WA Department of Licensing to pause in-person, online services for several days this month

For several days in mid-February, Washington residents won’t be able to obtain driver licenses or receive vehicle or vessel services in person while the state Department of Licensing upgrades its Drive and Vehicles Services system.

The pause — which runs 5 p.m. Feb. 13 to 8 a.m. Feb. 18 — will close driver licensing offices and call centers. It will also halt vehicle/vessel services at businesses and county auditors’ offices, the department said on its official blog.

“If you have a driver or vehicle/boat transaction to complete, get things done now by going to dol.wa.gov,” the department wrote. “After Feb. 9, you won’t be able to order car tabs or renew your driver license online until Feb. 18.

“We expect long wait times in some locations when driver licensing offices reopen,” the blog continued. “If you need to visit us in person, make an appointment and skip the line.”

Columbia County Auditor Will Hutchens said in an email that, during the upgrade, his office “will be open to provide all services except for licensing.”

In addition, from Feb. 10-17, the state licensing department said it will suspend its online licensing services for driver and vehicle/boat licensing.

However, people will be able to continue to enjoy professional and business license services during the outage, the department said.

Also down beginning Monday, Feb. 10, will be the Taxpayer Access Point, the online service where people manage their fuel tax accounts, the department said.

The system upgrade also might delay the fulfillment of public records requests, the department said.