A mobile home (formerly known as a house trailer) is defined as a structure:
- Transportable in one or more sections.
- At least 8 feet wide and at least 40 feet long when transported, or, when erected on site, at least 320 square feet.
- Built on a permanent chassis.
- Designed to be used as a dwelling by one family, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities (including plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein).
A mobile office is defined as:
- A factory-built, non-federally regulated industrial building unit, which may be built on a chassis for towing to the point of use.
- Designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation.
- For commercial and non-dwelling purposes, which may be two or more separately towable units designed to be joined together at the point of use to compose a single commercial structure.
- May be designed to be relocated to and installed or erected at other sites.
Mobile homes and mobile offices do not require vehicle registration. Mobile homes can be transported and delivered by obtaining a transport permit. Mobile offices must obtain mobile office trailer license plates by contacting the DMV Dealer Work Center.
To title a mobile home or mobile office:
- Complete an Application for Certificate of Title – Mobile Home (VSA 17B).
- Submit proof of ownership documents.
- Submit proof of address.
- Pay the title fee.
- Pay Sales and Use Tax (3% for mobile homes; 2% for mobile offices).
Note: In addition to the titling fee, the DMV collects a $30 fee from Mobile Home Dealers for the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) at the time of titling. The DHCD fee is not collected on mobile homes titled by individuals, out-of-state dealers, or in dealer-to-dealer transactions.
To attach a mobile home to real estate, the Virginia title must be canceled. To cancel, you must provide the following:
- Completed Application for Mobile Home Conversion to Real Estate (VSA 35).
- Virginia title OR
- if a Virginia title cannot be provided– a deed, court order or decree, or other legal document or record establishing that the mobile home has been transferred from the owner listed on the title in DMV’s records to the current mobile home owner
- or if NOT a direct transfer– records to establish the consecutive chain of ownership of the mobile home.
- Release or documentation proving that an existing lien on the vehicle record has been released.
Note: You will also need to retain a copy of the title or documentation being submitted for your records.
Once the Virginia title is canceled, the DMV reports the title cancellation to the Commissioner of the Revenue (COR) in the appropriate locality. The COR will then assess taxes on the mobile home as real estate and not tax it as personal property, as is done with vehicles.
