[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Page as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 11-21-2006[1]; amended in its entirety 10-18-2016]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Art. I, Motor Vehicle License, adopted 1-9-1989 (Ch. 8, Art. II, of the 1980 Code), as amended.
A. 
The owner of every motor vehicle for which a current state license is displayed and which is normally garaged, stored or parked within the County shall pay an annual County license fee for such vehicle.
B. 
The situs for the imposition of licensing fees under this article shall in all cases, except as hereinafter provided, be the locality in which the motor vehicle is normally garaged, stored, or parked. If it cannot be determined where the vehicle is normally garaged, stored or parked, the situs shall be the domicile of its owner.
There is hereby assessed to any person owning a motor vehicle normally garaged, stored or parked in Page County on January 1 of each year a Page County motor vehicle license fee.
A. 
On each and every motor vehicle there shall be an annual license fee of $30, and on each and every motorcycle an annual license fee of $12.50.
B. 
The amount of the license fee imposed by Page County under this article shall not be greater than the amount of the license fee imposed by the commonwealth on that vehicle.
A. 
The provisions of this article shall not be construed as to impose a license fee upon any motor vehicle when:
(1) 
The Chief of each volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency rescue squad prepares and certifies a list of active members of the respective departments or squads who regularly respond to calls or perform other duties for the department or squad and who reside in the County outside the corporate limits of the Towns of Luray, Shenandoah and Stanley. The certified list will include the complete name of each individual, his/her residence address, and the identification number, and description of the vehicle owned or leased by such active member and to be certified for exemption. Each individual so certified will complete the required application form, submit it to the Chief who will attach all individual applications to the certified listing and submit to the Treasurer of the County. After reviewing and comparing the certified listings and applications with the personal property tax rolls, the Treasurer will issue one exempt license without charge to each certified member. No member of a volunteer rescue squad or volunteer fire department shall be issued an exemption for more than one vehicle.
(2) 
The motor vehicle is operated by a common carrier of persons or property operating between cities and towns in the commonwealth and not in intracity transportation or between cities and towns on the one hand and points and places without cities and towns on the other not intracity transportation.
(3) 
Antique motor vehicles and antique trailers, as defined in § 46.2-100, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended, registered and licensed by the state in accordance with § 46.2-730A, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended, shall be exempt from the payment of the license fee levied under this article, provided that other statutory conditions are met. In order to qualify for exemption, an antique motor vehicle and antique trailer registered and licensed under § 46.2-730, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended, shall not be used for general transportation purposes, including, but not limited to, daily travel to and from the owner's place of employment, but shall only be used:
(a) 
For participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades and similar events; and
(b) 
On the highways of the commonwealth for the purpose of testing their operation, obtaining repairs or maintenance, transportation to and from events as described in Subsection A(3)(a) of this subsection, and for occasional pleasure driving not exceeding 250 miles from the residence of the owner.
(4) 
The motor vehicle is owned and used personally by any veteran who holds a current state motor vehicle registration card establishing that he has received a disabled veterans' exemption from the Department of Motor Vehicles and has been issued a disabled veterans' motor vehicle license plate as prescribed in § 46.2-739 of the Code of Virginia.
(5) 
The motor vehicle is owned and operated by a person who has been issued license plates evidencing the person was a prisoner of war.
B. 
All fees collected pursuant to this article shall be deposited by the Treasurer in the general fund of the County.
A. 
Upon request of the Page County Treasurer, no motor vehicle shall be licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles until such applicant for a license has paid all personal property taxes and the license fee assessed hereunder upon the motor vehicle to be licensed and until the Department of Motor Vehicles has been provided satisfactory evidence by the Treasurer of Page County that any delinquent motor vehicle, personal property taxes or license fees which have properly assessed or are assessable against the applicant by the County has been paid.
B. 
Upon request of the Page County Treasurer, no motor vehicle license shall be issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles unless the tangible personal property taxes properly assessed or assessable by the County on any tangible personal property used or usable as a dwelling and owned by the taxpayer have been paid.
C. 
Upon request of the Page County Treasurer, no motor vehicle license shall be issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to an owner of a motor vehicle where a fee is required to be paid pursuant to this article but qualified under the provisions hereof for a waiver of the fee until the applicant for such license or registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles has produced before the Page County Treasurer, or the Treasurer's agent, satisfactory evidence that all personal property taxes upon the motor vehicle have been paid and satisfactory evidence of any delinquent personal property taxes due with respect to the vehicle which have been properly assessed or are assessable against the owner have been paid.
The license year with respect to which the fee required to be paid under this article is assessed shall be January 1 through December 31 of each year. The fee assessed under this article shall be assessed to the owner of each motor vehicle as provided in this article for motor vehicles owned January 1 of each year. The fee shall be payable on or before June 5 of each year. The fees assessed by this article will be based upon ownership of vehicles on fee assessment day, that is January 1 of each year, and the period for which the license is effective shall be January 1 through December 31.
Nothing in this article shall be construed as imposing a license fee on any such vehicle in excess of the amount authorized by state law.
The Treasurer shall, after the due date of any license fee required by this section, collect such license fee in accordance with the provisions of § 58.1-3919, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended, and any other applicable state law. Additionally, the Treasurer shall have the authority to take any action authorized by § 46.2-752J, Code of Virginia 1950, as amended.
Any person failing to pay the fee imposed by this article on or before the due date shall incur a late payment penalty thereon of 10% of the tax due and payable, together with interest on the late payment of the tax from the due date until the date of payment at a rate of 10% per annum.
[Adopted 1-18-2011; amended in its entirety 10-18-2016]
Every person operating a moped, as defined in § 46.2-100,[1] on a public street or highway shall wear a face shield, safety glasses, or goggles of a type approved by the Superintendent or have his moped equipped with safety glass or a windshield at all times while operating such vehicle, and operators and passengers thereon, if any, shall wear protective helmets of a type approved by the Superintendent. A violation of any such ordinance shall not constitute negligence, be considered in mitigation of damages of whatever nature, be admissible in evidence or be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for the recovery of damages arising out of the operation, ownership, or maintenance of a moped or motor vehicle, nor shall anything in this section change any existing law, rule, or procedure pertaining to any such civil action. Any person who knowingly violates any such ordinance shall be guilty of a traffic infraction and be subject to a fine of not more than $50.
[1]
Editor’s Note: See Code of Virginia.