OLYMPIA—On July 1, 2016, state fuel tax and several licensing related fee increases will go into effect in Washington. The increases were approved by the Legislature in 2015 as part of Connecting Washington, a transportation package to fund many important, impactful transportation projects around our state.
These projects include highway and local road construction and maintenance, bike path and walkway projects, rail and transit projects, ferry system improvements and fish barrier removal.
The state fuel tax for both gas and diesel will increase by 4.9 cents to 49.4 cents. State fuel taxes provide funding for state, county and city transportation projects and maintenance, ferry construction and operations and other transportation-related needs.
The Enhanced Driver License fee will increase to $9 per year. This means the cost to upgrade a standard, six-year driver license or ID card to an Enhanced Driver License or Enhanced ID Card will increase from $18 to $54. Enhanced Driver Licenses and Enhanced ID Cards are available to U.S. citizens as federally approved identification that can be used in place of a U.S. Passport at U.S. land and sea border crossing stations.
Several commercial driver license (CDL) fees are increasing. The fee for obtaining a CDL instruction permit will increase from $10 to $40. CDL knowledge (written) tests will increase from $10 to $35, CDL skills (driving) tests will increase from $100 to $250 except for the school bus driver test, which will remain $100. The new CDL skills test fee will allow a driver to take one no-charge retest if the test isn’t passed on the first attempt.
The electric vehicle renewal fee increases $50, from $100 to $150. This fee is collected to mitigate the impact of electric vehicles, which pay little or no fuel taxes, on our state’s roads and highways.
Annual motor vehicle weight fees for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and other types of vehicles up to 14,000 pounds that pay the state’s $30 basic registration fee will increase. The amount of the increase will range from $15 to $35 depending on the weight of the vehicle. For example, the motor vehicle weight fee for a passenger vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or less will increase by $15, from $10 to $25.
Gross weight license fees for trucks, commercial vehicles, and other types of vehicles up to 10,000 pounds that are not subject to the state’s $30 basic registration fee also will increase. The amount of this increase also will range from $15 to $35. A new freight project fee will be collected on vehicles subject to the gross weight license fee with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds. This fee will be 15 percent of the gross weight license fee due at the time of annual registration.
Licensing Express 
Vote your representative out if they have voted for these increases. That is how you can voice your dissatisfaction with the political elite.
I am extremely disappointed that the fees for CDL drivers have gone up. Thankfully school bus driver skills test fees have not raised, but what is going to happen if a driver needs to retest for their skills test and the third party tester refuses to test for free? It is hard enough to get school bus drivers, but now to have them pay an additional $65.00 on top of the minimum of $200. before they even start working.
Our roads along the Columbia River and surrounding area roads are terrible and heavy truck traffic…rest easy though, we get to pay the say increases for those that have good roads! Nothing to do with maintainance..all about controlling spending. Joke. We get “chipseal” which is worthless.
very disappointed in the increased fees, we are retired and live on the east side of the state. No ferries or fancy roads over here and little maintenance!
I don’t blame you for being disappointed. I am also. Maybe it’s time to move out of Washington State. They do not care about retired people on a fixed income. All they care about is money money money!!!!!!!!!
But, they lie as well, because after 2 years, the money can and does go wherever they want it to, and we have nothing to say about it.