July 19, 2002
<bt>Car Insurance Requirements:
To purchase license plates or decals, car owners must certify that the vehicle is covered by the minimum insurance requirements or pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee. Insurance carriers must be authorized to conduct business in Virginia. Virginia requires the following minimum coverage:
Bodily injury/death of one person $25,000
Bodily injury/death of two or more persons $50,000
Property damage $20,000
If liability insurance coverage on a vehicle terminates or cancels during the registration period, car owners must either reinsure their vehicle, pay the uninsured motor vehicle fee or surrender the license plates to DMV.
Car Registration Requirements:
Vehicles must be titled in Virginia prior to registration. Once titled, owners must complete an Application for Registration (VSA 14) and present an emissions certificate if the vehicle is kept in the county of Fairfax or in the cities of Alexandria or Fairfax. Motorcycles are not required to have an emissions inspection.
Following an emissions inspection, the emissions inspection station will electronically update the DMV vehicle record with the test results. When registering your vehicle, DMV will not ask for emissions information unless the vehicle has failed the test or this information has not been received from the inspection station.
If the vehicle is being registered for the first time in Virginia and has a current valid emissions certificate (performed in the last 12 months) from one of the following states, it may be titled and registered without a Virginia emissions inspection: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin.
Inspection Requirements:
No vehicle subject to an emissions inspection will be registered or reregistered by DMV until it has passed an emissions inspection.
For emission inspection program information or to find the location of the inspection stations, car owners can call the Department of Environmental Quality at 703-583-3900 or 1-800-275-3844.
The inspection station should not charge more than $20 for emissions inspection. Motorists will be charged an additional $2 per year by DMV for vehicle registration.
Local DMV Locations:
Tysons Corner
1968 Gallows Road
Vienna, VA 22182
Fair Oaks Mall
11805-L Fair Oaks Mall
Fairfax, VA 22033
Fairfax/Westfields
14950 Northridge Drive
Chantilly, VA 22021
Springfield
6702 Springfield Mall
Springfield, VA 22150
DMV services and a list of offices can also be found on the web at www.dmv.state.va.us.