New Laws Eliminate Seven-year Plate Replacement, Add a Fee to Fund Ferries

— from Milene Henley, County Auditor —

Two laws enacted in 2014 will soon affect vehicle license renewals. Beginning January 1, 2015, ESHB 1129 will make vehicle transactions subject to a $5 licensing service fee on vehicle registration renewals and a $12 service fee on title transfers.The new service fees will be used to replace the state’s 1950s-era Evergreen State Class ferries.

In addition, SB 5785 will eliminate the mandatory seven-year replacement period for license plates and allow owners to keep their plates for as long as they own a vehicle.

“These are both positive changes for San Juan County,” says County Auditor Milene Henley. “The mandatory replacement of ‘perfectly good’ license plates every seven years is one of the biggest complaints we hear at the licensing desk. And the new fees – which will be paid by car owners all over the state – will directly benefit San Juan County ferry riders.”

These new fees will result in all vehicle owners paying the same amount of fees regardless of whether they have their title or registration transaction processed at the County Auditor’s Office or at a privately owned vehicle licensing office.

The $5 service fee includes, but is not limited to, annual registrations, temporary off-road vehicle permits, trip permits and snowmobile registrations. The $12 service fee includes, but is not limited to, vehicle title transfers, lien-holder changes and name changes.

People must continue to renew their vehicle’s registration every 12 months, but only replace license plates if they are lost, defaced, or illegible, or when the vehicle changes ownership.

SB 5785 does not apply to vehicle transactions that add or remove a lien holder, transfer ownership to a spouse, or are solely a name change, among other things. The full list of exemptions is available under RCW 46.16A.020 and RCW 46.16A.200.

Information about both of these changes is available at www.dol.wa.gov.