Virginia Law

A. Whenever any person who has applied for or obtained the registration or title to a vehicle moves from the address shown in his application, registration card or certificate of title, he shall notify the Department of his change of address within 30 days.

B. The owner or lessee of any real property in the Commonwealth may notify the Department if the address of such real property is used for the titling or registration of a vehicle that does not belong to any owner, lessee, or resident of such real property. The Department shall (i) attempt to notify the vehicle owner of such report of an incorrect address on the vehicle registration or certificate of title and (ii) conduct a search as authorized pursuant to subsection C for an updated mailing address. If the Department is unable to identify the correct address for the owner of such vehicle, the Department may revoke the registration, registration card, license plates, and decals issued for such vehicle.

C. The Department may contract with the United States Postal Service or an authorized agent to use the National Change of Address System for the purpose of obtaining current address information for a person whose name appears in customer records maintained by the Department. If the Department receives information from the National Change of Address System indicating that a person whose name appears in a Department record has submitted a permanent change of address to the Postal Service, the Department may then update its records with the mailing address obtained from the National Change of Address System.

D. Anyone failing to comply with the provisions of subsection A may be charged a fee of $5, to be used to cover the Department's expenses. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision of this subsection, no fee shall be imposed on any person whose address is obtained from the National Change of Address System.

1974, c. 347, § 46.1-52.1; 1989, c. 727; 1996, cc. 943, 994; 2010, cc. 25, 55; 2025, c. 173.