Wa State, Nice & Legal

[tomcarman]

To some this may be a routine transaction, for me it was a new process so thought I'd share with my fellow Washingtonians. Last October I bought a '47 Chrysler for $3000. The car was in Clarkston Idaho with an Idaho title, not a quick trip. I got a bill of sale with the title. My intention was to get a "Forever" collector plate, but in Wa State there is a privision for an "Original Year, Restored" plate for more or less the same fee. I don't like the State issued plate (see attached) so I kept looking on EBay and found a cool # original '47 plate for $5. Today I registered it. Here is a breakdown of the costs, All In:

Title transfer and assiciated fees = $303.00
Ebay plate & shipping to me = $12.88
Shipping of plate to restorer = $7.88
Plate Restoration = $92.00
Collector plate registration = 103.25
Total =519.01
That breaks down to 17.3% of the price paid.

[5851a]

Emergency medical services? Did you faint when they gave you the total?

[tomcarman]

Originally Posted by 5851a

Emergency medical services? Did you faint when they gave you the total?

It is what it is. Not complaining, just thought I'd share the true cost of registering a collector car in this State.
As an aside, the licensing office was bogged down with 3 people occupying the 3 clerks. All 3 people had some sort of a problem with their paperwork not being in order, particularly the 1 guy trying to get title to a boat that he bought in Montana over a year ago and subsequently got a ticket for having no registration or title in navigable waters on the Columbia River. After considerable wait the rest of us with a simple transaction were complete in minutes. Moral of the story? Get your paperwork in order. Sheesh!

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by tomcarman

It is what it is. Not complaining, just thought I'd share the true cost of registering a collector car in this State.
As an aside, the licensing office was bogged down with 3 people occupying the 3 clerks. All 3 people had some sort of a problem with their paperwork not being in order, particularly the 1 guy trying to get title to a boat that he bought in Montana over a year ago and subsequently got a ticket for having no registration or title in navigable waters on the Columbia River. After considerable wait the rest of us with a simple transaction were complete in minutes. Moral of the story? Get your paperwork in order. Sheesh!

OK, so the nagging question here is who gave him the ticket on the Columbia? Since it forms the Washington/Oregon border, he must have been closer to one side than the other.... Of course this could have occured up river a bit. BTW, love those bare aluminum one year issue 47 Wa plates. I have 3 sets in use and a pair or two for backup.

[51504bat]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

OK, so the nagging question here is who gave him the ticket on the Columbia? Since it forms the Washington/Oregon border, he must have been closer to one side than the other.... Of course this could have occured up river a bit. BTW, love those bare aluminum one year issue 47 Wa plates. I have 3 sets in use and a pair or two for backup.

When I worked as a Park Ranger on the Colorado River, Law Enforcement Officers from either state along the river had jurisdiction regardless of where you where as long as you were in the water. Step on shore and you were under the laws of that state.

[tomcarman]

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Originally Posted by 51504bat

When I worked as a Park Ranger on the Colorado River, Law Enforcement Officers from either state along the river had jurisdiction regardless of where you where as long as you were in the water. Step on shore and you were under the laws of that state.

I'm not in Law enforcement but I know people who are. Park Rangers as well as Wildlife Rangers have full enforcement powers I'm told. Though this thread has become a bit off topic in terms of registering your vehicle, the point I originally wanted to make is get it legal. If not it can cost you dearly in the end. The law doesn't sleep.

[tomcarman]

Originally Posted by GB SISSON

OK, so the nagging question here is who gave him the ticket on the Columbia? Since it forms the Washington/Oregon border, he must have been closer to one side than the other.... Of course this could have occured up river a bit. BTW, love those bare aluminum one year issue 47 Wa plates. I have 3 sets in use and a pair or two for backup.

