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"Truck" vs "Car" Tags for Virginia Registration

DropTop5.0

DropTop5.0

Well-known member
I went to DMV today for the new truck and just as last time with the dually I'm getting a little confused with registering my truck and saving a few bucks.

The person behind the counter was very nice but had a think accent and I can't hear crap so it's not making for an excellent combination but the conversation went something like this. Would you like to register this as a "Pickup Truck" or "Truck"? According to her that a pickup is cheaper to register and I get a discount when paying for personal property tax.

So I registered as a vehicle that qualifies for "Tax Relief" for personal property. To do so I must meet the following criteria:
  • Be a passenger car, pickup or panel truck weighing less than 7,501 pounds, or motorcycle;
  • Be (i) owned by a natural person or (ii) leased by a natural person under a contract requiring such person to pay the tangible personal property tax or (iii) held in a private trust; and
  • Be used for nonbusiness purposes.

Here are some facts about the truck:
  • Weight = 5,800
  • GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR) = 9,200
  • GROSS COMBINATION WEIGHT RATING (GCWR) = 22,000

So if I'm pulling my little Pulsare around I'm sure I don't have anything to worry about, but if I decide to borrow Keith's new fancy travel trailer that weighs in at 12,500 am I braking the law? And does anyone have any wisdom about crossing state lines loaded up heavy with a travel trailer and getting busted. What if I buy a camper and slide it in the back and it weighs 2,000 pounds (5,800 pounds + 2,000 pounds = 7,800 pounds), does that mean I am now breaking the law? Sorry for sounding so stupid and most of y'all are not from anywhere close to Virginia but there are a few smart cookies on this site. Thanks for any knowledge drop.

I'm pretty sure I could have registered as a commercial truck and paid out the wazoo but I don't want to throw money out the window. At the same time I don't want to be ignorant, break the law and get my stuff impounded when I'm on way to a killer vacation spot.
 
We have similar laws here, I always register non commercial. Unless Virginia is really goofy things such as towing a trailer or sliding in a truck bed camper don't change the rules as long as you're not overloaded for your application. I'd say you did the right thing since your not using the truck for commercial use. My dad used to have a company supplied Ford Escort with Truck tags so he could park in loading zones in front of a business.
 
From the way I gather it, its the weight of the truck only and not the combined weight of the truck and whatever you happen to be towing or hauling. I'd say you are safe registering it as you did. If you get pulled over, and that's not the case, play dumb and blame it on the lady that couldn't speak English at the BMV...
 
12,500 I wish I had something to pull that. I'm only good to 8100.
The way you are registered you wont have to do scales and dont need to worry about your weight other then for safty is what I've been told by the camper poeple.
 
In NC a standard plate is only good for 4,000 lbs. The weight is supposed to be for the vehicle and the trailer. I get 7,000 lb plates for my truck, cost about $70/year. They give you standard looking plates up to 6,000 lbs, at 7,00 they start saying commercial on them.
 
In NY the cost of your registration is proportional to the gvw you assign your vehicle be it a truck or trailer. When you're towing a trailer the total for the package cannot be more than the total of the weights on the registrations. If you have a pickup and it's more than 5500 it cannot have passenger plates and must be registered as a commercial vehicle which means you can't go on the parkways. It also means you aren't allowed to park on the street overnight in the 5 boroughs of NYC. There's certain areas of the city where it allows you to park while loading and unloading iirc. Confused yet?

John
 
$32 every two years for non commercial vehicles no matter the weight. I dont need to have a title or plates for my boat trailer. No personal property tax :).
 
Here in Mi. Your plates are now based on the value of the vehicle for passenger cars and trucks. Plates for a new truck are around $200 annually and decrease as the value drops. Our trailers plates are now called a permanent plate and start at $75 one time fee and can be as much as $300 one time fee for like a big new 5th wheel. This has all changed to this over the last 10 years or so. Plates used to be based on weight and were usually about $35 annually. I dont mind paying these fees but continually paying sales tax for a car that may have been resold many times over its lifetime is just plain bs. Our roads here are the worst I can ever remember in my lifetime and not sure where all the moneys going definitely failing in the infastructure.
 
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