WA Licensing Systems Go Offline For Upgrades In Early July

SEATTLE — Drivers and boaters needing to renew or register for licenses should plan for interruptions in early July as the Department of Licensing upgrades its systems. The outages will especially affect those who need to get things in order before Independence Day weekend.

While the systems are offline, virtually all online and in-person services will be unavailable.

Here are the key dates to be aware of:

• Online services involving vehicles and vessels, including registration renewals, will be down at midnight Thursday, July 1 through Monday, July 5.
• Driver, vehicle, and vessel-related online services will be down at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 3 through Monday, July 5. Vehicle licensing offices will be closed to in-person business during this time.
• Driver licensing offices will be closed Saturday, July 3 through Monday, July 5.

All online and in-person operations will resume as usual on Tuesday, July 6.

For those seeking vehicle and vessel licenses in time for the holiday, officials encourage them to try online before the planned outages. For boaters, all vessel registrations and decals will need to be renewed before June 30. In-person visits to driver licensing offices still require an appointment, which can take weeks due to high demand.

Upgrading the state's licensing systems will make them more user-friendly, officials said, including an improved appointment scheduling tool and a streamlined process to pre-apply for licenses or identification cards.

Find a list of online services on the Department of Licensing's website.