[Code 1962, §§ 17-247, 17-248, 17-255; amended by Ord. No. 105, 5-23-1977; Ord. No. 201, 3-14-1983; Ord. of 4-10-1995; Ord. No. 2005-4, 2-28-2005; 2-22-2010; 6-28-2010; 11-22-2010]
(a) 
No person shall operate a passenger automobile, truck, bus, motorcycle, motor bicycle, or motor scooter on the streets of the City unless a current license fee has been collected for such vehicle by the Treasurer. Failure to pay the license fee shall constitute a violation of this article, whether or not the vehicle is in actual operation or on a public road or street.
(b) 
This section shall not apply to a vehicle owned by a person who does not actually reside in the City or by a firm or corporation which does not actually maintain a place of business in the City unless the vehicle is kept within the corporate limits of the City at least three nights, on an average, in each week, in which case such license fee must be collected by the City; except any owner or operator of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer from another locality that is a party to the compact with the City for the regional enforcement of local motor vehicle license requirements, provided that the owner or operator is required by the jurisdiction of situs to obtain and display such license.
(c) 
This section shall not apply to a vehicle for which has been purchased, in addition to current state license tags of this or any other state, a current city, town or county tag of a city, town or county in this or any other state.
(d) 
Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor, and each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense. Any person desiring to pay the fine for such summons issued for such violation shall be required to provide proof that a current license fee, as required by this article, has been paid.
[Ord. No. 201, 3-14-1983; amended by Ord. No. 2005-4, 2-28-2005; amended 2-22-2010; 6-28-2010; 11-22-2010]
(a) 
The Treasurer shall exempt a license fee for one automobile or truck weighing 6,000 pounds or less which is owned by an active member of the City's volunteer Fire Department, by an honorary member who has 10 or more years' active service as a volunteer in the Fire Department although presently inactive, or by a person who was an honorary member of the Fire Department as of January 1, 1983, but who had less than 10 years' active service.
(b) 
Such active or honorary member shall submit a letter to the Treasurer from the City's chief of emergency services stating that the member is an active member of the Fire Department or that he is an honorary member who meets the requirements of Subsection (a).
[Code 1962, §§ 17-249, 17-254; amended by Ord. No. 105, 5-23-1977; Ord. No. 93-8, 11-8-1993; Ord. of 8-22-1994; 6-28-2010; 11-22-2010]
(a) 
The license year shall commence on the first day of January of each year and shall expire on the 31st day of December for the same calendar year.
(b) 
In case a vehicle is acquired or otherwise becomes subject to the provisions of this article during the license year, the license fee must be paid within 30 days from the date that the vehicle becomes subject to this article.
[Code 1962, §§ 17-246, 17-250; amended by Ord. No. 105, 5-23-1977; Ord. No. 189, 4-12-1982; Ord. No. 207, 5-31-1983; Ord. of 5-11-1987; Ord. of 4-22-1996; Ord. of 2-9-1998; 6-28-2010; 11-22-2010]
(a) 
There is hereby levied an annual license fee on motor vehicles required to be licensed under this article, which fee shall be collected when the personal property taxes are due December 5th each year and shall be in the following amounts:
(1) 
For passenger automobiles and taxicabs, as defined in § 28-1 of this Code, pickup trucks and panel trucks, the fee shall be based on the weight of the vehicles as follows:
Weight
(pounds)
Fee
4,000 or less
$23
4,001 or more
$28
(2) 
For buses, the fee shall be $0.25 per 100 pounds of weight, or major fraction thereof, based on the manufacturer's shipping weight or scale weigh.
(3) 
For motorcycles, motor bicycles and motor scooters, the fee shall be $8.
(4) 
For trucks, other than pickup trucks and panel trucks, the fee shall be based upon the gross weight of the vehicle when loaded to the maximum capacity for which it is registered and licensed by the state as follows:
Weight
(pounds)
Fee
10,000 or less
$29
10,001 to 12,000
$30
12,001 to 15,000
$32
15,001 to 20,000
$35
20,001 to 25,000
$40
Over 25,000
$45
(5) 
For semitrailers, the fee shall be $15.
(6) 
For other trailers, including but not limited to boat trailers and utility trailers, the fee shall be $6.50.
(b) 
There shall be no refund or proration of any license fee paid for any vehicle disposed of or moved out of the City after January 15th of each year.
(c) 
No license fee pursuant to Subsection (a) shall be required for any one motor vehicle owned and used personally by any disabled veteran as defined in Code of Virginia, § 46.2-100.
(d) 
The license fee for vehicles issued special state license plates for members of the Virginia National Guard pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 46.2-744, shall be 1/2 the fee prescribed in Subsection (a). This provision shall be applicable only to passenger automobiles and pickups or panel trucks as defined in Code of Virginia, § 46.1-100.
[Added 6-28-2010]
(a) 
For each license year, there is hereby levied and shall be collected from every person owning a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, which is normally garaged, stored or parked within the City limits for any portion of the year between January 1 and December 31, a license fee for each such vehicle, etc., at the rates set forth in § 17-34. If it cannot be determined where such personal property described is normally garaged, stored or parked, the situs for the purpose of imposing this license fee shall be the domicile of the owner of such personal property. In the event the owner of the personal property is a full-time student attending an institution of higher education, the situs for the purpose of imposing this license fee shall be the domicile of the student, providing the student has presented sufficient evidence that he has paid a personal property tax on the motor vehicle in his domicile.
(b) 
The license fee imposed by this article shall be in addition to any other City license tax, including personal property. In the event the vehicle license fee is not paid on or before the due date and payable as set forth in § 17-34, there shall be added thereto a penalty of $10.
[Amended 6-13-2011]
[Code 1962, § 17-246; amended by Ord. No. 105, 5-23-1977; Ord. No. 190, 4-26-1982; Ord. No. 2005-4, 2-28-2005; 2-22-2010; 6-28-2010]
The applicant for such license fee shall produce satisfactory evidence before the Treasurer that all personal property taxes upon the motor vehicle to be licensed have been paid and satisfactory evidence that any delinquent motor vehicle personal property taxes owing have been paid which have been properly assessed or are assessable against the applicant by the City.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 17-36, License stickers and tags generally, adopted as § 17-251 of the 1962 Code, as amended; § 17-37, Display of sticker or tag, adopted as §§ 17-251 and 17-255 of the 1962 Code, as amended; and § 17-38, Replacement of lost or mutilated sticker or tag, adopted as § 17-252 of the 1962 Code, as amended, were repealed 6-28-2010.
[Code 1962, § 17-253; amended by Ord. No. 105, 5-23-1977; Ord. No. 2005-4, 2-28-2005; 2-22-2010; 6-28-2010]
(a) 
License fees paid under this article may not be transferred from one vehicle to another.
(b) 
An owner who sells or transfers a vehicle which is currently licensed under this article may apply for a license fee to be paid for another vehicle titled in such owner's name, which is in a like vehicle category as the original vehicle and which requires an identical license fee, upon application to the Treasurer accompanied by a transfer fee of $1 and the amount of the difference in licenses fees between the two vehicles.