BySenate Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Warnick, Brown, Bailey, Rivers, Walsh, Keiser, Fortunato, Das, Wagoner, Honeyford, Wilson, L., Sheldon, Becker, Cleveland, Dhingra, Kuderer, Liias, and Schoesler)

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Washington state's licensing system depends on a partnership between the department of licensing, the county auditors, and the vehicle subagents. Vehicle subagents perform vehicle licensing on behalf of the state; they are small Washington family businesses, not large out-of-state corporations, and therefore the revenue from these businesses stays here and is invested back into their Washington communities. Vehicle subagents are located in most communities of the state and are open extended hours and weekends to serve the public. These private businesses collect and remit hundreds of millions of dollars in collected taxes and fees for the state of Washington each year. The only moneys that are retained by vehicle subagents are the five dollar registration renewal fee or the twelve dollar title fee; all other moneys are remitted to the county and state.

The legislature intends to keep the state licensing delivery system healthy. Subagents are a critical component of the state licensing delivery system. The subagent fee is set in statute and must be changed by the legislature. Historically, these fees were adjusted every four to five years, but it has been almost ten years since the last subagent fee adjustment. With the rising costs of property rents, worker benefits, and employee wages and the future increases to come, subagents will not be able to continue to operate without an adjustment to their fees. It is the intent of the legislature that Washington keeps its vehicle subagents healthy, this fee adjustment is vital to the health of vehicle subagents.

(a) ((Twelve))Fourteen dollars for changes in a certificate of title, changes in ownership for nontitled vehicles, or for verification of record and preparation of an affidavit of lost title other than at the time of the certificate of title application or transfer, in addition to any other fees or taxes due at the time of application; and

(b) ((Five))Seven dollars for a registration renewal, issuing a transit permit, or any other service under this section, in addition to any other fees or taxes due at the time of application.

(2) Service fees collected under this section by the department or county auditor or other agent appointed by the director must be credited to the capital vessel replacement account under RCW 47.60.322.