46.2-600 - Owner to secure registration and certificate of title or certificate of ownership.
§ 46.2-600. Owner to secure registration and certificate of title orcertificate of ownership.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter every person who owns a motorvehicle, trailer or semitrailer, or his authorized attorney-in-fact, shall,before it is operated on any highway in the Commonwealth, register with theDepartment and obtain from the Department the registration card andcertificate of title for the vehicle. Individuals applying for registrationshall provide the Department with the residence address of the owner of thevehicle being registered. A business applying for registration shall providethe Department with the street address of the owner or lessee of the vehiclebeing registered.
At the option of the applicant for registration, the address shown on thetitle and registration card may be either a post office box or the businessor residence address of the applicant.
Unless he has previously applied for registration and a certificate of titleor he is exempted under §§ 46.2-619, 46.2-631, and 46.2-1206, every personresiding in the Commonwealth who owns a motor vehicle, trailer, orsemitrailer, or his duly authorized attorney-in-fact, shall, within 30 daysof the purchase or transfer, apply to the Department for a certificate ofownership.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require titling or registrationin the Commonwealth of any farm tractor or special construction and forestryequipment, as defined in § 46.2-100.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, provided suchvehicle is registered and titled elsewhere in the United States, nothing inthis chapter shall be construed to require titling or registration in theCommonwealth of any vehicle located in the Commonwealth if that vehicle isregistered to a non-Virginia resident active duty military service member,activated reserve or national guard member, or mobilized reserve or nationalguard member living in Virginia.
(Code 1950, § 46-42; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-41; 1972, c. 301; 1978, c. 402;1980, c. 469; 1986, c. 228; 1988, c. 363; 1989, c. 727; 2003, c. 297; 2007,c. 934; 2010, c. 135.)