Alert:
Effective January 1, 2023, Fairfax County will automatically file personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers on behalf of Fairfax County residents that have registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 30 days as required by Virginia Code §§ 46.2-600 and -622.
Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers purchased or moved into the county prior to 2023 will not be auto-filed on behalf of Fairfax County residents. Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers must be filed within 60 days of the purchase or move-in date with the Department of Tax Administration as required or be subject to a 10% late filing penalty or $10, whichever is greater. You may register using our registration tool, by phone at 703-222-8234 [TTY 711], or in person at the Government Center.
Most vehicles have to be registered with the Virginia DMV within 30 days of purchase or establishing residency in Virginia. Contact the Virginia DMV for more information.
Note, special rules apply to out-of-state cabs driven for personal use in Virginia, but displaying out-of-state plates. For example, a vehicle may be used as a cab in DC and display DC license plates. If however, when not in service, the vehicle is normally garaged at a Virginia residence and used in Virginia for personal use, that vehicle is subject to the county's personal property tax and is required to display dual license plates (i.e., it must display plates from both DC and Virginia at the same time). Personal use vehicles may be eligible for the Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA).
Effective January 1, 2023, Fairfax County will automatically file personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers on behalf of Fairfax County residents that have registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 30 days as required by Virginia Code §§ 46.2-600 and -622.
Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers purchased or moved into the county prior to 2023 will not be auto-filed on behalf of Fairfax County residents. Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers must be filed within 60 days of the purchase or move-in date with the Department of Tax Administration as required or be subject to a 10% late filing penalty or $10, whichever is greater. You may register using our registration tool, by phone at 703-222-8234 [TTY 711], or in person at the Government Center.
Effective January 1, 2023, Fairfax County will automatically file personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers on behalf of Fairfax County residents that have registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 30 days as required by Virginia Code §§ 46.2-600 and -622.
Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers purchased or moved into the county prior to 2023 will not be auto-filed on behalf of Fairfax County residents. Personal property tax returns for motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers must be filed within 60 days of the purchase or move-in date with the Department of Tax Administration as required or be subject to a 10% late filing penalty or $10, whichever is greater. You may register using our registration tool, by phone at 703-222-8234 [TTY 711], or in person at the Government Center.
For more information regarding lease vehicle registration with Fairfax County, contact your leasing company.
The state requires that the value be from a recognized pricing guide, applied uniformly, and as of January 1 of the tax year. To meet these requirements, Fairfax County uses the January edition of the J.D. Power’s Official Used Car Guide. For more information regarding vehicle assessments, please refer to our Vehicle Value page.
You may appeal the assessment of your vehicle if you believe it has one or more of the following conditions:
Adjustments in value are most frequently made based on these conditional factors.
Submit a vehicle tax appeal form along with the required documentation. Please refer to the vehicle appeal page.
Normally, a vehicle's value decreases every year as it ages--but the pandemic has driven up values for several reasons:
In general, vehicle taxes are calculated by multiplying the value by the appropriate tax rate. Personal use vehicles are also eligible for a vehicle tax subsidy provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Business vehicles are not eligible for the vehicle tax subsidy.
Refer to the examples below to estimate your taxes for the year.
Example for a Personal Use Vehicle Valued at $20,000 or less in Tax Year 2026
| Full vehicle value per value guide | $10,000 | ||
| Apply the tax rate ($4.57 per $100 value) to get total annual tax for the vehicle | $10,000 x ($4.57 / 100) = $457.00 | $457.00 | |
| Calculate the personal property tax relief amount (49% in 2026) | $457.00 x 0.49 = $223.93 | -$223.93 | |
| Reduce the total annual tax by the relief amount | $457.00 - $223.93 = $233.07 | $233.07 | |
| Annual tax amount to be paid by vehicle owner | $233.07 |
Example for a Personal Use Vehicle Valued at $20,000 or more in Tax Year 2026
| Full vehicle value per value guide | $30,000 | ||
| Apply the tax rate ($4.57 per $100 value) to get total annual tax for the vehicle | $30,000 x ($4.57 / 100) = $1,371.00 | $1,371.00 | |
| Calculate the personal property tax relief amount (49% in 2026) for the first $20,000 of value | $20,000 x ($4.57 / 100) x 0.49 = $447.86 | -$447.86 | |
| Reduce the total annual tax by the relief amount | $1,371.00 - $447.86 = $923.14 | $923.14 | |
| Annual tax amount to be paid by vehicle owner | $923.14 |
Example for a Business Use Vehicle (regardless of value) in Tax Year 2026
| Full vehicle value per value guide | $30,000 | ||
| Apply the tax rate ($4.57 per $100 value) to get total annual tax for the vehicle | $30,000 x ($4.57 / 100) = $1,371.00 | $1,371.00 | |
| Annual tax amount to be paid by vehicle owner | $1,371.00 |
No. There is no longer any local registration decal to purchase or display; however, all town residents (Herndon, Clifton, and Vienna) are still liable to pay each town's annual Local Vehicle Registration Fee. Fairfax County collects the local registration fee on behalf of the towns of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna.
There are vehicles considered for tax rate exceptions. The following are currently taxed at a rate of one cent per $100:
The majority of Vehicle ("Car") Tax bills are mailed in the summer and are due by October 5.
For vehicles bought or located in the county on or after July 1, bills are mailed in January of the following year and payment is due by February 15.
If a payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or county holiday, the due date is the following business day.
For 2025 only, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an extension for residents to pay their personal property tax, also known as the car tax. All residents have until Nov. 5, 2025 to pay their personal property tax without late fees or penalties.
See our Tax Payments pages for more information on how you can pay your taxes.
Checks or money orders should be made payable to "County of Fairfax."
For more information on making a payment, see our Payment options page.
Failure to receive forms does not exempt you from either the obligation to file or to pay taxes on time. Forms can be downloaded or by visiting the Government Center Building or contacting us by e-mail or phone.
You must notify the County when a vehicle is moved out of the County or sold.
You may do this in several ways:
In Fairfax County, the vehicle tax on motor vehicles (cars, trucks, motorcycles, and vans) is prorated to reflect the time the vehicle was normally garaged in the county. Upon notification that a property has been moved or sold, the DTA will adjust your account to ensure that your motor vehicle is taxed accurately.
Vehicles which are moved out of Fairfax County to a non-prorating Virginia jurisdiction during the tax year are not prorated.
Your car must still be registered with Fairfax County within 60 days of purchase or move-in. It is subject to taxation by the Virginia locality in which it is normally garaged or parked.
If the vehicle is improperly displaying out-of-state plates beyond the 30-day registration requirement of state law, the vehicle is also subject to the county’s non-proratable $100 out-of-state plates tax and a penalty of $250 assessed annually.
DTA may also sell vehicles and certain business equipment at public auction for the collection of delinquent taxes. If you have questions or would like to be added to a potential bidders list for personal property public auctions, please send your contact information to DTA's Revenue Collection Division. Vehicles and equipment currently scheduled for Public Auction.