Your registration, license plates and tabs are available immediately. We will hand them to you over the counter. That way you won’t need to worry about them being lost in the mail or not getting to your home before your current registration expires. You are also doing business with a local office that is in the business of serving you. We are here to help during those difficult licensing situations and our office is small enough to care but big enough to get the job done quickly and accurately.
Wendel's Licensing is open Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. If this information is updated the website will be updated to reflect the changes.
We are closed on the holidays listed below:
We are located at 15815 Westminster Way N Shoreline WA, 98133.
Can I send someone else to renew my registration in your office?
As the registered owner of a vehicle/vessel it is your responsibility to renew the registration. If you cannot renew in person you can empower a relative to renew but they must provide one of the following:
- Identification that shows the same last name/address
- A check that contains their name and yours
- Proof of their relationship to you
If you do not have the above you must be able to provide the following:
- Written authorization from the registered owner that includes there signature and the vehicle information.
Wendel’s Licensing does not renew driver’s licenses.
The closest locations to us are listed below:
Shoreline Driver Licensing Office
15809 Westminster Way N
(425) 670-8376
Lynnwood Driver Licensing Office
18023 Highway 99, Suite E
(425) 672-3219
Drivers License Hours are :
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm
Thursday, 9:30am – 5:00pm
Saturday, 8:30am – 2:30pm
What kinds of permits are available?
Trip permits:
This permit is good for three consecutive days of your choice. The permit cost $33.00. This permit is good all twenty four hours of the three days selected, so it is in your best interest to start the permit the morning of the first day of use. There are many uses for the trip permit some of which include, test driving a vehicle with expired tabs, taking a vehicle with expired tabs in for repairs or taking a vehicle on the road that is rarely used.
Trip permits have some limitations:
- Three trip permits is the legal limit for use on any one car in any one month period
- A motor home can use no more than one trip permit in a year
Please check with Wendel’s License to find out if a trip permit is correct for your situation.
Transit Permits:
- The transit permit is $8.00 dollars. It is valid for two days that must be selected at the time of purchase but do not have to be consecutive. In order to purchase the transit permit ID and the vehicle’s make, model and year as well as the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) are required. This permit is only valid in very limited situations, such as:
- Taking a vehicle for a Washington State Patrol inspection.
- Returning from an inspection back to a licensing office
This permit is not valid for everyday driving. It is only valid for the purposes listed on the permit. If you are using this permit for a use that is not listed you may be ticketed. The transit permit is not valid on a day where the use listed on the permit is closed. If you are unsure if a Transit Permit is correct for you situation please call Wendel’s License.
60 Day Temporary
The 60 day permit is used when documentation necessary to title and register a vehicle is missing. It is valid for 60 days and has a variable cost based on the vehicle.
When purchasing a 60 day temporary you will be required to purchase a full year of registration if the vehicle is expired or will be expiring within the 60 day time frame of the permit. This is a requirement because it is assumed that you intend to complete the registration process and use the vehicle in the State of Washington. You will receive a weatherproof permit for the back License plate area of the vehicle which takes the place of the license plates until you can complete the temporary by bringing in the missing documentation. We will provide you with a list of documents that will be needed to complete your specific transaction.
Once you have compiled the missing document and or documents, come back into Wendel’s License so we can complete the temporary transaction and supply you with license plates and registration. In most cases the completion of the 60 day temporary will cost $117.25 to complete. The 60 day temporary does have some restrictions that should be considered:
- Once the 60 day permit is purchased it can take up to four weeks for the computer system to allow us to complete the transaction. If the documentation you are missing can be quickly located it may not be in your best interest to purchase a 60 day temporary. In these situations it may be in your best interest to just purchase a Trip or Transit permit.
- The 60 day temporary permit is a one time transaction and can not be extended under most circumstances. Keep this in mind if you do not feel you can get the documentation needed before the temporary runs out. If you can not get the documents before the permit runs out you will need to park the car until the process can be completed.
If you have any questions about the 60 day temporary or are not sure if your situation qualifies for a 60 day temporary please don’t hesitate to contact Wendel’s License.
As of January 1st, 2020 emission testing is no longer required in Washington State.
What is the RTA tax? Do I have to pay it?
