You may be eligible for a partial refund if you cancel your registration before it expires. Discounts and certain fees are not prorated or refundable. These fees include the one-time plate fee, Virginia Road Tax for heavy trucks, and any late fees.
If you recently purchased a vehicle from a dealer and the dealer is processing the paperwork for you, it may take up to 30 days for the dealer to process your transaction and for the vehicle to appear in your DMV record. The dealer will provide you with temporary license plates or a temporary registration good for 30 days to allow you to legally operate the vehicle. Rental vehicles will not show up in your DMV record.
You must keep your registration card with you whenever you operate a vehicle. To help prevent your decals from being stolen, remove your previous year’s decal from your license plate before applying the new one. The material will tear if removed from the metal plate but may not tear if removed from the decal. After the decal is applied, you may also want to lightly score an “x” into the decal with a razor blade so it will not come off in one piece if it is removed. It is illegal to have tinted glass, plastic, or any other type of covering attached to your license plate that alters or obscures the letters, numbers, decals, state of issuance, and expiration date.
An important note when registering your vehicle at the DMV is to comply with license plate regulations.
