Reminder: All boat registration renewals in Washington state are due by June 30

Boat registrations in Washington must be renewed by June 30.

As boating season revs up, make sure you’re not left high and dry. To stay valid, boat registrations are due to be renewed by June 30 each year in Washington state.

Registration decals are good for one year, beginning on July 1. If your boat is currently registered, go online to renew for the coming year. You can also visit a vehicle/vessel licensing office.

If your registration is expired:

• You can renew online for the current registration year only (before June 30).
• You can renew online for the coming registration year only after you’ve renewed for the current year.
• If you have not registered for the current year and wish to renew for the coming year, visit a vehicle/vessel licensing office after July 1.

If you are purchasing a boat or bringing one in from out of state, you must register it within 15 days.

Want to receive reminders by email? Sign up at the Department of Licensing website — just scroll to the bottom and click on “Get or update email reminders.” It takes less than a minute.

If you need further assistance, please call 360-902-3770 or email CustomerCare@dol.wa.gov.

DOL Director Teresa Berntsen receives Building Bridges Across the Nation Award

Sanjay Panda, right, consul general of India (San Francisco), presents an award to DOL Director Teresa Berntsen on May 30 in Seattle.

Since becoming director of the Department of Licensing in 2018, Teresa Berntsen has made it a priority to build productive relationships with cross-cultural and underserved communities. She moved quickly to create the agency’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion, whose goal is to ensure everyone has a voice in how they access information and services. She implemented mandatory training for all DOL employees to help develop cultural competencies in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. And she’s the driving force behind the agency’s outreach efforts, including an ongoing campaign to prepare all Washington residents — regardless of citizenship status — for air travel ID law changes coming in 2020.

Most importantly, she has made a difference. That was the key takeaway last week in Seattle, where she was honored with the Building Bridges Across the Nation Award by the Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC).

Speaking to a packed room of 60 community leaders, many representing the South Asian community in Washington state and beyond, DOL Deputy Chief Information Officer Vel Rajagopal said Berntsen’s core value is to treat everyone with dignity and respect.

“Her biggest strength as a leader is her willingness to be vulnerable,” Rajagopal said. “She considers vulnerability not a weakness, but a strength that brings out the authentic self. I have been personally inspired by her humility and compassion toward the communities we serve.”

Also honored at the event were Rita Meher of Tasveer.org, Washington State Supreme Court Justice Steven Gonzalez, and Justice Ketu Shah of the King County District Court.

DOL commemorates renewal of driver licensing agreement with Taiwan

DOL Director Teresa Berntsen, right, welcomed Alex Fan, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle, for a reciprocity agreement renewal signing Thursday.

The Department of Licensing on Thursday commemorated the renewal of an agreement that makes it easier for drivers from Taiwan or Washington state to transfer a license from one place to the other.

The reciprocity agreement allows Taiwan nationals living in Washington, such as college students, to skip the driving and written licensing exams if they are already licensed to drive in Taiwan. Washington residents living in Taiwan have the same option.

In the five years since the initial deal was reached, more than 2,300 Taiwanese drivers have obtained Washington driver licenses through the reciprocity process.

Renewal of the pact was formalized in a signing ceremony in the office of DOL Director Teresa Berntsen, who was joined by Policy and Legislative Director Beau Perschbacher. Representing Taiwan were Alex Fan, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle, and consulate Tony, Nien-Tzu, Hu.

“The signing of this agreement highlights the strong relationship between the state of Washington and Taiwan,” Berntsen said. “It also demonstrates our joint commitment to streamline the licensing process.”

Drivers from Taiwan seeking a Washington license will need to visit the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle to have their current license properly translated and verified prior to visiting a DOL licensing service office.

DOL has reciprocity agreements with four other jurisdictions: British Columbia, Germany, South Korea, and Japan.

Spokane Valley licensing service office changing its hours effective July 2, 2019

Effective Tuesday, July 2, the Spokane Valley licensing service office is changing its hours as follows:

• Tuesday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Wednesday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Thursday: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

The Spokane Valley office is located at 12801 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane, WA 99216. It can be reached by phone at 509-921-2358.

