Vehicle Registration

Decal Display Required
All vehicles garaged or normally parked in the City of Falls Church are required to display a decal. The City decal is an indication of Personal Property Tax Compliance and not a parking permit. Failure to display a decal within 60 days of the vehicle entering the City may result in citation by Police Enforcement. You must register your vehicle to obtain a Temporary Decal and receive a bill from the Treasurer for the Yearly Decal.  
permdecal

Registration Information

Every person or business who owns or leases a motor vehicle located in the City of Falls Church is required to file a personal property tax return.

Property owners who file a return the previous year and owned a vehicle on January 1 must file a return with the Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue by May 1. Vehicle owners who move into the city after January 1 should file a return within 30 days of the move or transfer.
 
For assessment of automobiles, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car Guide will be used in most cases. Owners will be taxed for the portion of the year that the vehicle is located in the city.

Register a Vehicle 

You can register online or by fax or mail by completing the Motor Vehicle Registration Form and copying the temporary or current vehicle registration and faxing both documents to 703-248-5212 (TTY 711). Please be sure to include the owner or lessee's DMV Drivers License number and daytime phone number. The Treasurer's Office will bill for the city decal; once paid, the registrant will be sent the decal in the mail.
  
Due to security concerns, emailing a registration form is not recommended.

Move Out a Vehicle

If you moved, sold, donated, traded, junked or otherwise disposed of a vehicle first notify the DMV at www.dmvnow.com or call them at: 804-497-7100. 

Next, notify the Falls Church Commissioner of the Revenue by completing the Personal Property (Vehicle) Disposition Online Application.

You can also download and complete a PDF version of the Personal Property Disposition Form. You can submit a completed form by mail, fax it to the number on the form, or email it to: Commissioner@fallschurchva.gov. 
  

Report a Potentially Untaxed Vehicle

If you've noticed a vehicle regularly parked in the City without a decal, it may be potentially untaxed. The new Tax Evader Program allows you to notify the Commissioner anonymously. Click here for more information.
 

Notify the DMV of Vehicle Changes

You are required by law to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if you change your address or sell, trade, or dispose of your vehicle. After you notify the DMV you must also inform the Commissioner's Office, you can do so by email, phone or the online option above.

DMV Notification Options

 
  • Call the DMV toll free at (804) 497-7100.
  • Fax the DMV at 804-367-6631.
  • Visit the DMV website.
  • Go to a local DMV Customer Service Center and get a "disposition date" for your vehicle if you have sold or donated it. Turn in any license plates that are not being transferred to another vehicle.
  • Mail in the DMV vehicle disposal form located on the back of your vehicle's title or registration card.
If you change your resident / home or mailing address to a non-Virginia address, your driver's license and/or photo identification (ID) card may be cancelled.

Vehicle Personal Property Tax Exemptions


Some vehicle owners may qualify for a personal property tax exemption. Find out more.

​Out of State License Plate Fee

Effective March 1, 2018, a $100 fee will be imposed on vehicles registered with The City of Falls Church that have out of state license plates. Learn more.