Are front license plates required in washington state

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. If your license plates or tabs have been lost, stolen, or damaged, you will have to replace them:. 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:. Your license plate may be free if they were lost in the mail and reported within 15 to 90 days. 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 MUST confirm that your address is correct :.

If you transfer or return your license plates, you may be eligible for a refund on the unused portion of your registration fees. In , the Washington DOL will be collecting standard service fees at all of their offices. For more information, visit the DOL website. License plate and registration fees vary by vehicle type and the county you reside in. The fees below DO NOT include other registration fees , taxes, or service fees that you must pay annually.

New, renewal, replacement and transfer of standard plates will vary by vehicle weight, type of vehicle, where you reside and whether you have 2 license plates or 1 license plate. The Department of Licensing makes it easy to estimate the fees for your vehicle by using their fee calculator and the Regional Authority Excise Tax calculator. If you would like to know the exact fees, as well as be able to perform other transactions, you can sign up for a License eXpress account.

Additional fees you may pay:. You can use the WA DOL personalized license plate lookup to see if the number you want is available to order. The DOL provides specific guidelines for vanity plate letter and number combinations.

As a member of the general public, you are not permitted to run license plate numbers or otherwise search for a registered vehicle owner. You can however, report a concern about a vehicle to the local police. License plates issued before January 1, , are not required to be treated with reflectorized materials. License plates issued to a dealer must contain an indication that the license plates have been issued to a vehicle dealer.

The director shall furnish to all persons making satisfactory application for a vehicle registration:. License plates must be:. A person who has altered a vehicle that makes the current license plate or plates invalid for the vehicle's use shall:.

It is unlawful to:. License plate frames may be used on license plates only if the frames do not obscure license tabs or identifying letters or numbers on the plates and the license plates can be plainly seen and read at all times;. A violation of this subsection 7 e is a traffic infraction subject to a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars. Any law enforcement agency that determines that a license plate or plates have been transferred between two or more vehicles shall confiscate the license plate or plates and return them to the department for nullification along with full details of the reasons for confiscation.

Front— A maximum of four of the below listed lamps may be on at one time. FMVSS disallows any color coating on headlights and or headlight bulbs. Additionally, they must be marked with a circled uppercase E or boxed lowercase e. Note: A halogen headlight cannot be converted to a high intensity discharge HID headlight as replacing a halogen bulb with a HID bulb renders the headlamps performance dangerous and noncompliant with applicable regulations.

If customized, then no closer than at the time of manufacture. WAC —21— Bumpers shall not extend past the original bumper line. Traction Tires. More information on approved traction devices, please visit WAC Studded tires are approved for use from November 1 to March WSDOT determines additional periods in which they can be used. There is nothing in the law that provides for any special permits or exceptions for driving with studded tires — even for out-of-state visitors — outside of the time periods identified by the WSDOT.

No personal exemptions or waivers are issued. Studded tires are not allowed on vehicles over 10, pounds. I drive a vehicle with studded tires. Chain law and traction devices requirements can be put into effect at any time for all types of vehicles. All vehicles and combinations of vehicles over 10, pounds must carry sufficient tire trains to meet the requirements of WAC from November 1 to April 1 of each year.

Studded tires do not satisfy state chain requirements. I have an all—wheel or four—wheel drive vehicle. What other approved traction devices can I use? Where can I find information on the chain requirements for vehicles and combinations over 10, pounds GVW? It is available at all Washington State Patrol offices and weigh stations.

For additional information, see the Commercial Vehicle Division. You may also call the Washington State Patrol Equipment and Standards Section in Olympia at or send your inquiries via e-mail to equipment wsp.