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Virginia registration happened pretty quickly.

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I'm 2 weeks out from delivery and still waiting. I want to do a regular plate transfer from the old, now sold, Prius. Checking the DMV website and no info up yet on the Model S. OTOH, haven't had any problems in Lynchburg with the California scrap o' paper registration.
 
The DMV website does not list the 2013 Model S as one of the approved vehicles for a Clean Fuel plate. I wrote an email to the DMV asking how to update the list or if they would give me plates anyway and they said "The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approves vehicles which qualify for Clean Fuel License Plates. Please contact DEQ at one of the following numbers for assistance.
703-583-3900
804-698-4447
1-800-275-3844"


That sounds like a PITA and I know there are others that have received clean fuel plates. I decided to send in the form to transfer plates to DMV last week and am waiting to hear back...
 
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Took delivery last Monday. I was pulled by a Chesterfield County deputy who loved the car (he was clueless about the car and Tesla), but suggested it was illegal for me to drive with the white CA registration. Spoke with Tesla today because the VIN isn't even showing up in the national database and I've had that for three weeks, at least. Odd answer then: TSLA has to cut the check to pay VA the sales taxes and the money for the plates. Yes? You have my money to do that, why hasn't it been done? Uh, we'll, uh. Let me check and email you. Nothing. Frustrated. Hope it is not a sign of cashflow issues and using registration fees to ease the strain. Guy at TSLA assured me CA piece of paper is legal. Cop assured me it was not. Help!
 
Guy at Tesla is right but Cop has ability to make your life miserable. Seriously, the problem is the LEO's in Virginia are not accustomed to seeing new cars from California or any of the other Western US states that issue a piece of paper to tape in the window in lieu of a proper temporary plate. Even though it is legal, it's a hassle to get pulled over and have to go through the same song and dance. I went so far as to send a request to the Virginia State Police and the DMV to modify their process to either educate their personnel that the California slip is legitimate or allow a customer to bring a properly purchased car to the DMV and receive a temporary (or better yet permanent) tag same day. I can provide the contacts I emailed with but I lost momentum when I finally got my plates :) There is an official Tesla letter of explanation that I started carrying to give law enforcement too.
 
Thanks for your response. I would like to have whatever info you might have. I had thought about calling the State Police or DMV for a ruling from someone other than a road warrior. TSLA finally emailed me a letter today that they said should satisfy the VA police, but I don't see where it conveys anything that says driving on the paper registration in VA is legal. TSLA guy noted that one MD owner is suing the state of MD after receiving a ticket. Further, the company is checking on why my registration is stuck in their own bureaucracy. I leave for Paris for a week on Friday, so maybe it will all be resolved by the time I return on 4/6. Again, please share whatever you can.
 
I have spent the morning speaking with Field Enforcement at the Va St. Police, reading VA code and CA registration regs. It actually appears that the instructions that VA owners were given about that piece of registration slip being placed in the rear window is wrong, that it is not just illegal in VA, but also for CA. The piece of paper in the rear window is only for cars that will have eventual CA registration. Their code states clearly DO NOT put the registration in the rear window for cars that will be registered in other states. I have sent everything to Tesla. Will wait to hear, but they are going to have to come up with a viable registration process that allows owners to drive their cars legally in whatever state they reside as soon as we take delivery. This is Tesla's problem, not the states.
 
Bud Cox is who I spoke with today, personally. We, TSLaA owners, are not legal. He is awaiting a ruling from his legal dept. after issuing the caveat that he is not an attorney, which we all understand. Bottom line, is you can tell it to a judge after you deal with the trooper, who is factually accurate, then get a judge to say well you did your best. Or, you can recognize that Tesla is not meeting VA standards and you can spend time and money pretending otherwise.

Virginians, let us not blame the state, which is open to plenty of blame in any areas. Fact is, as part of the start up, one size fits all mentality, Tesla has the VA registration and the CA registration wrong. Let's just work to fix that. Driving is the goal. The problem is for Tesla to learn to communicate and understand laws outside of CA. Thoroughly enjoy today's conversation with Bud Cox. He, like I, are looking to facilitate much better dialogue between TSLA DMV Relations and the state's actual DMV. As Bud suggested in our great conversation, this is a time for the company and the state to find ways to work together. It is not US and THEM. TSLA is really a startup with this model. Can't we all help pave the way?
 
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Another conversation with Tesla this morning may have resolved my issue. They are refunding the sales tax and registration fees to me, forwarding the registration papers so that I can do the registration myself. They are having too many problems with VA and MD registrations, on top of an internal 2-3 week backlog, that they have decided in the future to let new owners do their own registrations in VA. Doesn't help those waiting, but if you make enough noise, perhaps, they will just let you do it. My paperwork and refund check should be here in the morning.
 
3 weeks after delivery, I emailed ownership to ask what's up on my registration. I got a call back the next day asking for a few details, then 2 days later (yesterday) another call to let me know about the Fedex package coming today. It has a Certificate of Origin, bill of sale and a check made out to DMV for the tax and registration. I have to take it in myself to get the car registered. Wish I would have called to pester earlier. Wouldn't be surprised, with the info given by Miuaiga, if the new standard for Virginia is register the car yourself. Kind of annoying in that I work all day Monday and then head out to the beach with family Tuesday AM, but at least I have control of the process now.
 
My Model S is scheuled to arrive within the next week as a home delivery (not what I had really wanted). Now it sounds like I need to be prepared to register it myself. I'm bracing for the paperwork and the headaches of getting this all straightened out. :(
 
My Model S is scheuled to arrive within the next week as a home delivery (not what I had really wanted). Now it sounds like I need to be prepared to register it myself. I'm bracing for the paperwork and the headaches of getting this all straightened out. :(

I wouldn't expect a headache so much. If you don't get the paperwork I mentioned above at delivery, just call within a few days to check on progress. If nothing's happening, ask them to Fedex the paperwork to you, go to DMV and you're done. Of course DMV out here in the sticks is a different prospect from the one in Arlington.
 
Lol, I called ownership and they said they are getting my packet together so that I can do the registration myself. It'll take about 2 weeks to get it together. :banghead:

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