Auditor services are available remotely

— from Milene Henley, San Juan County Auditor —

Staying home? Need Auditor services (vehicle licensing, marriage licensing, dog licensing, voter registration, lost checks)? We can help you from home!

“Social distancing” wasn’t even a phrase until recently, and now everybody’s doing it. If you haven’t heard the term yet, it means maintaining safe distances (at least six feet) from other people in order to reduce the spread of disease. With the risk of coronavirus driving an increase in social distancing in San Juan County, the Auditor’s Office wishes to share remote options for some of the services we provide.

Vehicle & Vessel Renewals: In most cases, vehicle tabs are easy to renew online. Go to dol.wa.gov and click on “Renew your tabs” under “Vehicles & boats.” As you step through the process, choose to have your new tabs mailed to you rather than picking them up at the courthouse. If you are unable to renew online, call (360) 378-2161 to verify the fees. Mail in a check with your license plate number on the memo line, and your new registration will be mailed to you.

Vehicle & Vessel Title Transactions: Most vehicle & vessel transactions can be done by mail. Be sure to call the office first to make sure you have all the required documents. Some documents may require notarization, and notaries may be hard to find currently. Nonetheless, timeliness is of the essence with title transactions, as penalties may apply for late titles. Please call the office at (360) 378-2161 if you have any questions.

Marriage Licensing: Complete your marriage license application online (or navigate to Auditor / Marriage Information / Online Marriage Information). If you can get the application notarized, mail it to us for processing. We will mail back to you the completed documents. In order to accommodate the mandatory three-day waiting period, please mail the notarized application at least two weeks prior to your intended wedding date. If the Auditor’s Office is the only place you can get the required notarization, please call to make an appointment. The mandatory three-day waiting period begins when the documents are created, so be sure to come in for notarization at least three days before the wedding.

Dog Licensing: All dog licensing services are available by mail. Call (370) 378-2161 for assistance.

Voter Registration: Voter registration services are available online. You can register to vote, update your name or address, check your ballot status, find your ballot and the Online Voters’ Guide, and more, at VoteWa.gov.

Elections: Washington is a vote-by-mail state. You never need to come into the office to vote. If you have misplaced a ballot, you can get a substitute ballot online at VoteWa.gov. For other questions about elections, call the office at (360) 378-3357, email us at elections@sanjuanco.com, or review
information available online at www.sanjuanco.com/elections.

Recording: All recorded documents in San Juan County are available online, (or navigate to Auditor / Recording / Recording Document Search). For copies of documents without the “Unofficial Copy” watermark, or for certified copies, call the Auditor’s Office at (370) 378-2161. Copies will be delivered to you by mail. For regular users of recording services, the Auditor’s and Treasurer’s Offices offer e-REET and e-recording, and we encourage the use of those services. For the occasional recording customer, please consider mailing your document. The recorded document will be returned to you by mail.

Finance: The financial division of the Auditor’s Office interacts with the public less frequently than the other divisions, but does occasionally interact on subjects such as lost checks and Forms W-9 and virtually all services can be handled by phone and/or email. Please call accounting staff at (360) 370-7551 for assistance.

The Auditor’s Office stands ready to serve, but in these uncertain times, some of our in-person services may soon be restricted. If that happens, please take advantage of our phone, mail, and online services. For questions about Auditor services, call Milene Henley, County Auditor, at (360) 370-7558.

For more information about the County’s response to the coronavirus, visit
www.sanjuanco.com/1668/2019-Novel-Coronavirus.