- The RTA Tax was originally a .3 percent motor vehicle excise tax. As of a March 1st, 2017 expiration date it is a 1.1 percent motor-vehicle tax. This tax was approved by voters at the November 1996 general election originally and then raised in the 2016 November Election. This tax is to provide local funding of region-wide transit improvements in the metropolitan three-county area which includes parts of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. These improvements include light rail, commuter rail and express bus service. The RTA Tax became effective for vehicle renewals on April 1, 1997 and was phased in as vehicle licenses expired after that date.
- The Sound Transit District currently includes the most congested, "urban" areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The Sound Transit District boundary lines generally follow the urban growth boundaries created by each county in accordance with the state Growth Management Act. The urban growth boundaries guide how and where growth will take place in each county. On June 13, 2002, the RTA Boundary was adjusted in some locations in consideration of voter precinct boundaries, city limit lines, and geography.
- To find out if your address falls into the RTA tax zone please go to www.dor.wa.gov and use their ‘Tax Rate Lookup Tool’. You may also contact Wendel’s Licensing for additional information on RTA taxes.
Washington Law RCW 82.12.010 requires use tax to be collected by the Department of Licensing on the ‘average fair market value of a vehicle or vessel’. Fair market value is ‘the value of a vehicle according to the retail selling price, of a similar vehicle and/or vessel of like quality or character’. The actual selling price of a vehicle may or may not be within the average fair market value. For instance, a 1999 BMW that you purchased for $100.00 dollars does not mean that other 1999 BMW’s of a similar quality or character are usually worth $100.00.
There is a form that is filled out and mailed along with a check for $169.25 if the plate is for a passenger vehicle if it is a truck $168.50 If the plate is for a motorcycle $87.25 or a trailer or camper the initial fee is $117.25. In addition to the start up cost a $42 renewal fee will be charged on top of the regular licensing fees at each renewal for the vehicle.
You may download and print the personalized plate application on our Forms page.
The Department of Licensing puts restrictions on the combinations of letters and numbers that it will issue on personalized plates. The combination of letter and numbers may not interfere with current or future regular issue license plate combinations and will not be issued if it is considered offensive by the Department of Licensing.
A personalized plate belongs to the registered owner(s) of a vehicle. It can be transferred to another vehicle as long as the new vehicle is registered to the same person(s). The plate transfer can be accomplished at your local licensing office for a fee. Along with the transfer fee the $42 renewal fee for personalized plates will be charged (at a prorated rate if applicable) as well as any other fees that may be required. If you sell the vehicle that the personalized plate is assigned to you must transfer the plate to another vehicle within 30 days or the plate may be canceled and issued to someone else.
The personalized plate fee goes to the management of the Wildlife Diversity Program. If you would like more information about this please visit the web site for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at http://wdfw.wa.gov/
You can purchase replacement plates at your local licensing office for a cost of $77.25. If you have reported your plates as stolen it is highly recommended that you do not replace your plates with the same number/letter combination because it would be listed as stolen by local law enforcement.
You may transfer regular issue license plates for a fee of $10.00. Any other fees that may be required such as a vehicle renewal or title transfer fees may also be applicable at the same time.
The Primary Residence Address rule is a requirement that all Washington state vehicle owners must provide their primary Washington state residence address to the Department of Licensing for use on their vehicle’s record. It also requires a business to use the primary place of business for the address on the vehicle record. This rule came into affect on January 25th, 2005.
This rule was put into affect to help assure that people living in taxing districts that rely on vehicle based taxes are all paying their fair share. An additional reason for this rule change was the Washington State Patrol testifying that using a residence address on vehicle records will help them in their ongoing job of providing public safety and notifying accident victims’ relatives and next of kin. It also helps the Department of Ecology to insure that vehicles subject to emissions testing are getting appropriate notification of emissions testing requirements.
The exceptions for the primary residence address requirement are for overseas military addresses, individuals or business’s that do not have postal service delivery available at their primary address and people who are not required to give their address per local or federal law.
Providing false or misleading information to the Department of Licensing can be prosecuted as perjury and fraud.
In order to register a Washington vehicle in your name your will need the following documents:
- An unexpired Washington Drivers License,
- The title signed off by all registered and legal owners, or
- Signed and Notarized signatures from all registered and legal owners on an Affidavit in Lieu of Title/ Release of Interest form or other DOL approved form.
