Before accepting an application for a certificate of title, a certificate of vehicle inspection by the Washington State Patrol (WSP) is required if the vehicle:

• was declared a total loss or salvage vehicle;
• has been rebuilt after the certificate was returned to the Department of Licensing; 
• is from another state, was a total loss or salvage, and does not have a valid registration from the other state;
• is being titled for the first time and is an assembled vehicle or subject to ownership in doubt; or
• has a vehicle identification number (VIN) that has been altered, obliterated, removed, or is otherwise absent.

 
The inspection must verify that the VIN is genuine and agrees with the number shown on the certificate of title and registration certificate.  As part of the inspection, a VIN specialist must ensure that all major component parts used for the reconstruction of a salvage or rebuilt vehicle were obtained legally.
 
The fee for the VIN inspection is $65, with $15 distributed to the State Patrol Highway Account to support the activities of the WSP.  The remaining $50 is distributed to the Motor Vehicle Account for general support of highway purposes.

The $65 VIN inspection fee is entirely distributed to the State Patrol Highway Account to support the activities of the WSP.

A technical correction is made to the statutory reference for the distribution of the VIN inspection fee.