VA DMV
Hello everybody,
So the day for me is getting very close, I am due to get my Model S by the end of the month. But just found out from my Tesla rep that I will have to take care of the registration of the vehicle with DMV.
I will greatly appreciate it if anyone can provide me with their experience of getting that done with the DMV in Northern Virginia. How painful/painless was the process? How did you pay for the taxes, check, credit card? I plan on keeping the tags from my current hybrid car for HOV reasons. So did anyone else also do that?
Many thanks for the feedback. If you need to contact me offline, my email is [email protected] and number is (703)969-9761
Regards,
Sharad Prabhakar
So the day for me is getting very close, I am due to get my Model S by the end of the month. But just found out from my Tesla rep that I will have to take care of the registration of the vehicle with DMV.
I will greatly appreciate it if anyone can provide me with their experience of getting that done with the DMV in Northern Virginia. How painful/painless was the process? How did you pay for the taxes, check, credit card? I plan on keeping the tags from my current hybrid car for HOV reasons. So did anyone else also do that?
Many thanks for the feedback. If you need to contact me offline, my email is [email protected] and number is (703)969-9761
Regards,
Sharad Prabhakar
0
Comments
I'm not sure why VA would be different from MD, but perhaps it is. When I review my finalized paperwork (on my Tesla dashboard), the purchase agreement is followed by several additional documents, one of which is the application for title and registration with MD's version of the DMV (called MVA). Also included is the MD tax rebate form... not sure if VA has that or not.
I believe the expectation is that I will sign these additional documents (purchase agreement must be e-signed) when I take delivery, and then they will mail them to the MVA and I will receive the title and plates within a month or so.
Again, I'm in MD, but if the above is helpful, then good.
There are several documents I will be filling out that are NOT part of Tesla's documents. One of these is the application for the HOV decal, and also the MD reimbursement ($900) for the installation of electric vehicle charging equipment (the HPWC). Again, not sure if VA does these also, but thought I'd mention it.
Good luck with your new toy!
Brian
Many thanks for your response. I believe MD and VA DMV's work a bit differently. One thing is for sure, both of them will involve heavy wait times and lethargic/rude staff!
The information I have from my rep is that I should receive a bunch of docs 2 weeks or so after taking delivery, which I need to take to Virginia's DMV, fill out another bunch of forms, and then pay for the sales tax portion among other fees. Then request them to keep my original tags.
I hate, absolutely hate, going to the DMV!!
I am hoping for some more posters here to shed some light on their experience with VA's DMV...
Enjoy your new toy as well!! Mine is getting delivered on the 23rd!
Regards,
Sharad
I picked up my S85 in June at the Rockville SC, and live and registered the car in VA.
It was a painless process.
They accept check or credit cards for the taxes plus fees. No extra fees to use credit card... so that provided a nice 1% rebate by using my credit card.
I live in Arlington, so also needed a tax sticker for my car, which was handled online and easy.
They let you print a temporary one for the dash until the sticker arrives.
Mild anxiety for the safety inspection - where to go! I chose a small station open on Sundays in Fairfax that was painless, and enjoyed showing off the car to the mechanic.
Tesla was not in the Virginia database for the safety inspection though, the tech had to choose Other. Would appreciate a post if this has since changed. I am hoping by next year's inspection Tesla will have their SC open in Tysons.
Best of luck, and congrats on your new Model S!
--Chris
Thats great to know, and many thanks for responding!!!
I am so looking forward to getting the car now!
Regards,
Sharad
I am waiting for my time with a MX reservation. I will probably not see my car until this time next year. But I did have the experience in 2012 of trying to transfer personalized "Clean Fuels" plates from one Hybrid to another. I did not have to go into a DMV but I had to send in the plates and get them re-issued from Richmond. All Clean Fuels plates come from Richmond after they verify that your vehicle qualifies. It matters because they have different generations of plates. The originals Clean Fuel plates had the earth logo on the left side and those plates had more HOV privileges. Newer plates have less HOV privileges. A check of the DMV site still states you must send your application to Richmond. See https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#cleanspecialfuel.html
I am very concerned about that because I need the plates since they allow me to jump on I-66. So your suggestion is to call DMV and figure out the process?
