Washington has been dealing with a shortage of permanent metal vehicle license plates for months. That’s only half the problem facing car dealers and car buyers.
In 2022, the state Legislature passed a law that did away with window-taped paper permits and required car dealers to affix durable, temporary plates to the front and back of new and used cars. The problem: Those expire 45 days after a buyer drives off the lot. And it’s taking longer than 45 days for some of those buyers to get their permanent plates.
“It’s been really frustrating for our customer and us, as well,” Titus-Will Automotive Group vice-president and CFO Kevin Kyser told The News Tribune on Thursday.
Previously, it would take only two weeks to get permanent plates.
The only recourse for buyers facing an imminent expiration is to get new temporary plates, but dealers just can’t print out new versions as they do when a car is purchased. New temporary plates have to be issued by the state or its agencies for each specific vehicle and owner.