                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION (§ 46.2-646)

A. Every registration under this title, unless otherwise provided, shall expire
on the last day of the twelfth month next succeeding the date of registration.
Every registration, unless otherwise provided, shall be renewed annually on
application by the owner and by payment of the fees required by law, the renewal
to take effect on the first day of the month succeeding the date of expiration.
Notwithstanding these limitations, the Commissioner may extend the validity
period of an expiring registration if (i) the Department is unable to process an
application for renewal due to circumstances beyond its control, and (ii) the
extension has been authorized under a directive from the Governor. However, in
no event shall the validity period be extended more than 90 days per occurrence
of such conditions.

B. All motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers registered in the Commonwealth
shall, at the discretion of the Commissioner, be placed in a system of
registration on a monthly basis to distribute the work of registering motor
vehicles as uniformly as practicable throughout the 12 months of the year. All
such motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers, unless otherwise provided,
shall be registered for a period of 12 months. The registration shall be
extended, at the discretion of the Commissioner, on receipt of appropriate
prorated fees, as required by law, for a period of not less than one month nor
more than 11 months as is necessary to distribute the registrations as equally
as practicable on a monthly basis. The Commissioner shall, on request, assign to
any owner or owners of two or more motor vehicles, trailers, or semitrailers the
same registration period. The expiration date shall be the last day of the
twelfth month or the last day of the designated month. Except for motor
vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers registered for more than one year under
subsection C of this section, every registration shall be renewed annually on
application by the owner and by payment of fees required by law, the renewal to
take effect on the first day of the succeeding month.

C. The Commissioner may offer, at his discretion, an optional multi-year
registration for all motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers except for those
registered under the International Registration Plan. When this option is
offered and chosen by the registrant, all annual and 12-month fees due at the
time of registration shall be multiplied by the number of years or fraction
thereof that the vehicle will be registered.

D. For any summons issued for a violation of this section, the court may, in its
discretion, dismiss the summons where proof of compliance with this section is
provided to the court on or before the court date.

E. No law-enforcement officer shall stop a motor vehicle due to an expired
registration sticker prior to the first day of the fourth month after the
original expiration date. No evidence discovered or obtained as the result of a
stop in violation of this subsection, including evidence discovered or obtained
with the operator&#8217;s consent, shall be admissible in any trial, hearing, or
other proceeding.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 46-62; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-63; 1972, c. 609; 1974, c.
170; 1988, cc. 701, 704; 1989, c. 727; 2013, c. 337; 2019, cc. 14, 57; 2020, Sp.
Sess. I, cc. 45, 51; 2023, c. 538.