Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 88.02 - Vessel Registration.
88.02.640 - Fees by type—Disposition, distribution.

RCW 88.02.640
Fees by type—Disposition, distribution. (Effective until January 1, 2029.)

(1) In addition to any other fees and taxes required by law, the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director must charge the following vessel fees and surcharge:

FEE
AMOUNT
AUTHORITY
DISTRIBUTION
(a) Dealer temporary permit
$5.00
RCW 88.02.800(2)
General fund
(b) Derelict vessel and invasive species removal
Subsection (3) of this section
Subsection (3) of this section
Subsection (3) of this section
(c) Derelict vessel removal surcharge
$1.00
Subsection (4) of this section
Subsection (4) of this section
(d) Duplicate certificate of title
$1.25
RCW 88.02.530(1)(c)
General fund
(e) Duplicate registration
$1.25
RCW 88.02.590(1)(c)
General fund
(f) Filing
RCW 46.17.005
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.400
(g) License plate technology
RCW 46.17.015
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.370
(h) License service
RCW 46.17.025
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.220
(i) Nonresident vessel permit
Subsection (5) of this section
RCW 88.02.620(4)
Subsection (5) of this section
(j) Quick title service
$50.00
RCW 88.02.540(3)
Subsection (7) of this section
(k) Registration
$10.50
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 88.02.650
(l) Replacement decal
$1.25
RCW 88.02.595(1)(c)
General fund
(m) Service fee
RCW 46.17.040
RCW 88.02.515 and 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.17.040
(n) Title application
$5.00
RCW 88.02.515
General fund
(o) Transfer
$1.00
RCW 88.02.560(7)
General fund
(p) Vessel visitor permit
$30.00
RCW 88.02.610(3)
Subsection (6) of this section

(2) The five dollar dealer temporary permit fee required in subsection (1) of this section must be credited to the payment of registration fees at the time application for registration is made.
(3) The derelict vessel and invasive species removal fee required in subsection (1) of this section is five dollars and must be distributed as follows:
(a) Two dollars must be deposited in the aquatic invasive species management account created in RCW 77.135.200;
(b) One dollar must be deposited into the aquatic algae control account created in RCW 43.21A.667; and
(c) Two dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100.
(4) In addition to other fees required in this section, an annual derelict vessel removal surcharge of one dollar must be charged with each vessel registration. The surcharge is to address the significant backlog of derelict vessels accumulated in Washington waters that pose a threat to the health and safety of the people and to the environment and must be deposited into the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100.
(5)(a) The amount of the nonresident vessel permit fee is:
(i) For a vessel owned by a nonresident natural person, twenty-five dollars; and
(ii) For a nonresident vessel owner that is not a natural person, the fee is equal to:
(A) Twenty-five dollars per foot for vessels between thirty and ninety-nine feet in length;
(B) Thirty dollars per foot for vessels between one hundred and one hundred twenty feet in length; and
(C) Thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents per foot for vessels between one hundred twenty-one and two hundred feet in length. The fee must be multiplied by the extreme length of the vessel in feet, rounded up to the nearest whole foot.
(b) The fee must be paid by the vessel owner to the department. Any moneys remaining from the fee after the payment of costs to administer the permit must be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.650.
(c) In addition to the applicable fees under this section, vessel owners who obtain a nonresident vessel permit for the purposes of chartering their vessel with a captain or crew are subject to use tax as provided in RCW 82.12.799.
(6) The thirty dollar vessel visitor permit fee must be distributed as follows:
(a) Five dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100;
(b) The department may keep an amount to cover costs for providing the vessel visitor permit;
(c) Any moneys remaining must be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.650; and
(d) Any fees required for licensing agents under RCW 46.17.005 are in addition to any other fee or tax due for the titling and registration of vessels.
(7)(a) The fifty dollar quick title service fee must be distributed as follows:
(i) If the fee is paid to the director, the fee must be deposited to the general fund.
(ii) If the fee is paid to the participating county auditor or other agent appointed by the director, twenty-five dollars must be deposited to the general fund. The remainder must be retained by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor.
(iii) If the fee is paid to a subagent appointed by the director, twenty-five dollars must be deposited to the general fund. The remaining twenty-five dollars must be distributed as follows: Twelve dollars and fifty cents must be retained by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor and twelve dollars and fifty cents must be retained by the subagent.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection, "quick title" has the same meaning as in RCW 88.02.540.
(8) The department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director shall charge the service fee under subsection (1)(m) of this section beginning January 1, 2016.

