How to renew your tabs
Register your vehicle
Change your name or address
Buying a vehicle
- Transfer ownership into your name
Selling a vehicle
Lost tabs, plates, or titles
- Replace your license plates
License plates
- Special plates
- Off-road vehicles
Titles
- Salvaged, abandoned, or contaminated vehicles
Fees, taxes, and donations
For military personnel
Disabled parking
- Get or renew your disabled parking
Commercial vehicles
- DOT numbers
- IRP (Prorate)
Fuel tax
- Fuel licenses
- International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA)
Boats
- Register a boat
Recreational vehicles
Autonomous vehicles
Vehicle licensing offices

Replace your license plates. Find out how to replace your plates, and what to do with the old ones. Transfer plates to another vehicle. Bought a new car or motorcycle and want to keep your current license plates? Find out how. Special plates. Personalize your license plate or get a plate with a special background design. For military personnel.

SUMMARY: Washington License Plates

Shop License Plates from Around the World! Buy American, Canadian & Mexican License Plates! ShopLicensePlates is your trusted source and Purveyor when you want to find Old license plates, Vintage license plates, and Graphic Design license plates for all kinds of vehicles.
The Old License Farm. Bjorn Larsen P.O. Box 25 Marysville, WA 98270 360-659-7004 info@oldlicensefarm.com. Click Here for our Washington State Plate Gallery. Follow this Link to our Project Samples Gallery. Check out our viewer for Washington State Plates. This page is still under construction at times.
Lost or damaged plates; Dispose of old plates; Replace a title; License plates. Get new license plates; Replace your license plates; Transfer plates to another vehicle; Special plates. Personalized plates; Special design plates; About special plates; For military personnel; Intermittent-use trailer plates; Off-road vehicles. Plates for modified off-road motorcycles.

Most vehicles in Washington must have license plates to be legally driven on public roads. You can apply for a license plate by registering your car. You'll renew your plates by renewing your vehicle registration, which can even be done online. If you already have WA tags, you can transfer your license plates when you buy a new car. You should replace plates and tabs that are lost, stolen, or damaged so that you have valid and legible plates on your vehicle.

Keep reading this page for more information about license plates in Washington.

Do you qualify for disabled parking? Visit our Disability Placards and License Plates page for more information.

Special plates and personalized plates are also available to WA car owners. Learn more about types of specialty plates available or how to apply for special plates.

Types of Washington License Plates

In Washington, most vehicles are required to have 2 license plates, one on the front and one on the rear of the vehicle. Trailers, semi-trailers, campers, mopeds, collector vehicles, horseless carriages, and motorcycles only have 1 license plate.

The Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) issues license plates and tabs that go in the upper right hand corner of the rear license plate and show the expiration date of your registration.

Other Types of License Plates

Several special license plates and personalized plates are available from the Washington DOL. See our pages about Types of Special Plates and Special Plate Applications for more details.

The WA DOL also issues disabled parking plates to qualifying individuals. Visit our Disability Plate and Placards page for guidelines.

Temporary Tags

When you buy a vehicle from a dealer, you can ask for a temporary tag that allows you to operate your vehicle on public roads until your registration and license plates are ready.

If you buy from a private seller, you must register your vehicle in order to drive it.

Apply for WA License Plates

To get Washington license plates, you must register your vehicle with the Washington DOL.

You're required to register your vehicle:

Within 30 days of bringing your car from another state to WA.
Within 15 days of buying a vehicle from a private party or getting a vehicle as a gift.
- Dealers will handle the registration process for you.

Visit our Car Registration page for details, including how and where to register your vehicle.

Renew License Plates in Washington

To keep your plates valid, you'll have to renew your vehicle registration. You can renew your plates before they expire.

The DOL will no longer require replacements as long as you own your vehicle.

For more information, please visit our Registration Renewal page.

Replace License Plates & Tabs

If your license plates or tabs have been lost, stolen, or damaged, you will have to replace them:

Replace platesin person at a WA DOL office.
- If your tags are stolen, you will NOT be able to get the same plate number.
Replace tabs in person or by mail.

You are NOT required to report the theft or loss to local law enforcement, but you may choose to do so in case your license plates are used illegally.

Before you apply for replacements, you need to confirm your address. You can:

Use the online address change service, whether or not your address has changed.
OR
Confirm your address in person at a Washington DOL office.

To apply for replacements, you will need to submit:

Washington Collector License Plate

A signed AND notarizedAffidavit of Loss/Release of Interest/Gross Weight License (Form TD-420-040).
Your photo ID.
The appropriate fees are payable by cash or check. License plate fees depend on whether you have 2 license plates or 1 license plate. Fees also vary by several things: the type of vehicle, the vehicles weight, your resident address, and the type of license plate. You can find out what your fees are by using a fee calculator or by signing up with the Department of Licensing's License eXpress.
- Other fees:
  - $8 service fee.
  - $20 additional fee to keep your current plate number.

Submit your application in person at your local WA DOL office or by mail to the address on the form. Your license plate may be free if they were lost in the mail and reported within 15 to 90 days.

If you request tabs by mail, you should receive them within 90 days.

Transfer or Surrender WA Tags

You can transfer your license plate to another car that has been titled and registered in your name.

Before you apply for a transfer, you MUSTconfirm that your address is correct:

Online using the DOL address change tool, even if your address is the same.
In person at a Washington DOL office.

You can then submit your license plate transfer materials:

Old Washington State License Plates