STATE VEHICLE REGISTRATION
If a military member claims
their home of record in Washington State, his/her vehicle must be titled and
licensed in Washington State. A person claiming home of record
outside Washington may license and insure the vehicle in their home state or in
Washington. It is advised that you compare prices when dealing with
licensing and insurance. Vehicles arriving in the United States from
a foreign port or place must be cleared through U.S.
Customs.
If you currently have your vehicle registered and
insured in another state, you may use that until it expires. Once it
does, you must either register your vehicle in Washington State or your home of
record. Spouses who have vehicles registered in their name must
register their vehicles in Washington State.
Vehicles coming into
Washington from a foreign jurisdiction (state or country) must be inspected by
the Washington State Patrol. The inspection fee of $15.00 will be
collected with the registration fees at time of licensing.
If titling in
Washington, the current title and registration for the vehicle is
required. If a lien holder holds the title, licensing may be achieved
with current registration or a photocopy of the current title.
ACTIVE
DUTY ONLY: If you are requesting to register your vehicle in
Washington State and you are not a resident of this state, you must ask for a
Form L and show your military ID in order to be exempt from the state excise
tax. If you have overseas plates and they are still valid, the State
of Washington requires you to get state plates within 30-45 days of your
arrival. If they are already expired, this must be taken care of as
soon as possible.
VEHICLE EMISSIONS CHECK: The emissions test
is part of Washington's Motor Vehicle Emission Check and the Federal Clean Air
Act. Regardless of which state your vehicle is registered in, you
will be required to have a Washington emissions test to obtain a base
decal. New vehicles are exempt for the first two years; and newly
purchased used vehicles (of any model year) are exempt when they are purchsed
from a Washington State dealer. There is a $12 cash fee for the
emissions test.
WASHINGTON STATE DRIVERS LICENSING
Military
members may maintain their current driver's license as long as they remain on
Active Duty status and the state he/she is from has a military
clause. If you don't know whether or not your state has a military
clause, you will receive more information at Newcomer's
Orientation.
Spouses may choose to maintain their current license, as
long as it's still valid (not expired). If a spouse is a resident of
another country, he/she has one year to obtain a Washington State Driver's
License. If you need further information, you can call Security
Forces Reports and Analysis Section at 982-2256. You must take a
written test to obtain a Washington State Driver's License, but no driving test
is required, if you currently have a license from another state.
If you
are applying for an original driver's license, you will be asked to
1) Show proof of identification, 2) pay a $7 examination fee, 3)
complete an application regarding previous driver's license history and any
physical or medical conditions you may have that may effect your driving
ability, 4) take a vision test, 5) take a knowledge test
on Washington's traffic safety laws, 6) make an appointment to take a
driving skills test, if required. If you are required to take a
driving skills test, you will need to make an appointment, usually for another
day, to be tested by a Licensing Service Representative (LSR) in a vehicle you
provide. You will be tested for your ability to drive under ordinary
conditions. There is a $25 license fee.
Individuals must be at
least 16 years of age to obtain a driver license in Washington
State. They must submit acceptable proof of identity and age and must
disclose their Social Security Number if they have one. If under age
18, individuals must show proof of completing an accredited driver education
course with both classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction, and parental
consent must be given. Individuals must also pass driver vision,
knowledge and skills tests, if this is their first drivers
license.
Motorcycle operators are required to pass special motorcycle
skills and written examinations. These tests are in addition to the
regular automobile driver license test.
Moped operators must be at least
16 years of age and must possess a valid driver license. No special
examinations or endorsements are required.
UNDERSTANDING WASHINGTON'S
SEATBELT LAW
Washington State has two laws concerning seatbelt use; one
is a primary law, the other is a secondary law. With a primary law,
such as speeding, a driver can be pulled over and given a
ticket. With a secondary law, one cannot be pulled over for the
offense, but can be given a ticket for the offense if he is pulled over for some
other infraction.
Secondary Offense: Driver and passenger age
10 and older - For example, if a driver is stopped for speeding, and he/she does
not have his/her seatbelt fastened, he can be given two tickerts - one for
speeding and one for not having his seatbelt buckled. If there ar unbuckled
children under the age of 15 in his/her vehicle, the driver can be given tickets
for the unbuckled children as well. If there are unbuckled people age
16 and older in his/her vehicle, the driver is not given tickets for these
unbuckled passengers - they get their own tickets, despite the fact they are not
driving.
Primary Offense: Unbuckled kids age 9 and under,
infants with no car seats - If a driver has an unbuckled child age 9 or younger
in the vehicle, this is a primary offense. The driver can be pulled
over and given a ticket. Even if the child is in a seatbelt, the
driver can get a ticket because the law requires children age 3 and younger to
be in a child car seat.