Vehicle/Vessel Licensing

The County Auditor acts as an agent of the Washington State Department of Licensing. This responsibility not only encompasses sale of motor vehicle licenses and collection of license fees and excise tax, but also transfer of vehicles from one owner to another, title changes to add or delete a legal owner other that the registered owner, collection of load fees on trucks and other transactions involving motor vehicles. The auditor is also an agent for the Department of Revenue and collects sales taxes on transfers of such vehicles made between individuals. In addition, the auditor is responsible for water craft titling and registration.

Sign up to get your Renewal Reminders by email: WA State Licensing: Get your renewal reminders

Driver Licensing

http://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense (509) 925-9290

Avoid the Lines

Renew On-line
Washington State Department of Licensing

Buying or Selling a Vehicle

Please Note: You have 15 days to transfer a vehicle into your name. On the 16th day monetary penalties begin to accrue.

Bring in the title with interest released, odometer disclosure statement, signed by both buyer and seller is required for vehicles less than 9 years old. Use tax on vehicles in Kittitas County is 8%; inside city limits Ellensburg is 8.2%. Additional information may be required.

If you are the seller- remember to file a Report of Sale. Available on-line or in the office ($8.75 fee). Vehicle report of sale

Boats

Washington State no longer mails out renewal notices for boats. You can sign up to receive renewal notices via email

Mandatory Boater Education information can be found here.

Discover Pass

You can purchase a Discover Pass when you renew your registration. If you purchase a pass through the renewal process, the pass is mailed to you and takes about 2 weeks to receive. Discover Pass can now be used for 2 vehicles- the pass is valid for one year from date of purchase.

Annual Pass: $30.00 ($35.00 if purchased at a license dealer)

One-day pass: $10.00 ($11.50 if purchased at a license dealer)

Visit Washington State Discover Pass for more information: Discover Pass (processing and dealer fee may apply)

Disabled Person Parking Privileges

Now available at subagent (additional subagent fees apply).

The disabled person must be on our records as one of the registered owners of the vehicle in order to receive the plates.

Only the following disabilities are allowed by law:

• Cannot walk two hundred feet without stopping to rest.
• Is severely limited in ability to walk due to arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic conditions.
• Is disabled to the point that the person cannot walk without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, another person, prosthetic devise, wheelchair, or other assistive device.
• Uses portable oxygen.
• Is restricted by lung disease to such an extent that forced expiratory respiratory volume, when measured by spirometry is less than one liter per second or the arterial oxygen tension is less than sixty mm/hg on room air at rest.
• Impairment by cardiovascular disease or cardiac condition to the extent that the person’s functional limitations are classified as Class III or Class IV under standards accepted by the American Heart Association.
• Has a disability resulting from an acute sensitivity to automobile emissions which limits or impairs the ability to walk. The physician of the applicant shall document that the disability is comparable in severity to the conditions listed above.

Additional Information

You may receive an application by calling the State at 1-800-642-5174 or by calling the Kittitas County Auditor’s Office, Auto Licensing Department.

Once your application is approved, you may apply for disabled person license plates and /or placard at our office. The license plate costs $7.75. We must have your current vehicle registration to issue plates. The license plates will be mailed to you. The placards are no charge.

License Plates

License plates may be transferred to another vehicle owned by you. If you sell the vehicle, the license plates must be transferred to a replacement vehicle or surrendered to your local county auditor, vehicle licensing subagent or the Department of Licensing in Olympia. If you have further questions please call us at (509) 962-7505.

Services

You may request refueling services at gasoline stations for the self-service price if no accompanying passenger is capable of fueling the vehicle for you. Stations exclusively self-service and convenience stores with remotely controlled gas pumps are not required to provide this service. You may park, free of charge for unlimited periods of time, in parking zones or areas with parking meters which are otherwise restricted as to the length of parking time.

Please Note: Local jurisdictions may impose time restrictions on the use of on-street parking spaces reserved for disabled persons.

Parking is not permitted in areas where stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles is prohibited or reserved for special types of vehicles (fire lanes, loading zones, etc.)

Replacement

If parking placard or special license plate is lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed, a replacement must be requested in writing from the disabled person of record.

Submit a replacement plate fee of $24 for passenger vehicle or truck plates; $12 for motorcycles; there is no charge for replacement placards(s).

Renewals

Permanent disabled person parking privileges are to be renewed every five (5) years. Temporary privileges are renewed every six (6) months, maximum, and require a new application, including a Physician’s Certificate.

Links

• Washington State Department of Licensing
• Washington State Department of Revenue