The following services will continue to be available:

• Apply for a new driver license or instruction permit.
• Get an ID card.
• Apply for an enhanced driver license/ID card (EDL/EID).
• Renew a driver license, ID card, or EDL/EID.
• Change the name or address on your driver license.
• Request a copy of your driving record.
• Replace a lost or stolen driver license, ID card, or EDL/EID.
• Take a CDL knowledge test.

Driver license testing and motorcycle testing are not offered at the Spokane Valley office.

Hours for the Spokane office, located at 9107 N. Country Homes Blvd., Spokane, WA 99218, remain unchanged. It is open Monday through Friday.

See all licensing service office locations.

East Vancouver licensing service office switching to Monday-Friday schedule starting July 1, 2019

The East Vancouver licensing office is switching to a Monday-Friday schedule to better serve the needs of area residents. Effective July 1, 2019, this office — located at 1301 NE 136th Ave. — will be open as follows:

• Monday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Tuesday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Wednesday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

To prepare for this change, the office will be closed Saturday, June 29. The North Vancouver office, located at 9609 NE 117th Ave. (building 27, suite 2730), is staying on a Tuesday-Saturday schedule, or you can find an alternate location.

The following services will continue to be available at the East Vancouver office:

• Apply for a new driver license or instruction permit.
• Get an ID card.
• Apply for an enhanced driver license/ID card (EDL/EID).
• Renew a driver license, ID card, or EDL/EID.
• Change the name or address on your driver license.
• Request a copy of your driving record.
• Replace a lost or stolen driver license, ID card, or EDL/EID.
• Take a CDL knowledge test.

Driver license testing and motorcycle testing are not offered at the East Vancouver office.

Many services are available online.

The East Vancouver office can be reached at 360-260-6288.

How DOL’s efforts will support Gov. Inslee’s executive order for veterans and their families

Lourdes E. “Alfie” Alvarado-Ramos, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, speaks Monday at the signing of Executive Order 19-01 in Olympia.

As part of an executive order signed Monday by Gov. Jay Inslee, essential new services are on the way to help veterans, military spouses, and their families build stable lives and careers in Washington state.

The Department of Licensing is honored to support these efforts.

As the executive order outlines, one way we may be able to help is to expedite the issuance of credentials — including licenses, certifications, registrations, and permits — for transitioning service members, Reserve and National Guard members, and military spouses who reside in or are relocating to Washington state. This may mean, for example, recognizing comparable military experience and credentials issued by the military and other states; pursuit of interstate compacts that allow for reciprocal recognition of comparable credentials; and issuance of temporary or provisional licenses.

More broadly, we’ll take further steps to increase the employment representation of veterans and military spouses at DOL. It’s all part of our purpose of helping all Washington residents live, work, drive, and thrive.

DOL Director Teresa Berntsen honors organ donors, families for “ultimate act of kindness”

Department of Licensing Director Teresa Berntsen speaks Thursday at the Gift of Life Award ceremony honoring organ donors and their loved ones.

Calling organ donation “the ultimate act of kindness,” Department of Licensing Director Teresa Berntsen expressed humility, admiration, and gratitude for organ donors during an emotional ceremony Thursday at the Capitol building in Olympia. The event honored Washington state residents who gave organs in 2018 and their families.

The Gift of Life Award is presented annually by the governor’s office in partnership with LifeCenter Northwest, a federally designated nonprofit organ procurement organization that serves Washington, Alaska, Montana, and north Idaho.

Prior to introducing Gov. Jay Inslee, Berntsen said organ donation “exemplifies the graciousness of our humanity.”

The Department of Licensing has long played a key role in connecting people in need of organ transplants with donors. More than 99 percent of organ donor registrations in Washington are facilitated by DOL.

“Whether it is in person, online, or by mail, by saying ‘yes’ to donation through our agency, we are able to support legal authorization for people to donate all organs, eyes, and tissues for life-saving or -enhancing transplants,” Berntsen said.

As of March 1, 1,683 people in Washington were on the organ transplant waiting list, according to figures from the United Network for Organ Sharing. It is estimated 20 people die each day waiting for an organ donation.

Learn how to become an organ donor.