Why would it be “required?” You can register it in D.C., certainly, since you live there, right? My understanding of your question in the OP is: would I be allowed to register it in Virginia, even though I don’t live there. That is, MUST you register in D.C., not MUST you register in Virginia.
The answer: you may register it in Virginia.
As for “advisable”, that’s a matter of economic questions. Where are the taxes lower? Where is the insurance lower? Can you register it in D.C., but insure it in Virginia? Etc. That will depend upon things beyond the scope of what this Board can advise, probably.
It may be required because the vehicle will be left in Virginia and never driven to DC. If with DC registration is always in the parking space in VA, police may assume that a DC resident is permanently living in the property and not transferring his vehicle registration.
It may be advisable because if I register the car in DC, but leave it in VA, I would have to go get it and bring it into the city for inspections.
I was a military driver for 16 years, and had my truck routinely registered in different states than I was living–all despite my ‘residency’ being from New Jersey. One point: if you buy land in Virginia (that cabin), you can be considered a resident of VA. This will give you a little leverage in where to register the vehicle (i.e. cheaper rates). I routinely kept the cheaper option of registration on the truck–it was always actively registered, and when I could legally do it, I kept the cheaper registration (I owned land and a house in Georgia). But, when I finally settled in New Mexico, I registered there.
I know, long story, but my point is taxes. As a Virginia resident (when you have the cabin) you may be in store for more taxes through sales or ad valorem than in DC. Just something to consider.
Tripler
I’d only seen ad valorem out East. Come buy a cabin out West.
Registration of the car is determined by residency. If you live in DC you should get the car registered there. If you are ticketed you can show proof of DC residence like a drivers license and get the ticket cancelled. It should also be cheaper since DC does not have the personal property tax.
You basically have two questions to answer as a DC-resident based on your usage of the car: (1) Do I have to register my car in Virginia? (2) Do I have to register my car in DC? I wouldn’t assume that the answer to both of these questions couldn’t be yes without checking.
(1) Virginia says that if you are a non-resident and your car is registered out of state, you can operate it in Virginia for up to six months without registering it in Virginia or paying Virginia tax. If the car remains in Virginia after the six months are up, you have to register it and pay tax from the beginning of the six month period. So, the practical answer is if you have a car permanently in Virginia, you have to register the car in Virginia from the time you start operating it in Virginia, even if you don’t reside there. Nonresident may operate temporarily without registration (§ 46.2-656)—Virginia Decoded - Virginia Decoded Virginia’s fees generally make registering cars there more costly than in surrounding jurisdictions.
(2) DC says that everyone who drives in the district must register their car in the district. If you never take your Virginia car to DC, you don’t have to register it in DC.
If you sometimes drive the car in DC, you are in a legal gray area but, if you use the car very little in the District, it’s uncertain how likely enforcement action would be based on DC’s codified enforcement practices. (There are exceptions to the registration requirement for non-residents of DC but they don’t apply to you because you are a resident.) Enforcement of the registration provision depends on whether the car is “housed” in DC. An officer must observe a car that is housed in the district and record the date, time, location, and vehicle tag number. DC Code 18-429.3(a). How do they know it’s “housed” in the district versus just operated temporarily there? I don’t know, but the obvious guess is that they look for cars parked on city streets overnight. License plate readers would make this task simple.
If, after 15 days of the first sighting, they see the car housed in the district again, they can attach a warning notice to the car. Once they place the warning notice, you get a 15-day “warning period” after which they may impound your car or take other enforcement action. DC Code 18-429.3(b).
During the 15 days, you can either register the car, get a reciprocity sticker (which is only available to certain non-residents like service men, congressmen and congressional staff, students, and diplomats), or otherwise “demonstrat[e] that the motor vehicle is not in violation of District motor vehicle licensing and registration laws, regulations and rules.” To me, this would mean proving that you don’t house the car in DC. Good luck proving a negative.
But it’s worth noting there are special exemptions carved out of federal and most state laws for military members. These carve-outs apply to things like residency, driver’s licenses, car registration, voting, state taxation, professional licensing, etc.
As such, what works legally for military personnel has little or no value for understanding or predicting what will work legally for a non-military person.