Effective March 1, 2018, a fee will be imposed on vehicles registered with The City of Falls Church that have out of state license plates. The $100 license fee will be assessed and due annually.
While the enforcement of Virginia Vehicle registration requirements lies with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Commissioner of Revenue is charged with assessing the annual personal property tax and out-of-state tag fee.
Exemptions from the $100 License Fee
Taxpayers with Virginia plates;
Taxpayers who have their vehicle titled and registered in Virginia within 30 days of moving to the City of Falls Church;
Owners of the following vehicles:
Active-Duty Military personnel and/or their spouses who have been exempted from the Personal Property tax;
Members of the U.S. Senate and Congress, taxicabs, and vehicles registered with the U.S. Department of State that have diplomatic license plates; and,
Those full-time students attending school in Virginia that have been exempted from Personal Property tax in Falls Church. (Exception – if full-time students are gainfully employed — except in limited circumstances related to degree requirements of financial aid programs — they will be subject to the tag tax.
Other Situations
A full-time student living in Falls Church using parents’ car with out-of-state plates: The vehicle owner (parents) will not be exempt from the license tax if the student has the car in Falls Church for more than six months out of the year, or if they're attending school outside of Virginia.
A vehicle owner is living in Falls Church for a short time but wants to register elsewhere: If you’re living in The City of Falls Church for a short time, you still must register your car with the City and pay the full $100 license tax. The vehicle personal property tax is a prorated tax, but the $100 license tax is not.
Virginia Code and The City of Falls Church Ordinances
Residents to comply with these regulations based on the following: