January 20, 2005 - For Immediate Release

State makes improvements to vehicle address requirement

OLYMPIA—On January 23, 2005, the Department of Licensing will begin requiring vehicle owners in our state to add their Washington state primary residence street address to their vehicle's registration record when the vehicle is due for renewal. Businesses also will be required to add their Washington state principal place of business street address to the records of the vehicles they own.

This requirement was originally adopted on April 23, 2004. However, at that time DOL computer systems were not set up to accept both a primary residence or principal place of business address and a separate mailing address. Action on the rule was halted on May 17, 2004, due to concerns expressed by citizens about the security of their residential mail delivery service.

DOL modified the state's motor vehicle database to accept both a residence or business street address and a mailing address. This allows citizens to provide a post office box or other address the agency can use to send correspondence like annual renewal notices.

“This improved process addresses the concerns of the people who, in the interest of personal security, have taken steps to completely eliminate all mail delivery to their homes,” DOL Director Fred Stephens said.

When a vehicle is registered for the first time or license tabs are renewed, owners will be required to declare that the address DOL has for their vehicle is the primary residence street address or principal place of business street address.

If the vehicle is registered with an address that doesn't meet this requirement, a primary residence street address or principal place of business street address will have to be added to the record before tabs will be issued.

Those vehicle owners with an overseas military address, and those who do not have US Postal Service carrier assigned to deliver mail at their residence or place of business will be exempt from this requirement.

This requirement was established to ensure that only those within special taxing districts, such as the Seattle Monorail Project and Sound Transit, pay the appropriate motor vehicle excise tax collected through the Department of Licensing.

Vehicle owners interested in changing their address online or learning more about the primary residence address requirement can visit the DOL Web site at www.dol.wa.gov.