Title 46.2, Motor Vehicles

The owner of a vehicle, or his duly authorized attorney-in-fact, shall apply for a certificate of title in the name of the owner on appropriate forms prescribed and furnished by the Commissioner. Officers and employees of the Department are vested with the authority to administer…

If the owner of a vehicle or his duly authorized attorney-in-fact make a sufficient showing by providing an affidavit stating that the vehicle identification information provided on the application for certificate of title, the certificate of origin, manufacturer's statement of o…

When the Department receives an application for a certificate of title for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, to be issued in the names of two natural persons, jointly with right of survivorship, the Department shall issue to its owners a certificate of title accordingly. …

A. Every application for a certificate of title shall contain (i) a statement of the applicant's title and of all liens or encumbrances on the vehicle and the names and addresses of all persons having any interest in the vehicle and the nature of every interest in the vehicle; (i…

A. When a vehicle has been damaged by water to such an extent that the insurance company insuring it has paid a claim of $3,500 or more because of this water damage, the insurance company shall report the payment of such claim to the Department. B. Upon receipt of information fro…

If a vehicle for which the registration or a certificate of title is applied is (i) a specially constructed, reconstructed, replica, converted electric, or foreign vehicle or (ii) off-road motorcycle converted to on-road use, the fact shall be stated in the application and, in th…

For the purposes of this section, "certificate of origin," "line-make," "manufacturer," and "new motorcycle" have the meanings ascribed to them in § 46.2-1500. A licensed motorcycle manufacturer shall not be required to obtain a certificate of title for a new motorcycle of a diff…

The fee to be paid to the Department for the issuance of each original certificate of title shall be ten dollars. The fee to record a supplemental lien and issue a new title shall be six dollars. All fees collected under the provisions of this section shall be paid into the state…

The owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registered under this chapter, when transferring or assigning his title or interest thereto, shall fully and correctly endorse the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate of title of the motor vehicle, trailer, or …

A. Every owner or transferor of any motor vehicle, including a dealer, shall, at the time of transfer of ownership of any motor vehicle by him, record on the certificate of title, if one is currently issued on the vehicle in the Commonwealth, and on any application for certificat…

The transferee shall write his name and address in ink on the certificate of title and, except as provided in §§ 46.2-619 and 46.2-631, shall within thirty days forward the certificate to the Department with an application for the registration of the motor vehicle, trailer, or se…

When the transferee of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is a dealer who holds it for resale and operates it only for sales purposes under a dealer's license plate, the transferee shall not be required to register it nor forward the certificate of title to the Department, …

A licensed motor vehicle dealer that participates in an online program as set forth in subsection C of § 46.2-216.1 may choose to sell a motor vehicle electronically by obtaining a title in the dealer's name for resale. The dealer shall disclose the odometer reading to the purcha…

A. Whenever the applicant for the registration of a motor vehicle, manufactured home, trailer, or semitrailer or a new certificate of title is unable to present a certificate of title because the certificate has been lost or unlawfully detained by one in possession of it or whene…

A. Except as otherwise provided in § 46.2-615 in the event of the transfer by operation of law of the title or interest of an owner in and to a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer registered under the provisions of this chapter to anyone as legatee or distributee or as survivi…

Any motor vehicle dealer who purchases a vehicle titled in another state and that was repossessed may sell that vehicle in Virginia without obtaining a Virginia title for the vehicle from Virginia or the state in which the vehicle is titled, provided the motor vehicle dealer has …

A. A motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may include in the certificate of title a designation of a beneficiary to whom the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer shall be transferred after the death of the owner. B. A motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer owned by one person…

If the holder of a certificate of title is dead and there has been no qualification on his estate, a transfer may be made by a legatee or distributee if there is presented to the Department a statement made by a legatee or distributee to the effect that there has not been and the…

Every person disposing of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer which is to be demolished shall make an assignment of title to the transferee as provided in § 46.2-628. The assigned certificate of title, when available, however, shall be delivered to the Department, accompanie…

When the Department receives an application for a certificate of title to a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer showing security interests on the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, the certificate of title issued by the Department to the owner of the vehicle shall show al…

A financing statement, as defined in § 8.9A-102, must be filed to perfect all security interests in farm tractors and special construction and forestry equipment, as defined in § 46.2-100. No other provisions of this chapter pertaining to security interests shall apply to these m…

Security interests, other than those in inventory held for sale, in motor vehicles, trailers, or semitrailers created by the voluntary act of the owner after the original issue of a certificate of title to the owner must be shown on the certificate of title. In such cases, the ow…

A certificate of title, when issued by the Department showing a security interest, shall be adequate notice to the Commonwealth, creditors, and purchasers that a security interest in the motor vehicle exists and the recording or filing of such creation or reservation of a securit…

