Question on Getting WA License Plates - Washington - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

kristinj · 05-05-2009, 01:14 PM

I have a California drivers license and am not a perminent resident of WA....however, if I do have to get my car registered in WA does that mean I have to get a WA drivers license?? ( I am still a CA resident , I am a flight attendant and just in WA temporarily for my job)

pw72 · 05-05-2009, 02:42 PM

If you are not a permanent Washington resident you don't have to register your car in Washington. Are you planning to move to WA? If you do, then yes, you have to get a WA drivers license.

tcres · 05-05-2009, 03:00 PM

I lived in WA for over a year before I changed my drivers license and plates. I was pulled over by the WSP during this time and he urged me to take care of it soon but did not hassle me much and I did not receive a ticket.

It's a pain to go to the DMV and I put it off as long as possible.

Lynda05125 · 05-05-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LMB

I just got my WA driver's license a few weeks ago. If you have a valid driver's license from another state, you don't have to take tests, either written or driving test. You have to prove identity (the list of acceptable ID materials is on the DMV website) and take a vision test. That's pretty much it, or at least that was my experience.

Lynn

I came from out of sate and also didn't have to take any test to get my Washington license,
they took my old license punched a hole in it took a new picture and handed me the paper
temp license 3 weeks later got my new license in the mail.

pw72 · 05-05-2009, 04:57 PM

When did this "no testing" start in Washington? Years ago if you moved from another State you were tested. BTW, Idaho still tests new residents. Although it was fairly easy. Another peculiar thing about Idaho is your plates follow you from car to car. Buy a new car, put your old plates on it!

Lynda05125 · 05-05-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kristinj

I have a California drivers license and am not a perminent resident of WA....however, if I do have to get my car registered in WA does that mean I have to get a WA drivers license?? ( I am still a CA resident , I am a flight attendant and just in WA temporarily for my job)

If you live in Washington more then 30 days then you
will need to have a license and register your car for this state.
You could go to DMV and see if you can have an extension
to have the car here as well as drive with your Calif license.

Ultrarunner · 05-05-2009, 05:36 PM

I've seen a few cars with both OR and CA plates on the same car...

A good friend of mine has been stopped numerous times for having an OR License Plate on his F350 Truck and he has an OR Driver's License. His legal residence is in OR... but he spends much of his time at his get away cabin near Forks in the Olympics since he retired 3 years ago...

So far, never a ticket... but it's getting to be a real annoyance

scirocco22 · 05-05-2009, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

I've seen a few cars with both OR and CA plates on the same car...

A good friend of mine has been stopped numerous times for having an OR License Plate on his F350 Truck and he has an OR Driver's License. His legal residence is in OR... but he spends much of his time at his get away cabin near Forks in the Olympics since he retired 3 years ago...

So far, never a ticket... but it's getting to be a real annoyance

I don't think he can get a ticket. In fact, he isn't doing anything illegal. As long as he has an Oregon driver's license, he can't be given a ticket. It's when he has Oregon plates and a Washington driver's license, and stays in Forks for a prolonged period of time, that he will be breaking the law.

edit: the key is "his legal residence" ...if his mailing address (and his driver's license reflects an Oregon address), is registered to vote in Oregon, and uses an Oregon address on his Federal tax return, then he can visit any state for as long as he wants without breaking that state's laws is how I understand it.

mollyb817 · 06-03-2009, 01:14 AM

The beginning of the thread is old, but a few words of caution flew into my head while reading, so I figured I'd share.

Ages ago I was pulled over by a cop. Not because I was doing anything wrong, but because he couldn't see my front plate. I had one, but it was tucked up and out of sight, since it was my dad's car and he didn't treat the front end of it very well. I had to get out of the car and pull the plate down. He then had me go through the sobriety test as it was late and I was nervous as anything, so nervous I was shaking and stuttering (I was a young 21). So anyone who doesn't have a front plate really needs to get one, b/c even if you have it (out of sight), they can pull you over and that's a pain.

Also, I haven't yet had to take a driving test for WA, as I just turned in my old license (once I officially moved here...never had a WA license while a student), but hubby, who was born and raised here, had to take ALL the tests two years ago. They told him that they are trying to get senior citizens to make sure they are safe, but of course they can't just have seniors retake tests b/c that's age discrimination, so *everyone* is put into the pool to be randomly chosen to retake it all. He'd waited until a week before his b'day to renew. He took the materials home, studied up, and took the written the next day, but then no one local had an appt for the driving test for weeks! We had to get to Centralia from Tacoma, ON his b'day, for him to take the driving test. He passed, but it was a serious hassle. (and now he gets on my case when I don't do things exactly as I should...hey, I never took the WA test!) My renewal is next year...I'm sure I'll have to do it all too.