Sell your car in Newport News: running, broken down or flagged by Code Compliance
Sell a car in Newport News and the Commissioner of the Revenue has to hear about it in writing, within 30 days, or the city goes on assessing personal property tax on it. For the car itself, ask our buying partner for an online cash offer; pickup at the car's address, Denbigh to downtown, is free.
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The Newport News sale notice, step by step
- Tell DMV and the Commissioner of the Revenue. The city's tax FAQ says both have to be notified when you sell, and the Commissioner's office must have the information in writing (City of Newport News).
- Do it within 30 days. Contacting the Commissioner within 30 days of selling the vehicle is what stops the personal property tax assessment on it (Vehicles Sold or Moved).
- Keep a copy. Because the notice has to be in writing, keep a copy of what you sent and note the date you sent it.
Where we pick up around Newport News
Pickup is free anywhere in Newport News, from Denbigh at the north end down to the City Hall blocks of Washington Avenue. A car in an apartment lot, on a narrow side street or in a back yard is fine; say how a truck can reach it.
Two due dates a year. Newport News personal property tax is normally due June 5 and December 5, and the city's FAQ lists the rate for cars and trucks as $4.50 (City of Newport News). Selling close to one of those dates? Ask the Commissioner of the Revenue what the sale changes before you pay.
Taking the sold car's plate off your E-ZPass account
E-ZPass Virginia tells customers it's very important to keep the plate information on their account up to date and accurate (E-ZPass Virginia). Once the car is sold, that means removing its plate, or adding the plate of whatever replaces it.
You can do that in person at the Newport News DMV customer service center on Patrick Henry Drive, which offers full-service E-ZPass account management (Virginia DMV). Not every DMV center offers that, so it's worth knowing this one does. If another car is replacing the one you sold, its plate can go on the account in the same visit.
Take the transponder off the windshield before the car leaves, too. It belongs to your account, not to the car.
Cash for your car in Newport News
A dead car parked in plain sight can get noticed here. Newport News Code Compliance uses cameras to flag property maintenance issues, and abandoned or inoperable vehicles visible from the street are on the list (Newport News Code Compliance). Virginia's Code names Newport News among the cities that may ban an inoperable vehicle stored outdoors unless it's shielded or screened from view (Va. Code § 15.2-905).
A courtesy notice asking for voluntary compliance comes first (Code Compliance); if one has arrived, mention it when you ask for an offer. Whether yours won't start, was wrecked or is simply past fixing, it can be sold as it sits, and the free pickup clears it from the property. See how a junk car sale works for one that's past saving, and selling a non-runner for who takes a car that can't be driven.
A DMV center and two DMV Selects
- •12730 Patrick Henry Drive, Newport News, VA 23602-9515, is the city's DMV customer service center (Virginia DMV)
- •It's open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays and until noon on Saturday mornings (DMV locations); schedule an appointment, reserve your place for that day, or walk in (Virginia DMV)
- •DMV Select, City Hall: 2400 Washington Ave., Newport News, VA 23607 (DMV Select offices)
- •DMV Select, Denbigh: 12912 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23608. Both Selects keep the same weekday schedule, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (DMV Select offices)
Asked by Newport News sellers
What can I take care of at the Denbigh DMV Select?
Titling, registration and plate work, but not driver's licenses (Virginia DMV).
Does Newport News prorate car tax when I sell?
The city's FAQ describes a prorated, corrected bill for an owner who moves out of the city and tells the Commissioner of the Revenue in writing (City of Newport News). For a sale, its vehicles page says to contact the Commissioner within 30 days so the car stops being assessed (Vehicles Sold or Moved); ask that office how the sale date affects your bill.
How long do I have after a Newport News code violation notice?
After the courtesy notice, a formal notice of violation allows 30 days to correct the issue (Newport News Code Compliance). A car that's been sold and picked up is no longer on the property.
Which Newport News DMV office opens on Saturday?
The Patrick Henry Drive customer service center, on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon (DMV locations). Both DMV Selects, City Hall and Denbigh, are weekday-only offices (DMV Select offices).
The title, plates and DMV's notice of sale follow the same rules in every Virginia city, and our Virginia page walks through them; notice of sale by state shows how Virginia's DMV notice compares.