Licensing Vehicles for New Washington Residents

Welcome to the State of Washington!

As with all other states in the United States, in Washington you must license all vehicles and vessels that will be used within the State of Washington. This includes cars, trucks, campers, trailers, motorcycles, boats and other watercraft. Check with a licensing agent if you have questions about whether your vehicle or vessel must be licensed.

You are required to license or title your vehicle within 30 days of becoming a Washington resident. You can do this by going to the main Auto Licensing office in the Pierce County Auditors office, or better yet, you can license your vehicle at any of the county's 11 vehicle licensing agencies. See Listing of Locations for addresses and hours of operation. First, be sure to complete Step 1(emissions test), below, before going to the Auto License center or agent.

Step 1: Determine if your vehicle will need an emissions test. Please call or link to the Dept. of Ecology at 1-800-453-4951. Or, inquire at any Auto Licensing agent or office. See Listing of Locations for where to ask and/or have the test performed, if required. Generally, newer used vehicles less than five years old will not require an emissions test. The Dept. of Ecology has a list of zip codes (pdf file) that require the tests.

Step 2: Obtain the vehicle license and pay fees and taxes. You can do this by going to the main Auto Licensing office in the Pierce County Auditors office, or better yet, you can license your vehicle at any of the county's 11 vehicle licensing agencies. See the Listing of Locations for the locations and hours of operation. Want to learn more? See the State of Washington Dept. of Licensing website.

Some items you will need...

When you go to either the main office or to any of the agencies, you will need to bring with you the following items:

Certificate of Title. If there is an out-of-state lienholder, we require a photocopy or faxed copy from the lienholder or the DMV where the vehicle is titled and currently registered.
Identification proving out-of-state residency or proof that the use/sales taxes have been paid
Notarized signatures of all registered owners on Title Application
Federal odometer statement on vehicles less than 10 years old
Scale weight documentation
Emission test may be required (see Step 2, above)
Unexpired Drivers License
Cash, check or money order (credit cards and debit cards are not accepted)

Location of Auto License Agents

Note: Vehicle inspections from the Washington State Patrol are no longer required before registering your vehicle except in some circumstances. The Auto License Agent will notify you if an inspection is required. See the FAQ page for more information.

What about special or personalized license plates?

You can get information about special or personalized license plates from the Washington State Department of Licensing, including the ability to find out whether a certain personalized license plate may be available.