Licensing error results in thousands of Washington residents charged $15 fee

OLYMPIA - A processing error at the Department of Licensing means thousands of Washingtonians will get letters starting this week asking them to pay a $15 fee that was never collected.

A statement issued by the DOL Thursday said owners that collectively brought over 32,749 vehicles to Washington from another state between Dec. 2016 and Aug. 2017 were not charged with the out-of-state vehicle check fee they should have gotten.

That resulted in $491,000 of unpaid fees the state requires for funding highway safety programs.

Vehicle owners will be required to pay before their next renewal, and can pay in-person at a vehicle licensing office, or online on the DOL website.