[ 2021 c 150 § 2; 2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 104; (2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 103 expired July 1, 2019). Prior: 2015 3rd sp.s. c 44 § 216; 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 § 803; 2015 2nd sp.s. c 1 § 2; 2013 c 291 § 1; 2012 c 74 § 16; prior: 2011 c 326 § 5; 2011 c 171 § 134; 2011 c 169 § 1; 2010 c 161 § 1028.]
NOTES:

Expiration date—2021 c 150: See note following RCW 88.02.620.


Effective date—2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 104: "Section 104 of this act takes effect July 1, 2019." [ 2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 311.]


Expiration date—2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 103: "Section 103 of this act expires July 1, 2019." [ 2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 310.]


Findings—Intent—Tax preference performance statement—2021 c 150; 2017 c 323; 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 §§ 802-805: "(1)(a) The legislature finds that a robust maritime industry is crucial for the state's economic vitality. The legislature further finds that:
(i) The joint task force for economic resilience of maritime and manufacturing established policy goals to continue efforts towards developing a robust maritime industry in the state;
(ii) The maritime industry has a direct and indirect impact on jobs in the state;
(iii) Many of the cities and towns impacted by the maritime industry are often small with limited resources to encourage economic growth, heavily relying on the maritime industry for local jobs and revenues in the community;
(iv) Keeping Washington competitive with other cruising destinations is essential to continue to build a robust maritime economy in the state; and
(v) Tax incentives are an imperative component to improve the state's overall competitiveness in this sector.
(b) Therefore, the legislature intends to:
(i) Bolster the maritime industry in the state by incentivizing larger vessel owners to use Washington waters for recreational boating to increase economic activity and jobs in coastal communities and inland water regions of the state;
(ii) Achieve this objective in a fiscally responsible manner and require analysis of specific metrics to ensure valuable state resources are being used to accomplish the intended goal; and
(iii) Provide limited, short-term tax relief to entity-owned nonresident vessel owners that currently are not afforded the same benefits as other nonresident vessel owners.
(2)(a) This subsection is the tax preference performance statement for the entity-owned nonresident vessel tax preference established in section 803 of this act. The performance statement is only intended to be used for subsequent evaluation of the tax preference. It is not intended to create a private right of action by any party or be used to determine eligibility for preferential tax treatment.
(b) The legislature categorizes this tax preference as one intended to accomplish the purposes indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(c) and one intended to improve the state's competitiveness with other nearby cruising destinations.
(c) It is the legislature's specific public policy objective to increase economic activity and jobs related to the maritime industry by providing a tax preference for large entity-owned nonresident vessels to increase the length of time these vessels cruise Washington waters in turn strengthening the maritime economy in the state.
(d) To measure the effectiveness of the tax preference provided in part VIII, chapter 6, Laws of 2015 3rd sp. sess. in achieving the public policy objective in (c) of this subsection, the joint legislative audit and review committee must provide the following in a published evaluation of this tax preference by December 31, 2028:
(i) A comparison of the gross and taxable revenue generated by businesses that sell or provide maintenance or repair of vessels, prior to and after the enactment of this tax preference;
(ii) Analysis of retail sales taxes collected from the restaurant and service industries in coastal and inlet coastal jurisdictions, for both counties and cities, for periods prior to and after the enactment of this tax preference;
(iii) Employment and wage trends for businesses described in (d)(i) and (ii) of this subsection, for periods prior to and after the enactment of this tax preference;
(iv) Descriptive statistics for the number of permits sold each year in addition to the following information:
(A) The cost for each permit by strata of vessel length;
(B) The jurisdiction of ownership for the nonresident vessel; and
(C) The amount of use tax that would have been due based on the estimated value of the vessel;
(v) A comparison of the number of registered entity-owned and individually owned vessels registered in Washington prior to and after the enactment of this tax preference; and
(vi) Data and analysis for Washington's main cruising destination competitors, specifically looking at tax preferences provided in those jurisdictions, vessel industry income data, and any additional relevant information to compare Washington's maritime climate with its competitors.
(e) The provision of RCW 82.32.808(5) does not apply to this tax preference." [ 2021 c 150 § 5; 2017 c 323 § 303; 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 § 801.]


Expiration date—2021 c 150; 2017 c 323; 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 §§ 802-805: See note following RCW 88.02.620.


Effective date—2015 3rd sp.s. c 44: See note following RCW 46.68.395.


Effective dates—2015 3rd sp.s. c 6: See note following RCW 82.04.4266.


Effective date—2015 2nd sp.s. c 1: See note following RCW 46.68.025.


Application—Effective date—2011 c 326: See notes following RCW 46.12.555.


Intent—Effective date—2011 c 171: See notes following RCW 4.24.210.


Effective date—Intent—Legislation to reconcile chapter 161, Laws of 2010 and other amendments made during the 2010 legislative session—2010 c 161: See notes following RCW 46.04.013.


