H-905                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1833

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Baugher, Betrozoff, Zellinsky, Patrick, Walk and Prince

Read first time 2/8/89 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to vehicle license, registration, and title fees; amending RCW 46.01.140; and adding a new section to chapter 46.04 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 12, chapter 380, Laws of 1985 as last amended by section 1, chapter 12, Laws of 1988 and RCW 46.01.140 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The county auditor, if appointed by the director of licensing shall carry out the provisions of this title relating to the licensing of vehicles and the issuance of vehicle license number plates under the direction and supervision of the director and may with the approval of the director appoint ((assistants as special deputies)) subagents to accept applications and collect fees for vehicle licenses and transfers and to deliver vehicle license number plates.

(2) At any time any application is made to the director((,)) or the county auditor, ((or other agent)) (a) for the issuance of a transit permit or (b) pursuant to any law dealing with licenses, registration, or the right to operate any vehicle upon the public highways of this state, excluding applicants already paying such fee under RCW 46.16.070 or 46.16.085, the applicant shall pay to the director((,)) or county auditor((, or other agent)) a fee of two dollars for each application in addition to any other fees required by law.  Applicants for certificates of ownership, with or without registration renewal, including applicants paying fees under RCW 46.16.070 or 46.16.085, shall pay to the director((,)) or county auditor((, or other agent)) a fee of ((three)) five dollars in addition to any other fees required by law.  Applicants for preparation and verification of lost titles shall pay a fee of four dollars.  These ((additional)) fees, if paid to the county auditor as agent of the director, ((or if paid to an agent of the county auditor,)) shall be paid to the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor and credited to the county current expense fund.  ((If the fee is paid to another agent of the director, the fee shall be used by the agent to defray his expenses in handling the application:  PROVIDED, That an agent of the county auditor is entitled to an additional service charge of two dollars:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That))

(3) Subagents shall collect a service fee of (a) five dollars for changes in a certificate of ownership, with or without registration renewal, or preparation and verification of a lost title and (b) two dollars for registration renewal only, issuing a transit permit, or any other service under this section.  Fees collected by a subagent on behalf of a county auditor under subsection (2) of this section, except for preparation and verification of a lost title or issuance of a transit permit, shall be paid to the county treasurer and credited to the county current expense fund.

(4) Fifty percent of all payments to the county current expense fund under subsections (2) and (3) of this section shall be used to carry out vehicle licensing functions of the county.

(5) If the fee is collected by the state patrol or the department of transportation, as agent for the director, the fee so collected shall be certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of the motor vehicle fund.  All such ((filing)) fees collected by the director or branches of his office shall be certified to the state treasurer and deposited to the credit of the highway safety fund.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 46.04 RCW to read as follows:

          "County auditor" includes, in charter counties, the office designated to issue motor vehicle licenses.