ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1906
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By House Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives
Chapman, Barkis, Bronoske, Reed, Ryu, and Reeves)
READ FIRST TIME 01/22/24.
1 AN ACT Relating to the vessel length requirement in obtaining
2 nonresident vessel permits; amending RCW 88.02.620 and 88.02.640; and
3 providing an expiration date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
5 Sec. 1. RCW 88.02.620 and 2023 c 374 s 23 are each amended to
6 read as follows:
7 (1) A vessel owner who is a nonresident person must obtain a
8 nonresident vessel permit on or before the 61st day of use in
9 Washington state if the vessel:
10 (a) Is currently registered or numbered under the laws of the
11 state or country of principal operation, has been issued a valid
12 number under federal law, or has a valid United States customs
13 service cruising license issued under 19 C.F.R. Sec. 4.94; and
14 (b) Has been brought into Washington state for not more than six
15 months in any continuous 12-month period, and is used:
16 (i) For personal use; or
17 (ii) For the purposes of chartering a vessel with a captain or
18 crew, as long as individual charters are for at least three or more
19 consecutive days in duration. The permit also applies for the
20 purposes of necessary transit to or from the start or end point of
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 1 such a charter, but that transit time is not counted toward the
2 duration of the charter.
3 (2) In addition to the requirements in subsection (1) of this
4 section, a nonresident vessel owner that is not a natural person, or
5 a nonresident vessel owner who is a natural person who intends to
6 charter the vessel with a captain or crew as provided in subsection
7 (1)(b)(ii) of this section, may only obtain a nonresident vessel
8 permit if:
9 (a) The vessel is at least 30 feet in length, but no more than
10 ((200)) 300 feet in length;
11 (b) No Washington state resident owns the vessel or is a
12 principal, as defined in RCW 82.32.865, of the nonresident person
13 which owns the vessel; and
14 (c) The department of revenue has provided the nonresident vessel
15 owner written approval authorizing the permit as provided in RCW
16 82.32.865.
17 (3) A nonresident vessel permit:
18 (a) May be obtained from the department, county auditor or other
19 agent, or subagent appointed by the director;
20 (b) Must show the date the vessel first came into Washington
21 state; and
22 (c) Is valid for two months.
23 (4) The department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent
24 appointed by the director must collect the fee required in RCW
25 88.02.640(1)(i) when issuing nonresident vessel permits.
26 (5) A nonresident vessel permit is not required under this
27 section if the vessel is used in conducting temporary business
28 activity within Washington state.
29 (6) For any permits issued under this section to a nonresident
30 vessel owner that is not a natural person, or for any permits issued
31 to a natural person who intends to charter the vessel with a captain
32 or crew as provided in subsection (1)(b)(ii) of this section, the
33 department must maintain a record of the following information and
34 provide it to the department of revenue quarterly or as otherwise
35 mutually agreed to by the department and department of revenue:
36 (a) The name of the record owner of the vessel;
37 (b) The vessel's hull identification number;
38 (c) The amount of the fee paid under RCW 88.02.640(5);
39 (d) The date the vessel first entered the waters of this state;
40 (e) The expiration date for the permit; and
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1 (f) Any other information mutually agreed to by the department
2 and department of revenue.
3 (7) The department must adopt rules to implement this section,
4 including rules on issuing and displaying the nonresident vessel
5 permit. Until May 1, 2025, the department must process the
6 application for a nonresident vessel permit, with respect to a vessel
7 that exceeds 200 feet in length, as if the vessel were 200 feet in
8 length.
9 Sec. 2. RCW 88.02.640 and 2021 c 150 s 2 are each amended to
10 read as follows:
11 (1) In addition to any other fees and taxes required by law, the
12 department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by
13 the director must charge the following vessel fees and surcharge:
14 FEE AMOUNT AUTHORITY DISTRIBUTION
15 (a) Dealer temporary permit $5.00 RCW 88.02.800(2) General fund
16 (b) Derelict vessel and Subsection (3) of this Subsection (3) of this Subsection (3) of this
17 invasive species section section section
18 removal
19 (c) Derelict vessel removal $1.00 Subsection (4) of this Subsection (4) of this
20 surcharge section section
21 (d) Duplicate certificate of $1.25 RCW 88.02.530(1)(c) General fund
22 title
23 (e) Duplicate registration $1.25 RCW 88.02.590(1)(c) General fund
24 (f) Filing RCW 46.17.005 RCW 88.02.560(2) RCW 46.68.400
25 (g) License plate technology RCW 46.17.015 RCW 88.02.560(2) RCW 46.68.370
26 (h) License service RCW 46.17.025 RCW 88.02.560(2) RCW 46.68.220
27 (i) Nonresident vessel Subsection (5) of this RCW 88.02.620(4) Subsection (5) of this
28 permit section section
29 (j) Quick title service $50.00 RCW 88.02.540(3) Subsection (7) of this
30 section
31 (k) Registration $10.50 RCW 88.02.560(2) RCW 88.02.650
32 (l) Replacement decal $1.25 RCW 88.02.595(1)(c) General fund
33 (m) Service fee RCW 46.17.040 RCW 88.02.515 and RCW 46.17.040
34 88.02.560(2)
35 (n) Title application $5.00 RCW 88.02.515 General fund
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 1 (o) Transfer $1.00 RCW 88.02.560(7) General fund
2 (p) Vessel visitor permit $30.00 RCW 88.02.610(3) Subsection (6) of this
3 section
4 (2) The five dollar dealer temporary permit fee required in
5 subsection (1) of this section must be credited to the payment of
6 registration fees at the time application for registration is made.
