List of rulemaking activity

Specialty license plates

  • Vehicle and boat registration
Completed

Current rule(s)

Special license plates - Criteria for creation or continued issuance (WAC 308-96A-560)

We clarified specialty plate design guidelines by requiring new designs to show the jurisdiction at the top of the plate.

Current step

October 20, 2023

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held on October 11, 2023 at 10 a.m.

Tax exemptions for clean alternative fuel vehicles

  • Vehicle and boat registration
Completed

Current rule(s)

Retail sales and use tax exemption criteria for clean alternative fuel vehicles (WAC 308-04-030); Certificates of title - Motor vehicles, etc. (Chapter 308-56A WAC)

We moved the tax exemption rules for clean alternative fuel vehicles into the rules for motor vehicle titles.

Current step

October 23, 2023

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held on October 19, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

Vehicle reports of sale

  • Vehicle and boat registration
  • All business and professional licensing
    • Vehicle and boat dealers
Completed

Current rule(s)

Vehicle seller's report of sale (WAC 308-56A-525)

We're proposing to allow vehicle dealers to file reports of sale on behalf of customers who sell, trade in, or otherwise transfer ownership to the dealer.

Current step

January 3, 2024

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

A public hearing was held on December 27, 2023.

Collection agency licensing fees

  • All business and professional licensing
    • Collection agencies
Completed

Current rule(s)

Collection agency fees (Chapter 308-29-045 WAC)

We're increasing our fees to cover the costs of running the collection agency program.

Current step

November 30, 2022

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held November 28, 2022

Driver hearing procedures

  • Driver licensing
Completed

Current rule(s)

Eligibility for hearing (WAC 308-101-040); Signatures (WAC 308-101-070); Scheduling — Notice of hearing (WAC 308-101-090); Continuances (WAC 308-101-120); Subpoenas (WAC 308-101-150); Filing of exhibits and other documents with the department (WAC 308-101-155); Video evidence (WAC 308-101-170); Format and length for briefs (WAC 308-101-180); Conduct of hearings (WAC 308-101-210)

We're updating the procedures, guidelines, and language of the hearing rules to match the intent of the law. These updates make hearings comply with the law, clarify procedures that are unclear, allow procedures that are currently disallowed, explain what isn't part of the procedures anymore, and use more inclusive language.

Current step

March 13, 2023

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held January 25, 2023

Whitewater river outfitter licensing fees

  • All business and professional licensing
    • Whitewater river outfitters
Completed

Current rule(s)

Fees (308-312-060 WAC)

We're increasing our fees to cover the costs of running the whitewater river outfitter program.

Current step

November 30, 2022

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held November 29, 2022

Employment agency licensing fees

  • All business and professional licensing
    • Employment agencies
Completed

Current rule(s)

Chapter 308-33-105 WAC Employment agency fees

We're increasing our fees to cover the costs of running the employment agencies program.

Current step

April 27, 2023

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held April 25, 2023

Suspended driver licenses and safe driving courses

  • Driver licensing
Completed

Current rule(s)

Drivers' licenses (Chapter 308-104 WAC)

We're adopting requirements about license suspensions due to multiple traffic offenses and safe driving courses. These changes follow a new law that lowers the number of traffic offenses that will lead to a license suspension and requires people who are suspended to complete a safe driving course.

Current step

November 30, 2022

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Scrap metal business licensing fees

  • All business and professional licensing
    • Scrap metal
Completed

Current rule(s)

Fees (Chapter 308-70-130 WAC)

We're increasing our fees to cover the costs of running the scrap metal business program.

Current step

November 30, 2022

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held November 28, 2022

Financial responsibility hearings

  • Driver licensing
Completed

Current rule(s)

Administration of the Financial Responsibility Act – Procedures (Chapter 308-102 WAC)

These rule changes update and clarify the process of financial responsibility hearings. We're making the rules comply with the law, simplifying parts of the rule that are hard to read, and using more inclusive language.

Current step

March 13, 2023

Rule change adopted

Public hearing or comments

Public hearing held January 25, 2023

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Learn how we make rules

Find out how we create and change rules related to licensing.

Understand the terms we use

Read our rulemaking definitions for the terms we use when working on rules.

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