Washington · all 44 driver licensing offices
Washington DMV, in one trip.
Office hours, what to bring, and whether you can skip the line and do it online. In plain English.
Step 1 · Your state
Washington
Step 2 · What do you need?
Or find an office near you
- Free, no sign-up
- Every rule cites Washington DOL, the Washington Driver Guide or Washington law
- We never charge state fees
Start with the task
What are you here to do?
Renew a driver's license
Most people can renew online every other time: $61 for 6 years or $81 for 8. Check in 3 questions.
Fee $61 for 6 years or $81 for 8 years (enhanced: $103 or $137) · 10 min online, or 1 visit
Check in 3 questionsReplace a lost or stolen license
$20 online, by phone or at an office. The new card is mailed to the address DOL has.
Plan itGet a learner permit
From 15 with a driver training course, or 15 and a half without one. $35.
Plan itTake the drive test
Mostly at driver training schools and testing locations. You need 80 out of 100 to pass.
Plan itChange your address
Within 10 days of moving. Free online; a new card with the address is $20.
Plan itMoving to Washington
License within 30 days (by appointment), then title and register your car at a vehicle licensing office.
Plan itGet a REAL ID (enhanced license)
A standard Washington license won't get you on a plane. The enhanced license (EDL) will: $7 a year extra.
Check my card
Your car
Registration, titles and inspections
Renew car tabs
Every year, online, by mail or at a vehicle licensing office. About $83 for a typical car, more in Sound Transit areas. 2 questions.
Plan itBuy or sell a car
The seller keeps the plates and files a Report of Sale. The buyer transfers the title within 15 days and pays use tax. 3 questions.
Plan itEmissions test
Washington ended emissions testing on January 1, 2020. No inspection is needed to renew.
Plan itEvery fee in one place
Licenses, IDs, registration, titles and inspections, each linked to its official source.
See Washington fees
Who does what
How the DMV works in Washington
In Washington, the Department of Licensing (DOL) runs driver licensing offices for licenses, IDs and the enhanced license. They work by appointment. Tabs and titles are done at separate vehicle licensing offices run by county auditors and private subagents, and most knowledge and drive tests are given by driver training schools. Much of it can be done online in License Express. Here's how it works.
Driver licensing offices
Licenses, IDs and enhanced licenses
Run by DOL. By appointment: walk-ins are extremely limited. Most are open Tuesday to Saturday, and open an hour later on Thursdays. They don't do vehicles.
Washington DOL: driver licensing officesVehicle licensing offices
Tabs, titles and plates
Run by county auditors and private subagents for DOL. Walk in; many are open Saturdays and some do same-day Quick Titles. Driver licenses aren't done here.
Washington DOL: vehicle licensing officesWhy people come back
No more second trips.
Most wasted DMV visits come down to a missing paper or the wrong office. We fix both before you leave home.
- 01
Answer a few questions
We tell you if you can do it online and skip the trip entirely.
- 02
Get your checklist
Only the papers your situation needs. Tick them off as you pack.
- 03
Go at the right time
Status based on published hours, and a straight link to book.
Near Downtown Seattle
Driver licensing offices around Downtown Seattle
Seattle-Queen Anne Driver Licensing Office
Washington DOL · Seattle · 1.6 mi
West Seattle Driver Licensing Office
Washington DOL · Seattle · 3.5 mi
Shoreline Driver Licensing Office
Washington DOL · Shoreline · 9.2 mi
Offices by city
All citiesWashington rules worth knowing
- New residents: 30 days
- Get a Washington license within 30 days, then register your car. By appointment.
- No REAL ID star
- A standard license isn't REAL ID. For flying, get the enhanced license (U.S. citizens, $7 a year extra) or use a passport.
- Online every other time
- Renew online up to a year early, but in person if you renewed online last time or you're 70 or older.
- Teens: training, then limits
- A permit at 15 with driver training, 6 months and 50 hours of practice, then no passengers under 20 for 6 months and no driving 1 to 5 a.m.
- Tests at driving schools
- Knowledge (32 of 40) and drive tests (80 of 100) are mostly given by driver training schools and testing locations.
- No emissions test
- Washington ended emissions testing in 2020. Tabs renew every year, about $83 for most cars.
Permit test practice
Pass the knowledge test the first time.
Real Washington rules, a clear explanation after every answer, and your weak topics called out at the end.
Sample question · Speed and distance
Posted speed limits show:
- AThe maximum legal speed under ideal conditions
- BA speed you must always drive
- CA suggested speed you may exceed when traffic is light
Straight answers
Questions people ask
Still stuck? How Washington DOL appointments work, or see how we check facts.
Washington office data from DOL's driver licensing office pages and vehicle licensing office list, with map points from DOL's office map.