Gary, from what I overheard him say he was on the mouth of a tributary, considered navigable waters by USCG at the Columbia. It was WA DFW. I heard him give his address as right down the road from GrandMound where the license office is. He was likely fishing for salmon and got caught. Maybe on the Cowlitz? IDK. He was trying to present his case to the license clerk who had to recite and quote about every WAC and RCW to try and help him transfer his boat title that he bought over a year ago in Montana. He lost AND wasted those of us in line time. Mind you I have had numerous dealings with that office and the people there are most helpful, but they won't bend the law. If he had taken care of his paperwork when he bought it he wouldn't have been in there in the 1st place. The other 2 people also had similar problems holding up the show for us all. To my mind all of them were trying to beat the system and in all 3 cases somehow it was the States fault. Whoey! I had my S**t together and was done in probably 3 minutes. Yes, the bare aluminum plates were unique to '47. My restored one was actually painted silver to simulate bare metal, but they accepted it.

[RKS.PA]

Tom, you can't put a price on "must haves"!! Looks like the collector plate restoration and WA's cost to register with it, is about 42% of the total. The big item ($303) you would have had anyway with the standard forever antique car plate.

I had one of those WA plates on my '39 when I lived there. The forever plate is a sweet deal. Here in AZ, we have to renew each year. Seems to vary based on the age of the car, but in general, it's about a hundred bucks.

The states get their money one way or the other!!

[Hal Beatty]

There was a proposal in the legislature to make us renew the Collector Vehicle plates periodically; for a fee of course. Don't know if it became part of the code or not...

[tomcarman]

Originally Posted by Hal Beatty

There was a proposal in the legislature to make us renew the Collector Vehicle plates periodically; for a fee of course. Don't know if it became part of the code or not...

That was House Bill 2373. It stalled in Committee. I expect it to return.

[robib]

The use tax is is really a sales tax. Just like any other purchase you might make.

[TJ]

California is worse. I think they will soon start charging admission to the DMV office!

[Sparky79]

Just think if you lived in lower New York they would charge you a commuter tax for use of the trains to get to the city. That one kills me when I register the motorcycle.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by Sparky79

Just think if you lived in lower New York they would charge you a commuter tax for use of the trains to get to the city. That one kills me when I register the motorcycle.

That's a good one. They want you to use mass transit and then tax you for using it! With government that makes perfect sense.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by TJ

That's a good one. They want you to use mass transit and then tax you for using it! With government that makes perfect sense.

Actually, it sounds to me that they are taxing you NOT to use it.

[TJ]

Delete..

[tomcarman]

Originally Posted by TJ

California is worse. I think they will soon start charging admission to the DMV office!

Good one! All States are different. Nonetheless, associated costs (license, insurance, parts and such) need to be recognized and budgeted for, especially in this hobby. I've never had any trouble with the law, (never even had a traffic ticket) and intend to keep it that way. If you wanna dance, ya gotta pay the band.

[Kube]

Originally Posted by TJ

California is worse. I think they will soon start charging admission to the DMV office!

They do that in Wisconsin. It's termed a "counter fee".
If you choose to go directly to the DMV office and sit there for God only knows how long, you are charged a counter fee of $3. Yep, so not only do you pay taxes to keep these places operating, wait seemingly forever to get waited on, have a 50/50 chance of everything going correctly, you get to pay for that golden opportunity & experience.

The last time I was there, I had three titles to register. I got about a mile away when I looked at the paperwork and noted one title was in someone else's name and address.
I immediately went back for another golden opportunity... I got to wait nearly an hour (twice the same day) and was actually told "oh yeah, that guy makes lots of mistakes".

[rockfla]

Glad to know Florida is not the only State that allows us to pay 3 times (or more) for something and take 6 visits to do it. FIRST here in Florida you cannot use a "Restored" tag...it has to be "original" paint or "NO Dice"!! SECOND......any sale of a "used" vehicle I use the "EVEN TRADE" route. I sold my 2001 Yukon to my machinist for "Labor & Parts" for an antique car - EVEN TRADE so NO Sales taxes involved!!!!! Just tag and title transfer fee's.

[nelsb01]

Come to Minnesota -- you can have snow and cold and you can only drive the collector car 4 months out of the year.........well, not really, but someone would comment about it.

So, the title transfer and associated fees are about the same, but....collector plates or Minnesota year of manufacture plates in good condition and the number not already in use will cost you $99. Yup, $99 and then you can drive those 4 months forever. No renewal............yet.
Here are the ones that are going on my 1936 (the picture shows them before to the left and restored to the right)

By the way -- the guy in Michigan did them and they are right on and the service was fast.