Effective March 1, a $100 fee will be imposed on vehicles registered with the City of Falls Church that do not display current Virginia license plates, the City has announced. The $100 out-of-state plate fee will be due annually. The purpose of the fee, which is already in effect in surrounding jurisdictions, is to encourage compliance with City and State licensing and registration laws.

While the enforcement of Virginia Vehicle registration requirements lies with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Commissioner of Revenue is charged with assessing the annual personal property tax and out-of-state plate fee. Exemptions from the $100 out-of-state license plate fee include: Taxpayers with Virginia license plates; Taxpayers who have their vehicle titled and registered in Virginia within 30 days of moving to the City of Falls Church; and, 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 who 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 out-of-state plate fee.)