If application for the registration or recordation of a security interest to be placed on a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer is filed with the Department, it shall be deemed perfected as of the date of filing, and, if the date of filing is within thirty days from the date o…

The security interests, except security interests in motor vehicles, trailers and semitrailers which are inventory held for sale and are perfected under §§ 8.9A-401 through 8.9A-527, shown upon such certificates of title issued by the Department pursuant to applications for same …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of motor vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers, a transaction does not create a sale or security interest merely because it provides that the rental price is permitted or required to be adjusted under the agreement either upwa…

The certificate of title of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer shall be delivered to the person holding the security interest having first priority on the motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer and retained by him until the entire amount of his security interest is fully pa…

When an owner secures the release of any security interest on a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer shown on its certificate of title, he may exhibit the documents evidencing the release, signed by the person or persons making the release, and the certificate of title to the D…

It shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor for a secured party who holds a certificate of title as provided in this title to refuse or fail to mark satisfied and surrender it to the person legally entitled thereto within ten days after his security interest is satisfied.

A levy made by virtue of an execution, fieri facias, or other court order, on a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer for which a certificate of title has been issued by the Department, shall constitute a lien, subsequent to security interests previously recorded by the Departme…

A. For purposes of this section, "keeper of vehicles" means a garage keeper; a person keeping any vehicles, including a self-storage facility; and a tow truck driver or towing and recovery operator furnishing services involving the towing and recovery of vehicles or clean up rela…

A. Every mechanic who shall alter or repair any vehicle at the request of the owner or authorized person in possession of such vehicle shall have a lien thereon for his just and reasonable charges therefor and may retain possession of such property until such charges are paid. Su…

A. For the purposes of this section: "Bailee" means anyone who has one or more liens under § 46.2-644.01 or 46.2-644.02. "Independent appraisal" means an estimate for the value of a motor vehicle prepared by an individual or business that (i) has all required business licenses an…

A. For purposes of this section, "bailee" means the same as that term is defined in § 46.2-644.03. B. A bailee may relinquish a lien acquired under § 46.2-644.01 or 46.2-644.02, provided that (i) the Department has completed a vehicle record search pursuant to subsection C of § 4…

The Department shall file each motor vehicle registration application received and, when satisfied that the applicant is entitled to register the vehicle, shall register the vehicle.

A. Every registration under this title, unless otherwise provided, shall expire on the last day of the twelfth month next succeeding the date of registration. Every registration, unless otherwise provided, shall be renewed annually on application by the owner and by payment of th…

A. The owner of a motor vehicle that has been registered in the Commonwealth may apply to the Commissioner to deactivate the registration of such vehicle. The owner of a motor vehicle who has voluntarily deactivated the vehicle's registration pursuant to this section shall not be…

A. Upon request by an applicant, the Commissioner may grant a one-month extension of the registration period of a vehicle if the vehicle registration has been withheld pursuant to § 33.2-503, 46.2-752, 46.2-819.1, 46.2-819.3, 46.2-819.3:1, or 46.2-1183 and the current registratio…

The Commissioner may, on finding either that the Department is unable to efficiently handle the replacement of license plates or decals or the renewal of registrations scheduled to expire during a specific month, or that persons seeking to secure license plates, decals, or regist…

On receipt of an application on a form prescribed by him, the Commissioner shall register in a separate category trucks, tractor trucks, trailers, and semitrailers used exclusively in connection with logging operations. For the purposes of this section, the term "logging" shall m…

The Department may, upon request, register any tow dolly or converter gear as defined in § 46.2-1119. For the purpose of determining the applicable fee for any such registration, the tow dolly or converter gear shall be considered a trailer and the registration fee determined in …

A. Before the Commissioner registers or reregisters any motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer under § 46.2-697, 46.2-698, 46.2-700, or 46.2-703, the applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the Commissioner that all state, local, and federal taxes levied on that motor ve…

A. No tow truck registered under this section shall be subject to registration under the international registration plan or subject to any other state registration requirements under this chapter. Registration under this section shall not prohibit the use of "rollbacks" to transp…

Upon application therefor, the Commissioner shall register and issue permanent license plates without year or month decals for display on any (i) firefighting truck, trailer, and semitrailer on which firefighting apparatus is permanently attached when any such vehicle is owned or…

The Commissioner shall not register a motor vehicle subject to § 46.2-1179.1 which does not comply with the requirements of that section. Upon a determination that a motor vehicle is exempt from the requirements of § 46.2-1179.1, it shall forever be exempt, and the exemption shal…

A. For the purposes of this section, a covered farm vehicle shall be registered pursuant to the provisions of § 46.2-698. B. As defined in regulations promulgated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (49 C.F.R. Part 390.5), a "covered farm vehicle" means a straight …