How much to register a car in WA?

Depends on where in WA. The state only charges about $40. The RTA tax in Snohomish, King and Pierce County is a different story. They charge a percent of depreciated value of a car. If you have a $200k Ferrari you will be paying thousands a year just in RTA tax. If you "live" outside the 3 county RTA tax area you will only be paying about $40 no matter what the car.

 

If you go to Our taxing district - SoundTransit, and click on the map it will show the areas of the counties that are in the taxing district.

 

Since June 2012, they have added a new "Fee" to vehicle registration. Now they require a certified weight slip if your cars weight is not already listed in the state computer. They are now begining to charge a weight fee for vehicle use. So you may have to pay for a "certified" weight slip plus a weight fee charged by the state, wonder where it will stop?

There is yet another little wrinkle to the cost of registering a vehicle in the Washington since July 2012, they have scoured the used car value guides and arbitrarily added a "retail" value to their computer system . No matter what you paid for the car you will be taxed on their preassigned value. The only was to beat their value is to have a signed statement by the seller that the car has issues and needs repairs to bring it up to the assigned retail price(you need to use the state form) In some cases you will need actual reciepts showning the repairs have been completed. They then will lower the taxed value by the amount shown on the reciepts. In the case of my 1982 400i they had an assigned value of $24,500.00 twice what I paid. Their assigned value was completly beyond the actual value of this model. I had a notorized bill of sale from the seller with both his name and phone number on it, showing a much lower price, and that made no difference, the computer price was the final number.

Interesting in this state, if the bozo's in Olympia add a tax to our daily activities, we as citizens can file against it and get a public vote to over turn it. Now these clowns in Olympia have come up with a blind side taking citizen input out of the equasion, its called a "fee". Munincipalities and of course the bozo's in Olytown just place fees here there and anywhere they please, and totaly eliminating the public from voting either their approval or their displeasure. Who said its a democracy??????

Howard Musolf
1981 208gtsi
1982 400i Cabriolet
1994 348 Spyder
1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo
2006 Slk280

 

i believe you are wrong on the rta tax. it is .3 % of retail value depending on age -a 2013 ferrari valued at 250,000 would be $750.00 for the rta part of registration. each year it should go down. dan

 

I looked that up later and saw .3% as well. I remember paying around $260 in RTA tax the first year I renewed a ~$30k car back in 2006. Not sure if it has changed or my recollection is not accurate, but yes .3% is what I am seeing listed now as well.