Beginning April 23, all Washington state vehicle owners will be required to register their vehicles using their primary Washington state residence street address. This requirement was adopted to help ensure that all people living within special taxing districts pay their fair share of taxes.
Businesses that own vehicles will be required to provide their principal Washington state place of business street address. Prior to this change, all vehicle owners were allowed to register vehicles at a mailing address.
The laws establishing these taxing districts, which are currently used by the Seattle Monorail Project and Sound Transit, require residents within them to pay a special motor vehicle excise tax.
However, the Department of Licensing (DOL) did not previously require vehicle owners to register their vehicles at their primary residence address within these districts.
This change will not require immediate action by vehicle owners. When a vehicle is registered for the first time or license tabs are renewed, owners will be required to declare that the address DOL has for their vehicle is the primary residence street address or principal place of business street address.
If the vehicle is registered with an address that doesnt meet this requirement, the address will need to be changed to the primary residence street address or principal place of business street address before tabs will be issued.
Vehicle owners with records containing a post office box will be required to change their address.
Those vehicle owners with an overseas military address, those participating in the states Address Confidentiality Program, and those who do not have Postal Service mail delivery available at their primary residence or principal place of business address will be exempt from this requirement.
To make an online address change, or to read more information about this new requirement, visit the DOL Website at www.dol.wa.gov.
