Driver License and Vehicle Registration
There are 4 DMV offices in and around Richmond. See the Virginia DMV’s website to find the one closest to you, the office below is in central Richmond.

Central Richmond DMV (800) 435-5137
2300 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
www.dmv.state.va.us

Here are the steps to getting your Virginia license and registering your vehicle to comply with local laws:

1. Apply For a Virginia Driver’s License
The Virginia DMV may exchange your out-of-state driver’s license for a Virginia driver’s license if you meet the identity, legal presence, residency, and social security requirements and Virginia’s driver education requirements.

The minimum age for obtaining a Virginia driver’s license is sixteen years and three months.

2. Obtain a Vehicle Safety Inspection Sticker
To ensure that your vehicle is mechanically safe to operate on the highways of the Commonwealth, it must pass an annual vehicle safety inspection.

3. Meet Virginia’s Vehicle Insurance Requirements (your vehicle must be insured when you register it)
Virginia law requires the following minimum insurance coverage for all registered vehicles.

• $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person;
• $50,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people; and
• $20,000 for property damage.

Or, if insurance is not an option, pay a $500 uninsured motor vehicle fee (UMV). Paying this fee does not provide insurance coverage, but it does allow you to register and operate your vehicle in Virginia for one year.

4. Title Your Vehicle in Virginia (do this within 30 days of moving to Virginia)
To register your vehicle in Virginia and obtain license plates, you must first title your vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia.

Register your vehicle and acquire license plates (do this within 30 days of moving to Virginia)

After your vehicle passes a safety inspection and you have insured and titled it, you need to register your vehicle at any Virginia DMV center.

Keep the registration card with you whenever you operate the vehicle.

License Plates
DMV will issue two license plates, two decals showing the expiration date, and a registration card unless your vehicle is a motorcycle, then DMV will issue you just one license plate for the vehicle.

5. Other Considerations

• Voter registration is available at any DMV office.
• If your vehicle has tinted windows, make sure the tinting complies with Virginia’s sunshading specifications. You can have a 50% tint on the front side windows, 35% on the rear.