Reporting Vehicle Changes

Report a change of address via CAPP

Report a vehicle sold, or disposed of via CAPP

If you don't have a CAPP account, you can report a change of address using this form.

If you don't have a CAPP account, you can report a vehicle sold, or disposed of using this form.

Assessment Timeframe

The vehicle personal property tax year is from January 1 to December 31. Vehicles are assessed based on the number of months they have a taxable status in Arlington.

  • A period of half a month or more is considered a full month.
  • If your vehicle is not registered in another jurisdiction, it is considered to be temporarily absent from Arlington so the Arlington tax will not be prorated.
  • If the vehicle is moved to a non-prorating Virginia locality, you will still owe taxes to Arlington for the full year.
  • Review your tax bill to ensure that it reflects the correct period of time.  If correction is necessary, email the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office or call 703-228-3135 Option 0.

Reporting a Change in Vehicle Status

Once the status of any of your vehicle changes, notify the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Commissioner of Revenue’s Office as soon as possible. To make vehicle updates, you can:

  • Log into your (or sign up for a) CAPP account
  • Make an appointment by calling 703-228-3135 Option 0

Vehicle Disposal

If you wait more than 30 days to notify the Commissioner of your vehicle disposal, you must contact the DMV to be certain that the Commonwealth has a record of the vehicle’s disposal. After 30 days, a bill of sale or insurance policy providing the vehicle’s disposal date may need to be provided as documentary evidence of your vehicle’s disposition.

Moved Within or Out of Virginia

Change of Address Requirement – Vehicle Owners

Under Code of Virginia § 46.2-606(A), the DMV must be notified within 30 days of any change of address.

If You Moved Within Virginia

In addition to notifying the DMV, you must notify the Office of the Commissioner of Revenue's Vehicle Personal Property Division to review. Please provide:

  • Your new address.
  • The exact date of your move.
  • A vehicle personal property tax bill or filing from your new locality. Please note: Proof of payment (paid receipt) may also be requested.

If You Moved Out of Virginia

Please provide a copy of your new state vehicle registration. For vehicles shipped overseas, please provide a copy of your bill of lading or shipping document.

Documentation submitted will be reviewed for account adjustments or closures.

Immediate Billing for Vehicle Personal Property that is Sold, Disposed of or Moved from Arlington County

In April 2018, the Arlington County Board revised ordinance (§27.11.1) of the Arlington County code relating to the billing of personal property for motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and boats with situs in Arlington County.

Personal property taxes for vehicles that are moved, disposed of or sold during the first half of the year (through June 30th), will be assessed by the Commissioner of Revenue.  The tax amount is prorated based on the number of months the vehicle had taxable status in Arlington County. The total tax amount due is calculated using the Tax Rate (set by the County Board) and the State Tax Subsidy (PPTRA) amount from the previous tax year. If there are any changes to these amounts for the current tax year, the account will be adjusted appropriately.

Prior to 2019, when a vehicle owner had sold their vehicle or moved from Arlington months earlier, there was confusion when they received a tax bill from Arlington for the vehicle which would be due by the October 5th.  This new practice of “Immediate Billing” was undertaken so that bills could be provided to customers who disposed a vehicle or moved from Arlington in the first half of the year, instead of waiting until the usual billing in August for the October 5th tax deadline. By billing the tax bill closer to the time to when the vehicle is sold, disposed or moved, the potential for confusion is reduced.