7 (3) The derelict vessel and invasive species removal fee required
8 in subsection (1) of this section is five dollars and must be
9 distributed as follows:
10 (a) Two dollars must be deposited in the aquatic invasive species
11 management account created in RCW 77.135.200;
12 (b) One dollar must be deposited into the aquatic algae control
13 account created in RCW 43.21A.667; and
14 (c) Two dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal
15 account created in RCW 79.100.100.
16 (4) In addition to other fees required in this section, an annual
17 derelict vessel removal surcharge of one dollar must be charged with
18 each vessel registration. The surcharge is to address the significant
19 backlog of derelict vessels accumulated in Washington waters that
20 pose a threat to the health and safety of the people and to the
21 environment and must be deposited into the derelict vessel removal
22 account created in RCW 79.100.100.
23 (5)(a) The amount of the nonresident vessel permit fee is:
24 (i) For a vessel owned by a nonresident natural person, ((twenty-
25 five dollars)) $25; and
26 (ii) For a nonresident vessel owner that is not a natural person,
27 the fee is equal to:
28 (A) ((Twenty-five dollars)) $25 per foot for vessels between
29 ((thirty)) 30 and ((ninety-nine)) 99 feet in length;
30 (B) ((Thirty dollars)) $30 per foot for vessels between ((one
31 hundred)) 100 and ((one hundred twenty)) 120 feet in length; ((and))
32 (C) ((Thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents)) $37.50 per foot for
33 vessels between ((one hundred twenty-one)) 121 and ((two hundred))
34 200 feet in length. The fee must be multiplied by the extreme length
35 of the vessel in feet, rounded up to the nearest whole foot; and
36 (D)(I) $42 per foot for vessels between 201 and 300 feet in
37 length, except as provided in (a)(ii)(D)(II) of this subsection. The
38 fee must be multiplied by the extreme length of the vessel in feet,
39 rounded up to the nearest whole foot.
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 1 (II) Until May 1, 2025, the fee for vessels between 201 and 300
2 feet in length is the same as that for a vessel 200 feet in length.
3 (b) The fee must be paid by the vessel owner to the department.
4 Any moneys remaining from the fee after the payment of costs to
5 administer the permit must be allocated to counties by the state
6 treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW 88.02.650.
7 (c) In addition to the applicable fees under this section, vessel
8 owners who obtain a nonresident vessel permit for the purposes of
9 chartering their vessel with a captain or crew are subject to use tax
10 as provided in RCW 82.12.799.
11 (6) The ((thirty dollar)) $30 vessel visitor permit fee must be
12 distributed as follows:
13 (a) Five dollars must be deposited in the derelict vessel removal
14 account created in RCW 79.100.100;
15 (b) The department may keep an amount to cover costs for
16 providing the vessel visitor permit;
17 (c) Any moneys remaining must be allocated to counties by the
18 state treasurer for approved boating safety programs under RCW
19 88.02.650; and
20 (d) Any fees required for licensing agents under RCW 46.17.005
21 are in addition to any other fee or tax due for the titling and
22 registration of vessels.
23 (7)(a) The ((fifty dollar)) $50 quick title service fee must be
24 distributed as follows:
25 (i) If the fee is paid to the director, the fee must be deposited
26 to the general fund.
27 (ii) If the fee is paid to the participating county auditor or
28 other agent appointed by the director, ((twenty-five dollars)) $25
29 must be deposited to the general fund. The remainder must be retained
30 by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by
31 the county auditor.
32 (iii) If the fee is paid to a subagent appointed by the director,
33 ((twenty-five dollars)) $25 must be deposited to the general fund.
34 The remaining ((twenty-five dollars)) $25 must be distributed as
35 follows: ((Twelve dollars and fifty cents)) $12.50 must be retained
36 by the county treasurer in the same manner as other fees collected by
37 the county auditor and ((twelve dollars and fifty cents)) $12.50 must
38 be retained by the subagent.
39 (b) For the purposes of this subsection, "quick title" has the
40 same meaning as in RCW 88.02.540.
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1 (8) The department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent
2 appointed by the director shall charge the service fee under
3 subsection (1)(m) of this section beginning January 1, 2016.
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Sections 1 and 2 of this act expire
5 January 1, 2029.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 88.02.620
Substitute Bill: 88.02.620, 88.02.640
Engrossed Substitute: 88.02.620, 88.02.640