Article II – County Vehicle Licenses
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Appomattox County 7-17-2006 (Ch. 162, Art. II, of the 1993 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
§ 7.2-1 Vehicles required to be licensed; situs; student owners; grace period.
A. Every person who shall own or lease a motor vehicle normally garaged, stored or parked in the County shall pay an annual County license fee for such vehicle, as required herein.
B. Persons who establish residence in the County during the license year shall comply with the provisions of this chapter within 30 days subsequent to establishing such residence.
C. The situs for the imposition of licensing fees under this chapter shall in all cases, except as hereinafter provided, be the locality in which the motor vehicle is normally garaged, stored, or parked. If it cannot be determined where the personal property is normally garaged, stored, or parked, the situs shall be the domicile of its owner. In the event the owner of the motor vehicle is a full-time student attending an institution of higher education, the situs shall be the domicile of such student, provided that the student has presented sufficient evidence that he has paid a personal property tax on the motor vehicle in his domicile.
§ 7.2-2 Assessment of license fee; exemptions for volunteer fire department and rescue squad members.
A. There is hereby assessed to any person owning a motor vehicle normally garaged, stored or parked in Appomattox County on January 1 of each year an Appomattox County motor vehicle license fee.
B. The chief of each volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency rescue squad will prepare and certify a list of active members of his department or squad who regularly respond to calls or perform other duties for the department or squad and who reside in the County outside the corporate limits of the Town of Appomattox. The certified list will include the complete name of each individual, his residence address, and the identification number and description of the cars owned or leased by such active member and to be certified for exemption. Each individual so certified will complete the required application form and submit it to his chief who will attach all individual applications to the certified listing and submit them to the Treasurer of the County. After reviewing and comparing the certified listings and applications with the personal property tax rolls, the Treasurer will exempt to each certified member two license fees without charge. No member of a volunteer rescue squad or volunteer fire department shall be issued an exception for more than two vehicles free of charge.
§ 7.2-3 Amount of fee.
A. On each and every passenger vehicle and truck there shall be an annual license fee of $35, and on each and every motorcycle, with or without a sidecar, a license fee of $24. [Amended 6-1-2015]
B. The amount of the license fee imposed by Appomattox County under this chapter shall not be greater than the amount of the license fee imposed by the commonwealth on said vehicle.
§ 7.2-4 Exemptions and reductions; disposition of fees.
A. The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed as to impose a license fee upon any motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is operated by a common carrier of persons or property operating between cities and towns in the commonwealth and not in intracity transportation or between cities and towns on the one hand and points and places outside cities and towns on the other and not in intracity transportation. [Amended 4-7-2014]
B. Antique motor vehicles and antique trailers, as defined in § 46.2-100, Code of Virginia, registered and licensed by the state in accordance with § 46.2-730A, Code of Virginia, shall be exempt from the payment of the license fee levied under this chapter, provided that other conditions prescribed herein are met. In order to qualify for exemption hereunder, an antique motor vehicle and antique trailer registered and licensed under § 46.2-730, Code of Virginia, shall not be used for general transportation purposes, including but not limited to daily travel to and from the owner’s place of employment, but shall only be used:
(1) For participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, and similar events;
(2) On the highways of the commonwealth for the purpose of testing its operation or selling the vehicle or trailer, obtaining repairs or maintenance, transportation to and from events as described in Subsection B(1) of this section, and for occasional pleasure driving not exceeding 250 miles from the residence of the owner; and [Amended 4-7-2014]
(3) To carry or transport passengers in the antique motor vehicle, personal effects in the antique motor vehicle and antique trailer, or other antique motor vehicles being transported for show purposes.
C. All fees collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited by the Treasurer in the general fund of the County.
§ 7.2-5 Payment of personal property taxes and license fee prerequisite to vehicle license.
A. No motor vehicle shall be licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles until such applicant for such license has paid all personal property taxes and the license fee assessed hereunder upon the motor vehicle to be licensed and until the Department of Motor Vehicles has been provided satisfactory evidence by the Treasurer of Appomattox County that any delinquent motor vehicle personal property taxes or license fees which have properly assessed or are assessable against the applicant by the County have been paid.
B. No motor vehicle license shall be issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles unless the tangible personal property taxes properly assessed or assessable by the County on any tangible personal property used or usable as a dwelling and owned by the taxpayer have been paid.
C. No motor vehicle license shall be issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to an owner of a motor vehicle as to which a fee is required to be paid pursuant to this chapter qualified under the provisions hereof to a waiver of the fee until the applicant for such license or registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles has produced before the Appomattox County Treasurer, or his agent, satisfactory evidence that all personal property taxes upon the motor vehicle have been paid and satisfactory evidence that any delinquent personal property taxes due with respect to the vehicle which have been properly assessed or are assessable against the owner have been paid.
§ 7.2-6 License year.
The license year with respect to which the fee required to be paid under this chapter is assessed shall be January 1 through December 31 of each year. The fee assessed under this chapter shall be assessed to the owner of each motor vehicle as provided in this chapter for motor vehicles owned January 1 of each year. The fee shall be payable on or before December 5 of each year, and with respect to any fees not paid at that time, a fee of $20 to reimburse the County of Appomattox for costs associated with administration of the Vehicle Registration Withholding Program with the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles shall be assessed. The fee herein assessed will be based upon ownership of vehicles on fee day, that is, January 1 of each year, and the period for which the license is effective shall be January 1 through December 31 of the next ensuing year.
§ 7.2-7 Failure to pay license fee or personal property taxes.
A. In the event that the license fee required by this chapter is not paid, or if any personal property taxes, properly assessed against such vehicle, are not paid on or before December 5 of each year, with respect to each owner or co-owner of any motor vehicle as to which the license fee has not been paid, or any personal property taxes have not been paid, the Treasurer shall mail to the owner/co-owner by first-class mail notice of intent to request the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles under the Vehicle Registration Withholding Program to deny his or her registration renewal with respect to the vehicle which is subject to the license fee or personal property tax herein. In the event of payment of that vehicle license fee and/or delinquent personal property taxes, the Treasurer shall provide to the vehicle owner/co-owner an approved numbered receipt that clearly indicates that the vehicle owner/co-owner has paid in full all outstanding local vehicle fees and delinquent taxes to the locality, together with the penalty, interest and administrative fee hereinabove set forth.
B. It shall be unlawful for any owner of a motor vehicle to fail to pay the local license fee or personal property taxes assessed with respect to each motor vehicle after December 5 of each year.
C. A violation of this section shall constitute a Class 4 misdemeanor.
D. A violation of this section by the registered owner of the vehicle shall not be discharged by prepayment of a fine or by payment of a fine imposed by the court except upon presentation of satisfactory evidence that the required license has been obtained.