How to Register Your Vehicle in Washington
Vehicle registration in Washington may be completed in person or by mail. You will need to have- Your vehicle title and bill of sale.
- An emissions certificate and odometer statement (if applicable).
- Payment for your required registration fee.
- The Washington State Department of Licensing requires all residents to title and register their vehicles in order to get WA license plates and legally operate on the state's roads and highways.
- Titling your vehicle and registering are the same process in Washington, so both will be completed at the same time.
- If you already have a Washington registration, you will want to go to the WA Registration Renewal page to see how to keep your vehicle registration current. This page is dedicated to registering a vehicle for the first time.
WA License Plates
As of January 1st, 2015 Washington requires new license plates whenever a vehicle changes owners.New plates are not required if
- A title change is due to removing a deceased spouse/domestic partner.
- The ownership change is due to
- Inheritance or gift to a member of your immediate family.
- A transfer between a spouse/domestic partners.
- Transfer due to a vehicle into or out of a trust. (This only applies to the owner or their immediate family who are beneficiaries of the trust).