Washington · WA · Vehicles
Washington: Is there an annual vehicle safety inspection?
No safety inspection
Washington does not require safety inspections of private passenger cars, and its emissions testing program ended in 2020.
The Department of Licensing tells new residents to bring their title and odometer reading to register, with no inspection step. This answer is inferred from that guidance, because no statute was found that says so directly. The state's motor vehicle emission inspection law expired on January 1, 2020.
What the law says
You have 30 days after moving to Washington to get your driver license and register your vehicle.
Sources
- Washington DOL, Moving to Washington: Vehicle registration and plates Official · dol.wa.gov
- RCW 70A.25.100 (motor vehicle emission inspections, expired Jan. 1, 2020) Official · app.leg.wa.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Washington State Department of Licensing
- Phone
- 360-902-3900
- Website
- dol.wa.gov
How bordering states compare
- Idaho No safety inspectionNo. Idaho does not require safety inspections of private passenger cars, but cars titled in another state need a VIN inspection.
- Oregon No safety inspectionOregon does not require safety inspections of passenger cars; only VIN checks and emissions tests in Portland and Medford.
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