(1) In addition to any other fees and taxes required by law, the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director shall charge the following vessel fees and surcharge:

FEE
AMOUNT
AUTHORITY
DISTRIBUTION
(a) Dealer temporary permit
$5.00
RCW 88.02.800(2)
General fund
(b) Derelict vessel and invasive species removal
Subsection (3) of this section
Subsection (3) of this section
Subsection (3) of this section
(c) Derelict vessel removal surcharge
$1.00
Subsection (4) of this section
Subsection (4) of this section
(d) Duplicate certificate of title
$1.25
RCW 88.02.530(1)(c)
General fund
(e) Duplicate registration
$1.25
RCW 88.02.590(1)(c)
General fund
(f) Filing
RCW 46.17.005
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.400
(g) License plate technology
RCW 46.17.015
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.370
(h) License service
RCW 46.17.025
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.68.220
(i) Nonresident vessel permit
$25.00
RCW 88.02.620(3)
Subsection (5) of this section
(j) Quick title service
$50.00
RCW 88.02.540(3)
Subsection (7) of this section
(k) Registration
$10.50
RCW 88.02.560(2)
RCW 88.02.650
(l) Replacement decal
$1.25
RCW 88.02.595(1)(c)
General fund
(m) Service fee
RCW 46.17.040
RCW 88.02.515 and 88.02.560(2)
RCW 46.17.040
(n) Title application
$5.00
RCW 88.02.515
General fund
(o) Transfer
$1.00
RCW 88.02.560(7)
General fund
(p) Vessel visitor permit
$30.00
RCW 88.02.610(3)
Subsection (6) of this section

(2) The five dollar dealer temporary permit fee required in subsection (1) of this section must be credited to the payment of registration fees at the time application for registration is made.
(3) The derelict vessel and invasive species removal fee required in subsection (1) of this section is five dollars and must be distributed as follows:
(a) Two dollars must be deposited in the aquatic invasive species management account created in RCW 77.135.200;
(b) One dollar must be deposited into the aquatic algae control account created in RCW 43.21A.667; and
(c) Two dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100.
(4) In addition to other fees required in this section, an annual derelict vessel removal surcharge of one dollar must be charged with each vessel registration. The surcharge is to address the significant backlog of derelict vessels accumulated in Washington waters that pose a threat to the health and safety of the people and to the environment and must be deposited into the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100.
(5) The twenty-five dollar nonresident vessel permit fee must be paid by the vessel owner to the department for the cost of providing the identification document by the department. Any moneys remaining from the fee after the payment of costs must be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.650.
(6) The thirty dollar vessel visitor permit fee must be distributed as follows:
(a) Five dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal account created in RCW 79.100.100;
(b) The department may keep an amount to cover costs for providing the vessel visitor permit;
(c) Any moneys remaining must be allocated to counties by the state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.650; and
(d) Any fees required for licensing agents under RCW 46.17.005 are in addition to any other fee or tax due for the titling and registration of vessels.
(7)(a) The fifty dollar quick title service fee must be distributed as follows:
(i) If the fee is paid to the director, the fee must be deposited to the general fund.
(ii) If the fee is paid to the participating county auditor or other agent appointed by the director, twenty-five dollars must be deposited to the general fund. The remainder must be retained by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor.
(iii) If the fee is paid to a subagent appointed by the director, twenty-five dollars must be deposited to the general fund. The remaining twenty-five dollars must be distributed as follows: Twelve dollars and fifty cents must be retained by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by the county auditor and twelve dollars and fifty cents must be retained by the subagent.
(b) For the purposes of this subsection, "quick title" has the same meaning as in RCW 88.02.540.
(8) The department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director shall charge the service fee under subsection (1)(m) of this section beginning January 1, 2016.

[ 2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 104. Prior: 2015 3rd sp.s. c 44 § 216; 2015 2nd sp.s. c 1 § 2; 2013 c 291 § 1; 2012 c 74 § 16; prior: 2011 c 326 § 5; 2011 c 171 § 134; 2011 c 169 § 1; 2010 c 161 § 1028.]
NOTES:

Effective date—2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 104: "Section 104 of this act takes effect July 1, 2019." [ 2017 3rd sp.s. c 17 § 311.]


Effective date—2015 3rd sp.s. c 44: See note following RCW 46.68.395.


Effective date—2015 2nd sp.s. c 1: See note following RCW 46.68.025.


Application—Effective date—2011 c 326: See notes following RCW 46.12.555.


Intent—Effective date—2011 c 171: See notes following RCW 4.24.210.


Effective date—Intent—Legislation to reconcile chapter 161, Laws of 2010 and other amendments made during the 2010 legislative session—2010 c 161: See notes following RCW 46.04.013.

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