Getting Settled

Housing 

• Link to on grounds housing: https://housing.virginia.edu/housing
• Link to off grounds housing: https://offgroundshousing.student.virginia.edu/ 

License Tags

If you are a Virginia resident with Virginia tags and a current Virginia inspection sticker on your car, you will not need to have your car inspected in Charlottesville until the normal expiration date.

If you are an out-of-state resident and your car is used to drive a family member to and/or from work in the state of Virginia, you must register that car. Work performed for scholarships or grants puts your car into the "must-register" category.

If there are two or more cars in the household and one member of the household is a full-time student, the car(s) used for transportation by the student does not have to be registered. The car used for transportation to and/or from work by a person must be registered. You must register at least one car if you are earning income in the state of Virginia, even if you are using other means of transportation.

By law, car registration is required within 30 days of moving to Virginia. If you have recently purchased a car, you need to register your car (purchase tags) and have your car inspected, unless these tasks have already been completed by the previous owner. However, as long as one family member is a full-time student and no one in the family is earning income in the state of Virginia, you may retain "out-of-state" status.

Check out details on how to register and title your vehicle in Virginia.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

804-497-7100 / 866-368-5463
2055 Abbey Road, Charlottesville
Hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

At this location, new Virginia residents can do the following:

Purchase Virginia license plates
First you must change your car's title to Virginia. In order to change your title you must have your car title from your former place of registration or proof that you paid sales tax when you purchased your car, and $10 to pay the title fee. All persons listed on the title do not need to be present at registration, but a signature is required for each person listed on the title. The DMV accepts credit cards to pay the fees below.

Proof of sales-tax payment varies with the state you came from, but a call to the License Office should establish what you need. If you did not pay sales tax when you purchased your car, you will be required to pay 3 percent of your car's "blue book" value. Be sure to make a copy of your sales-tax proof because the License Bureau will retain the original proof.

Virginia vehicle registration is $40.75 for a car weighing under 4000 lbs. and $45.75 for a car weighing over 4000 lbs. Inspection tags are $16 and must be obtained annually through various garages and dealerships.

Current Table of DMV Fees pdf

Purchase a Virginia driver's license
List of acceptable documents to get a license or photo ID card. 

Note to international students: If you are planning to drive in the United States, you must obtain a Virginia driver's license from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as soon as possible. You can only use your foreign driving license or an international driving permit for up to 30 days, starting from the day you arrive in the U.S. Non-U.S. license holders are required to take a vision test, a driving theory test (multiple choice), and a short practical driving test. Two proofs of identification and proof of Virginia residency (e.g. a lease agreement on your house or apartment) are required before taking the test. The test is based on the Virginia Driver's Code, a copy of which can be obtained from DMV. It is recommended that you study the Code carefully before taking the theory test, as you may be asked some quite specific questions about braking distances, parking regulations, etc.

Insurance

You do not need to show proof of insurance when registering your car, but you will sign a statement that says you do have insurance from a company licensed to do business in Virginia. Insurance agents are listed in the yellow pages of the Charlottesville telephone book.

Note to International Students: International students should be aware that unless they have had a U.S. driver's license for three years they will have difficulty finding car insurance at normal rates. If you are considering purchasing a car when you come to the U.S. or are shipping a car to this country, the insurance rates may influence your decision as to what type of car you buy. It is recommended that you purchase car insurance initially for a six-month period, after which time you can attempt to renegotiate a better premium on the basis of that six-month U.S. driving history.

Tax (Virginia Personal Property Tax)

All persons residing in Virginia who own automobiles are subject to a personal property tax based on the average loan value ("blue book" value) of their automobile. This is filed when city or county tags are purchased. The first half of the tax is due June 5 and the second half is due December 5.

If you are a resident of another part of Virginia, read carefully: By a strange quirk in the law, students who have residency in another part of Virginia (not in Charlottesville or Albemarle County) and are not locally employed, but own their own automobiles must pay the personal property tax in their home county or city—that is, their place of residency.

On the other hand, if your car is owned by your parents, or by you and your parents, you must pay the local (Charlottesville or Albemarle County) property tax (even if you are a resident of another part of Virginia). You can give a copy of your personal property tax receipt to the local authorities in your home county or city to prove you have already paid the tax.

Useful contacts:

City of Charlottesville Treasurer's Office
434-970-3146
605 E. Main St. Room A120

Revenue and Taxation Division 
434-296-5851
Preston & 400 McIntire Rd., Finance Department

UVA Parking and Transportation 

https://parking.virginia.edu/