- An Odometer statement is a requirement for title transfers on vehicles less than twenty years old. One seller and one buyer must sign the odometer form. The odometer may be completed on the back of the title or on a federally approved odometer form available at
- A bill of sale with the purchase price, or the sale price written on the front of the title. If you purchased the car for a value more then 20% below the fair market value according to the Department of Revenue additional documentation may be required.
- Identification is required for all people that will be shown on the new title. The new registered owner or owners must also be present and must be at least 18 years of age. If this is not possible please contact us to find out the most appropriate form or forms for your situation.
- If the vehicle was purchased using a loan from a lending institution you will need to be able to provide their name and address.
There is a penalty for failing to transfer a title within 15 days of the date of sale. The penalty is $50 on the sixteenth day and increases by $2 a day until it reaches the maximum penalty of $125.
There are many special situations that may or may not require more documentation before registering a vehicle in your name because of the complicated nature of titling. Please don’t hesitate to call Wendel’s License with any questions you may have.
In order to register an out-of-state vehicle into your name you will need the following documentation:
- An unexpired Washington State Drivers License,
- The out-of-state title that has been signed by all registered and legal owners
- If the out-of-state title is lost a duplicate title must be applied for at the Department of Licensing in the state of issue. For example, if an Oregon title is missing a duplicate must be made in Oregon before registration in Washington can be completed. Wendel’s License is more than happy to help you if this situation applies.
- An Odometer statement is a requirement for title transfers on vehicles less than twenty years old. One seller and one buyer must sign the odometer form. The odometer may be completed on the back of the title or on a federally approved odometer form available at Wendel’s License.
- A bill of sale with the purchase price, or the sale price written on the front of the title. If you purchased the car for a value more then 20% below the fair market value according to the Department of Revenue additional documentation may be required.
- If the vehicle was purchased using a loan from a lending institution you will need to be able to provide their name and address.
- Identification (at minimum) is required for all people that will be shown on the new title. The registered owner or owners must also be present and must be at least 18 years of age. If this is not possible please contact us to find out the most appropriate form or forms for your situation.
There are many special situations that may or may not require more documentation before registering a vehicle in your name because of the complicated nature of titling. Please don’t hesitate to call Wendel’s License with any questions you may have.
You will need the following documents:
- An unexpired Washington Drivers License for all registered owners with some exceptions,
- The current title for the vehicle. If you are making payments on the vehicle in most cases your lien holder will hold the title and you will need to supply a copy or fax of the title being held by them. If your title has been lost you must apply for a duplicate from the other state before we can process your application. Don’t hesitate to contact Wendel’s License for information on where to apply for your duplicate title.
- One of the registered owners in person with identification
- The mileage reading for your vehicle if the vehicle is less than twenty years old
- The empty scale weight of the vehicle from a certified weight slip or off of the title if shown. Most of the time the computer system knows the weight so this is not often required.
There are many special situations that may or may not require more documentation before registering a vehicle because of the complicated nature of titling. Please don’t hesitate to call Wendel’s License with any questions you may have.
Anytime you sell a vehicle it is recommended that you file a Report of Sale document. The Report of sale is a document that protects the seller from civil and criminal liabilities if it is filed with the Dept. of Licensing within five days of the sale. You can process a Report of Sale transaction at Wendel’s License or online. A Report of Sale costs $13.25 either online or in person. If you file the Report of Sale at Wendel’s License you will receive a receipt confirming that the processing of the document was completed.
Renewing your registration online with Wendel's License is a fast and efficient way to receive your tabs either through the mail or in the office.
- Choosing to have Wendel’s License mail your tabs lets you renew from the comfort of your own home. This option is quick and efficient, and in most cases your tabs will be mailed the same day.
- Choosing to have you tabs available for pickup at Wendel’s License is also a convenient and hassle free renewal option. With our express pick up window there’s no need to wait in line, simple have your identification ready.
Renew your tabs online
If you have any questions about the online renewal process, please don’t hesitate to contact Wendel’s License.
A replacement tab may be purchased at Wendel’s License. We will need the license plate number for the vehicle and picture id.
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