts when their bill is ready.

The City’s Pay by Text vendor, InvoiceCloud, has two videos you can watch which explains how the payment system works and how you can register for the payment service.  

Drop Box for Payments

While we encourage residents to stay home and conduct business online whenever possible, you can also drop-off payments at our Drop Box located just outside the front doors of the West Wing at City Hall (300 Park Ave.) If you need a receipt, just add a note with your payment and one will be mailed to you. (Please do not deposit cash as this box is unattended. The Treasurer’s Office is not responsible for the loss or theft of cash left in the box. )

drop box

Personal Property Tax 


The 2020 Personal Property Tax ("Car Tax") and Business Personal Property Tax bills were due Monday, October 5, 2020. A new City ordinance passed in August 2016 requires an additional late payment penalty on personal property bills that remain unpaid after 60 days. The additional penalty amount is 15 percent of the unpaid tax and will be applied on December 5, 2020. A statutory 10 percent penalty is already required on all bills remaining unpaid after the due date. The 15 percent penalty applied on December 5 will be in addition to the 10 percent. Please note that the so called “super penalty” only applies to personal property taxes. Avoid late payment penalties by paying on time!

Blue Vehicle Decal

The current blue City vehicle decal will be used again in 2021. This decal which was originally mailed in your 2019 Personal Property Tax bills. No new decal will be included in the 2020 Personal Property Tax bill.  The decals should remain on your windshield or risk getting a ticket. Learn more.

Coin Acceptance Policy


In order to maintain efficient operation of the office, the Treasurer's Office will not accept unrolled coins in excess of 50 coins on a given business day for any debts owed to the City by a citizen or business. A maximum of 20 rolls (rolled coin) will be accepted on a given business day. Learn more about the coin acceptance policy.

Online Bill Pay


The Falls Church Treasurer's Office now offers online bill payment! In partnership with Invoice Cloud™, a web-based online bill service, the Treasurer's Office provides residents an easy and convenient method to view and pay bills online.

Pay Bills by Text


The Treasurer's Office is excited to offer citizens another way to pay their tax bills: text message. Pay by Text customers can make payments anytime, anywhere on their mobile phone. Customers will receive text alerts when their bill is ready. 

The City's Pay by Text vendor, InvoiceCloud, has two videos you can watch which explains how the payment system works and how you can register for the payment service. 

Real Estate Tax Relief Program Changes

On July 8, 2019, the City Council voted to approve changes to the City’s Tax Relief for Low Income Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Program that were recommended by the City Treasurer and a Tax Relief Working Group. The changes - which are retroactive to July 1, 2019 - will reduce the real estate tax burden for qualifying candidates and revise the application timeline, among other adjustments.

In 2018, the City Manager appointed a working group to study the City’s current Tax Relief Program, review similar programs in neighboring jurisdictions, and provide recommendations for the Fiscal Year 2020 budget process. The Tax Relief Working Group met for over a year and proposed several changes to offer additional assistance to qualifying residents 65 years and older or persons with permanent and total disabilities.

The adopted changes include increasing the program’s maximum tax benefit to 100% for applicants earning 40% or less of the HUD Area Median Income (AMI), eliminating interest on all deferred taxes accrued on or after July 1, 2019, reducing the program’s exemption asset limit from $540,000 to $400,000, and move the tax relief program from a calendar year to fiscal year basis to align with the real estate tax billing cycle.

Visit the Tax Relief Page for more information.