Can You Register A Car Without Title Washington

There are certain big life changes that come up with a lot of paperwork. Two examples are moving and too ownership a automobile. In both instances, you'll accept to deal with updating your records. If you recently made the move to Washington or purchased a vehicle in that location, you'll want to update your vehicle registration and make sure you're in good standing. Read on to learn how to annals a car in Washington and why it's important.

How to Register a Car in Washington | Metromile

Practice you lot have to register a car in Washington?

You lot may think that you but need your driver'due south license to legally drive but that'southward not exactly true. While y'all do need your license, yous too demand to register the car y'all're driving as well and likely accept car insurance likewise.

In fact, all states legally crave that drivers annals their car within the state they live in. When you lot register your auto, yous're creating a newspaper trail that shows that you own your specific vehicle.

It'due south used if you get pulled over and need to verify your identity and prove your ownership of the vehicle. Registering a car also is a way for local transportation authorities to collect fees related to you driving on the route.

Who needs to register car in Washington?

If you recently made the movement to Washington, yous'll need to update to Washington state vehicle registration. Just similar you need to update your address with the post role, your shipping and billing address when you store online, and your health insurance, you lot'll also need to update your auto registration.

If you purchased a vehicle in Washington and live there, your registration is likely taken intendance of for y'all if you bought it at a dealership. Yet, if yous bought used from a individual party, you probable need to have care of registering the auto yourself.

How to annals a motorcar in Washington?

If y'all need to annals a motorcar in Washington, the process will vary slightly depending if you lot moved or purchased a vehicle — though the processes in Washington for registering after a move and registering afterwards a car purchase are pretty like.

If you're new to the Evergreen State, you'll need to get a Washington driver'southward license commencement and so register your auto in the country and update your license plates. New residents are required to do this within 30 days of establishing residency. You lot'll also need:

To submit your Vehicle Title Application (if mailed, will need to exist signed in forepart of a notary)
To fill up out an Odometer Disclosure Statement, depending on your car model (models from 2010 or older aren't required to practice this but models from 2011 or newer are)
To fill up out and submit a Vehicle/Vessel Neb of Sale, if yous've been living in another land and the car has been registered and endemic for less than 90 days
To bring your electric current Document of Title (if yous financed your automobile and are making payments, the lender should fax a copy of the title to the licensing function. In one case it's paid in total, you can apply for a Washington title.)
To submit payment for registration
To go your Washington license plate (in the office volition be right away, past mail service will take upwardly to three weeks)
To create a License eXpress account
To consider creating a Good to Go! Business relationship, if you travel on bridges or sure routes that require tolls,

If yous buy a car from a dealership, typically they'll handle title and registration for you lot. Simply if yous purchased a used car from a private party, hither'south how to register your car:

Fill out and submit the Vehicle Title Awarding (either at an office or in front of a notary)
Fill out and submit the Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale which you and the seller volition fill up out
Have your current vehicle championship set
Fill out and submit an Odometer Disclosure Statement, if the auto is from 2011 or newer
Submit payment for registration fees
Get brand new license plates to reverberate the new buying
Add this electric current vehicle to your License eXpress account

After purchasing a vehicle from a private party, you have 15 days to transfer the ownership and get your records updated. If not, you could face up punishment fees amounting to $50 on the 16th day and $2 per twenty-four hour period every twenty-four hour period after that, up to a maximum of $125.

How much does it toll to register a motorcar in Washington?

Registering a car costs money merely each state and each state of affairs will vary. According to the Department of Licensing (DOL) site, "Fees are different for every state of affairs and are calculated many ways. Everyone starts with the bones fees of $43.25 and things similar vehicle weight, location, and taxes determine your last amount."

The breakdown of registration fees is:

Basic renewal fee = $xxx
County filing fee = $4.fifty
License service fee = $0.75
Service fee = $8

Yous then pay that $43.25 on pinnacle of whatever fee is associated with the weight of your vehicle. Vehicle weight fees are:

$25 for cars up to iv,000 pounds
$45 for cars betwixt 4,001 and six,000 pounds
$65 for cars between 6,001 and 8,000 pounds
$72 for cars 8,001 pounds and over

You lot also may have to pay a Transportation Benefit Commune (TBD) fee if you lot live in the post-obit cities:

Seattle, $lxxx+
Spokane, $twenty+
Wenatchee, $20+
Olympia, $40+

Lastly, yous may need to pay additional fees if you lot live in Rex, Pierce, or Snohomish counties in the grade of a Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Tax. This is calculated based on the MSRP and a specific depreciation schedule set by the law. The equation to calculate the RTA tax based on DOL info is:

Current twelvemonth – year of vehicle + one = years of service (value decreases each yr in service) Original MSRP ten depreciated percentage = Depreciated value (based on years in service) Depreciated value x ane.1% (current RTA rate) = RTA amount due.

Is proof of insurance required to register car in Washington?

If you take a vehicle that needs to exist updated with a Washington state vehicle registration, you need to have proof of insurance, self insurance, certificate of deposit, or a liability bond. A 2019 law mandated that Washington drivers comport some class of minimum liability coverage. The requirements are:

$25,000 to cover injury or expiry to another person
$50,000 to encompass injuries or death for multiple people
$10,000 to embrace damage to another party's property

Getting machine insurance is ane of the easiest ways to cover this requirement. If you're on the route and caught driving without insurance you may be hit with a fine of $550 or more. If you become into an blow, y'all may be on the hook for whatsoever amercement and your license could be suspended.

The bottom line

Moving or buying a car can exist a large life milestone. Information technology can also mean doing additional paperwork to make sure you're all set. By using this guide, you tin acquire how to register a car in Washington and make sure yous go all your records updated to Washington state car registration.

If you lot've recently moved or just want to store around, now is a corking time to check your car insurance charge per unit. If y'all don't drive that often, you lot may be a low-mileage commuter and get the virtually out of pay-per-mile insurance where you pay a nominal base of operations rate and several cents each mile you drive. Check out your charge per unit with Metromile to see if it's the right fit for yous.

Melanie Lockert is a freelance author, podcast host of the Mental Health and Wealth prove, and author of Dear Debt . She's a cat mom to two jazzy cats, Miles and Thelonious, an amateur boxer, music lover, and needs coffee to role.