Motor Vehicles


  • New residents or those registering a vehicle for the first time must file a car tax registration form within 60 days after purchase or entry into the County.

  • For vehicle renewals, taxpayers are only required to report changes such as name, address, vehicle ownership, or vehicle location. These changes must be reported to the County by May 1 of each year.

  • For most vehicles, the tax is based on the clean trade-in value as listed in the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car Guide published in January of the current tax year. 

  • For new model year vehicles, the assessment is based on a percentage of MSRP. This is the base-model MSRP, before options. NADA Guide values are used for subsequent years.

  • A vehicle is subject to tax if it is normally garaged or parked in the County, even if registered in another state. Tax on motor vehicles is prorated for the portion of the year it is located in the County unless the vehicle is moved to a non-prorating Virginia locality.

  • The current tax rate for personal property in Fairfax County is $4.57 for each $100 of assessed value.

  • Certain motor vehicles are exempt from the car tax.

  • If you believe that your vehicle has been over-assessed, you can appeal the assessment. Body damage, rusting, and mileage are conditional factors for which adjustments in value are most frequently made.

  • Information on State Car Tax Subsidy.

 



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