Welcome to Skagit County

Thursday, April 30, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING REQUIRES WASHINGTON STATE RESIDENCE STREET ADDRESS

Effective April 23, 2004, Washington State statute WAC 308-56A-300 vehicle owners to provide the Department of Licensing with their primary Washington state residence street address. If the vehicle is owned by a business, the principal Washington state place of business street address must be provided. DOL advises that the new rule is to help ensure that all people living within special taxing districts that rely on vehicle-based taxes are paying their fair share of these taxes. There are currently two districts in our state that impose voter-approved local vehicle taxes and there may be more in the future. While the law establishing these taxing districts requires the residents within them to pay applicable taxes, state law previously has not required the owners of vehicles to register them within these districts. Because the address on the vehicle record is used to determine if these taxes are due, owners within these taxing districts who register their vehicles outside the district may not have previously been charged the taxes. This rule change requires:

• All walk-in customers renewing their tabs or with a title transfer to declare their primary Washington state residence street address by completing and signing a new form.
• Only the registered owners can complete the new form.
  In the case of multiple registrants, only one registered owner is required to sign the form.
  Spouses of registered owners who are not listed on the registration cannot sign the form unless the spouse has proof of Power Of Attorney (POA).
  Mail-in customers whose address of record is a regular street address (not a P.O. box, out-of-state, or military address) will be exempt from the requirement until such time as they request an address change or the vehicle is transferred.
  Mail-in customers whose record shows a P.O. box, out-of-state address, or military address will receive special mailers requiring address verification.
• Customers will no longer be allowed to use a P.O. box for mailing purposes unless the customer declares under penalty of perjury that the United States Postal Service does not deliver to their primary Washington state residence street address. Further exemptions to the primary Washington state residence street address requirement include overseas military persons, as well as persons involved in the State’s Address Confidentiality Program.

Customers are encouraged to verify or change their address online at www.InternetTabs.wa.gov prior to coming in to renew their registration.

Because of the additional time required for each walk-in customer to fill out this new form and for the licensing clerks to explain the new rules to customers, additional wait time should be expected in all Skagit County vehicle licensing offices.

Contact: Norma Brummett, Skagit County Auditor Phone: (360) 336-9420