FAQs • Loudoun County, VA • CivicEngage

Do I need to file a personal property return for my vehicle, trailer, or boat every year?

To avoid a 10% late filing penalty, newly acquired vehicles or those recently entering Loudoun County must be reported to the Commissioner of Revenue within 60 days of purchase or move to Loudoun County or one of its incorporated towns (Hamilton, Hillsboro, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, or Round Hill).
If you do not file, a 10% late filing penalty will be added to your annual tax each year until a filing occurs.

After a vehicle's initial registration, the Commissioner's Office annually mails vehicle personal property filing notices, allowing residents to report corrections, address changes, the sale or disposal of vehicles, or unusually high mileage since these factors may affect the property's valuation or the number of months a vehicle is taxed in the county. Vehicle personal property tax information may be filed online at www.loudoun.gov/efile. The Commissioner requests that all changes be submitted by February 1 to assist in establishing accurate assessments for each tax year.

You are not required to file online if you have previously filed on your vehicle and there are no ownership, address or other changes. Please note that taxes are billed to the name in which the vehicle or trailer is registered with DMV.

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Vehicle Personal Property Tax - Forms & Filing Procedures

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1. How does a new resident (or business owner) located in Loudoun County or in one of Loudoun's towns obtain a personal property return?

You have 60 days after locating taxable property in Loudoun County or in one of Loudoun's incorporated towns (Hamilton, Hillsboro, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill) to file vehicle personal property with the Commissioner of the Revenue. This process can be completed online or in person, Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at one of our office locations:

Leesburg Office 1 Harrison St. SE
1st Floor
Leesburg, VA 20175
Ph: 703-777-0260
Sterling Office
46000 Center Oak Plaza
Sterling, VA 20166

2. If I register in person, what information must I bring?: You must bring a valid driver's license or state-issued identification, a copy of your vehicle's title, or registration (temporary or permanent), or a bill of sale.
Insurance cards, signed titles, tax receipts from other localities and expired vehicle registrations are NOT acceptable forms of documentation for registration.

3. Does titling and registering my vehicle with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) automatically register the vehicle with Loudoun County?: No. Although some vehicle information is downloaded from DMV to the county system, you are still personally responsible for registering your vehicle with the county within 60 days of purchasing a vehicle or moving a vehicle into the county.

4. Do I need to register my vehicles in Loudoun County even if they are already registered in the state of Virginia?: Yes. Every vehicle garaged in Loudoun County must be registered with the Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue. This can be done in person or online. To register your vehicle in person, you'll need a valid state vehicle registration. If you have moved your vehicle from another Virginia jurisdiction, you'll need to supply a copy of your most recent paid vehicle personal property tax receipt or a copy of your most recent certified vehicle personal property tax filing.

5. If I submit a change of address to the DMV, the U.S. Postal Service, or an incorporated town, do I still need to notify Loudoun County of an address change?: Yes. A mailing address change submitted to the post office or reported to the DMV or an incorporated town does not change the taxable situs of a vehicle for local tax purposes. If property is moved into or out of Loudoun or one of Loudoun’s incorporated towns, please notify the Commissioner of the Revenue to ensure that our personal property tax records are accurate and up to date. Vehicles are normally taxable where they are garaged, parked or stored, regardless of where the owner resides or receives mail.

6. What do I need to do if I move my property into or out of one of Loudoun’s incorporated towns or change my mailing address?: As of January 1, 2022, Loudoun County will be administering the personal property tax and vehicle license fee for owners of motor vehicles in the incorporated towns of Hamilton, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill. Please contact the DMV, and the Commissioner of the Revenue with any changes. Please note: Vehicles located outside of incorporated Towns are charged a vehicle license fee by the county.

7. How can I find out whether an address is within an incorporated town?

If you do not know whether an address is within the limits of one of Loudoun’s incorporated towns, you may look it up online here.

Under the "Parcel" section one of the following will be displayed in the “Billing District” if the address is within a town’s corporate limits.

Billing District / Incorporated Town

Town of Hamilton
Hillsboro Town
Leesburg Town
Lovettsville Town
Town of Middleburg
Town of Purcellville
Round Hill Town

If anything else appears in the Billing District field, the address is NOT within an incorporated town.

8. My car is registered out-of-state. Do I still need to register my car with Loudoun County?

Yes, if you intend to have your car garaged, parked or stored in Loudoun County for 30 days or more, you must register the vehicle in Loudoun County. Your car is assessed property tax for the length of time it is located in Loudoun County.

Vehicles displaying out-of-state license plates and are not otherwise exempt from obtaining Virginia license plates will be charged an additional annual license fee of $100. A $250 penalty may also be imposed on owners of vehicles that are not registered within 60 days of the owner’s having established residency in Virginia.

To register your vehicle with Loudoun County, go online or bring your valid out-of-state vehicle registration in person, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. to one of our office locations:

Leesburg Office
1 Harrison St. S.E. 1st Floor
Leesburg, VA 20175
Ph: 703-777-0260

Sterling Office
46000 Center Oak Plaza
Sterling, VA 20166

9. Do I need to file a personal property return for my vehicle, trailer, or boat every year?

10. Do I need to file a personal property return for my airplane or mobile home every year?: Yes. You must declare for taxation these types of property each year. The first year after registration, you will be sent a notification each January as a reminder to file your personal property tax declaration online. You are required to file online by the annual filing deadline of February 1 even if you still own the property and there are no ownership, address or other changes. For tax year 2022, the filing deadline has been extended to February 15.

For further information or assistance, please contact the Commissioner of the Revenue.

11. Is there a late filing penalty for failure to file a return by the prescribed deadline?: Yes. Loudoun County Ordinance 860 directs the Commissioner of the Revenue to impose a penalty of 10% of the tax assessable for the non-filing or late filing of a tax return. This penalty becomes a part of the tax due.