Pass your Virginia vehicle safety inspection
Virginia requires an annual safety inspection on every registered vehicle.
Mon-Sat at 6 AM ET. One practical relocation step per issue. From registering your car to finding a doctor, we walk you through it.
Most NOVA counties (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, Manassas, Manassas Park, Fairfax City, Falls Church) require a biennial emissions test for cars 1996 and newer. The Air Care station puts a smaller sticker next to your safety sticker.
Every relocation step we have covered. Click any task to expand it in a popup, then add it to your calendar for the day you tackle it.
Virginia requires an annual safety inspection on every registered vehicle.
If your unit or house has gas appliances, you need a Washington Gas account separate from electric.
Each NOVA county has a different enrollment process and a different residency-verification standard.
Dominion is the electric utility for most of NOVA.
Virginia closes voter registration 21 days before any election.
Virginia gives you 60 days from establishing residency to swap your out-of-state license.
USPS forwards first-class mail for 12 months and magazines for 60 days.
Virginia gives you 30 days from establishing residency to switch your title and plates.
Most NOVA gyms have 30-day money-back trials.
This is the surprise hard-to-replace move task.
Virginia has the largest 529 program in the country (Invest529 and CollegeAmerica).
NOVA gets occasional severe weather (derechos, ice storms) and very occasional civic emergencies.
Your library card unlocks free access to e-books, audiobooks, the Wall Street Journal, and Mango Languages.
Virginia rabies certificates have to be issued by a Virginia-licensed vet.
Some apartment landlords still require a cashier’s check for first month’s rent.
Some NOVA toll roads (495 Express, 95 Express, 66 Express) require an E-ZPass Flex with the HOV switch set correctly.
If religious community is part of your weekly rhythm, finding the right congregation takes time.
Even if you don’t have any issues, dental cleanings need to stay on a 6-month cadence to keep insurance benefits maxed.
Every NOVA county requires dogs to be licensed annually.
Most NOVA single-family homeowners pay for trash collection separately or through a county fee.
Your employer withholds based on where they think you live.
If you’ll use Metro or any NOVA bus (ART, Fairfax Connector, DASH), SmarTrip is the universal fare card.
Virginia is one of the few states that taxes you on your car’s value annually.
Your old PCP can’t refill prescriptions across state lines indefinitely.
NOVA has three main residential providers and they don’t all serve every address.
Most carriers will not let you keep your out-of-state policy once your car is registered in Virginia.
If you receive any Social Security benefits, Medicare, or are eligible for either soon, your address on file needs to be current.
The IRS does not automatically pick up your USPS change of address.