Although it was introduced in 2020, you may not have encountered or even be aware of Virginia’s Highway Use Fee. But if you’ve recently purchased a more fuel-efficient car or an electric vehicle, you might have been caught off guard when you went to renew you vehicle’s registration.
DMV Spokesperson Camila Barco explains why the fee was created, “Virginia’s roadways are funded in part through the taxes drivers pay at the gas pump. As more drivers switch to fuel efficient and electric vehicles, less revenue is generated for maintaining and improving our roads, our highways, the transit systems, and other vital transportation infrastructure that we all use. So, the Highway Use Fee helps address this gap and as a result, helps support a safe and reliable transportation system for everyone.”
Not everyone is impacted. There is a threshold.
Barco breaks it down this way, “You will pay the Highway Use Fee if you register: one – a fuel-efficient car or truck that gets 25 miles per gallon or more; or two – an electric vehicle.”
The fee varies based on the vehicle manufacturer’s fuel rating. Starting at $6.86 for a 25-mpg vehicle, more fuel-efficient vehicles will pay more, up to about $132 for an electric vehicle. If you drive less than the average Virginian, that would be 11,600 miles a year, you might benefit by enrolling in the Mileage Choice Program.
“Drivers can choose to pay the Highway Use Fee by the mile instead of the full yearly Highway Use Fee when they register their vehicle," Barco explains. "Now, you only pay for the miles you drive. So, if you drive less, you pay less. And if you end up driving a little more, you never pay more than your annual Highway Use Fee.”
Complete information about the Highway Usage Fee and Mileage Choice Program is available on the Virginia DMV website.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
