County vehicle registration fee starts July 1

People registering vehicles in Washington County through the state Driver and Motor Vehicle Services will be paying a new County fee for renewals and new registrations starting on July 1, 2018.

The Washington County vehicle registration fee (VRF) will be $30 per year ($60 for two-year renewals) for most vehicle owners. The fee for motorcycles/mopeds will be $17 per year ($34 for two-year renewals). Owners of trailers eligible for permanent registration will pay a one-time fee of $10. For more information, visit Washington County Vehicle Registration Fee Amounts.

Revenues from the VRF are expected to total $13.5 million in FY 2018-19. The County's share of VRF revenue is expected to total $8.1 million (60 percent). The County has committed to use its share of the funding only for local maintenance to improve the safety and condition of County roads, bridges and culverts. Cities within the County are expected to receive a total of $5.4 million (40 percent), which will be divided based on population.

Anticipated VRF annual revenue for cities:

The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the VRF in Ordinance 817 in September 2016 after public testimony from law enforcement, emergency service providers, city representatives and members of the business community in support of the measure. The County's maintenance funding, which comes primarily from state vehicle fees and state and county gas taxes, has not kept pace with increasing maintenance costs. Fuel sales per registered vehicle have been declining, due to hybrid and electric cars, and fewer miles traveled per vehicle. At the same time, maintenance costs have increased significantly. County VRF