Regards,
Sharad
I am picking up my Tesla this Thursday and am planning on going to the VA DMV either Thursday or Friday. I will let you all know if anything is different from Chris' experience this summer. I am getting new hybrid plates for this car so I won't be able to give any insight on transferring them.
I don't think your new clean special fuel plates will qualify you to use I66 according to this link from DMV.
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#cleanspecialfuel.asp
Note that only clean special fuel plates issued prior to June 30, 2011 are eligible for I66. I discovered this in March, 2014 when I registered my Model S.
They should be upping the standards for HOV driving like in California. Electric, hybrid with 2 occupants or ICE with 3 occupants would make more sense than this plate transferring nonsense.
I am under the impression that sharad is purchasing new plates so I wanted to point out that newly registered qualifying cars no longer have access to I66 or I395/95 corridor unless you have the proper number of occupants. I realize that the old plates can be transferred to a qualifying new registration.
I got my clean fuel tags in 2009, and I intend to keep them. Makes my commute a lot easier. I change hybrids last year and was able to move the tags to the new car vs. getting new ones. It was seamless because the dealer did all the work. This time with Tesla, I will have to take care of matters hence my anxiety.
Regards,
Sharad
I got mine on the 25 of October, had Tesla paperwork FEDEX by following Monday and transferred plates that Saturday morning, 1 November. Painless process, used a check to pay for sales tax. Whole process took about 30 minutes at the Woodbridge Office across from Sheetz. Above says you can use your credit card without a fee. May have changed because when I asked they said there would be a fee in excess of the 1% that I would have gotten back as a cash reward. I did run into a bit of a bump because the Tesla FEDEXed paid invoice said "Rich" vice my driver's license which said "Richard" but the clerk did a quick lookup on the computer and said it was not a problem. Tesla also included the completed VA DMV form in the package they FEDEXed me.
If you went thru Rockville, you should have temp DC PLATES and the signed paper for the dash, I think they are good for 90 days, check.
Prince William County Personal Property Tax can be taken care of via the web site. I changed my old car to sold and listed the Tesla. I waited about a week and then went back to the site for the amount due and paid it on line. About a week after I paid it they sent me a hard copy of the bill. They gave me a credit for the unused proration of the old car and billed the prorated on the Tesla thru the end of the year.
I will be applying for new Clean Special Fuel plates but am not in a rush on that.
I did not have to pay that. The guy at the DMV told me it had just recently been repealed. That was exactly the reasoning at the time... since we do not buy gas, we are not paying our fair share to maintain the roads. Never mind all the additional sales tax and property tax the state and county get since these cars are expensive.
I'll call them to see if I can get some relief. I did the transaction online so maybe the systems aren't updated with the latest.
I called DMV today and was informed that the reason I was charged an extra $64/year for my Tesla is because it is an all-electric vehicle, not a hybrid. The fee for hybrids was repealed, but not for all-electric vehicles.
So, cbdc, get ready to pay more when it's time to renew your registration.
I took delivery in early December and registered it in early January on a Saturday morning at the Four Mile Run DMV. There's a Curry's Auto right in front of the DMV, and the DMV itself was crowded, so I first dropped off the car at Curry's for its inspection, got a number at the DMV, then went back to Curry's and rode their wireless until the inspection was done (I think it cost about $15). Then I went back to the DMV and waited about 20 mins before being called to the counter. I think the whole thing took around 90 mins tops.
It was pretty much that smooth. The only painful part was paying the $4K tax! They let you use credit cards for it, though, and I was also able to sign up for vanity plates at the same counter. The DMV worker took my info, printed out some temp plates, and was nice throughout. No problems here -- kudos to Tesla, Curry's, and the Four Mile Run DMV!