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Fairfax County has approved a temporary plan to round in-person cash transaction totals to the nearest five cents, with the change scheduled to begin July 1, 2027.

The policy will apply to cash payments for county taxes, fees, goods and services, including transactions at community centers. Payments made by check or credit card are not expected to be affected.

Under the rounding formula, totals ending in 1, 2, 6 or 7 cents will be rounded down to the nearest five-cent increment. Totals ending in 3, 4, 8 or 9 cents will be rounded up. Each adjustment will change the transaction total by no more than two cents in either direction.

The county attributed the policy to penny shortages following the U.S. Mint’s reported decision to stop producing new pennies in November 2025. County documents also cited the underuse and reduced circulation of existing pennies. At some county locations, pennies have reportedly been unavailable, resulting in residents being intentionally given incorrect change.

Christopher Hartl, chief of the Banking and Investments Division in the Fairfax County Department of Finance, said, “The lack of new coins, coupled with the underutilization and circulation of existing coins, has already led to shortages that are impacting the ability of businesses and governments to obtain pennies for cash transactions.”

The county did not specify how many residents pay county balances in cash. No members of the public spoke during the Tuesday afternoon hearing on the proposed change.

Virginia lawmakers have authorized local jurisdictions to adopt temporary ordinances adjusting bills and account balances for taxes and other services. The Virginia Department of Taxation is expected to brief lawmakers on a long-term solution before the 2027 General Assembly session, although that briefing and its timing are prospective and could change.

Supervisor Walter Alcorn summarized the practical problem facing cashiers and customers as “kind of not making change anymore because there are no more pennies being produced in this country.”

The county’s temporary rounding ordinance is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2027.