Washington State University
BUSINESS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Vehicle Titling and Licensing

A WSU department is responsible for obtaining the applicable license and title when the department acquires a vehicle, e.g., motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, farm equipment, or heavy machinery.

Motor vehicles include any vehicle used on public highways, e.g., automobiles, trucks, vans, motorcycles.

Vessels include vehicles used on waterways, e.g., houseboats, motor boats, sailboats, jet skis, racing/rowing sculls.

Aircraft include flying vehicles, e.g., small planes, small jets, helicopters.

Farm equipment and heavy machinery include vehicles used in farm or construction operations, e.g., combines, tractors, hay bailers, cranes, backhoes.

NOTE: These vehicles may be used on open roads within 15 miles of the point of departure. If these vehicles travel more than 15 miles on the open road, departments must purchase a Farm Exempt decal with the vehicle license from the Department of Licensing.

As a state agency, the University is exempt from paying annual licensing fees. License plates issued to the University indicate exempt status. The license fee and any related charges are one-time costs.

To apply for vehicle titles, departments must complete and submit the following documents, as appropriate, to the offices indicated below.

A departmental representative sends a completed Department Requisition to Purchasing Services along with any other pertinent documents indicated in this section.

See 70.10 for general instructions regarding the Departmental Requisition form. See the PDF version of 70.40.3 for a completed example.

Under Item, include the vehicle identification number (VIN), year, make, model, and original purchase order number.

Under Vendor Names, indicate the Department of Licensing.

Contact Purchasing Services for the current schedule of fees and related charges.

Complete and submit a vehicle title application to Purchasing Services. The vendor usually provides the title application. If not, Purchasing Services has blank applications.

If the University owns the vehicle, indicate Washington State University as the First Registered Owner and Risk Management/Department name as Second Registered Owner. Under Name of First Legal Owner, place the words "SAME AS ABOVE." See example below.

Purchasing Services must review, sign, and have all title applications notarized.

See sample title application in the PDF version of 70.40.2.

Submit the following additional documents to Purchasing Services with the Department Requisition:

• Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO),
• Current odometer reading certification,
• Copy of an invoice or purchase order indicating that sales/compensatory tax has been paid on the vehicle, and
• Weight certification (for trucks and trailers only).

NOTE: The MSO, the odometer certification, a vendor's invoice, and the title application usually come with the vehicle.

If a department purchases a used out-of-state vehicle, the vehicle must be inspected by the Washington State Patrol. NOTE: New vehicles do not need to be inspected.

The department adds the inspection fee to the Departmental Requisition. Inspection must occur before licensing, but the inspection fee is paid at the same time as the licensing fee.

To title a surplus vehicle acquired through State Surplus Property, the department completes and submits to Purchasing Services all documents received from the Department of General Administration, Surplus Property Division.

Purchasing Services obtains a Declaration of Use Tax form from the Department of Revenue to request exemption from the requirement to pay state sales/use tax. Purchasing Services completes the form and submits it to the Department of Revenue.

Purchasing Services completes and submits a Declaration of Use Tax form to the Department of Revenue. See above.

The department submits the issue document received from the federal agency to Purchasing Services. (See 20.78 for more about federal excess property.)

On the title application indicate Washington State University as the First Registered Owner, Risk Management/Department as the Second Registered Owner, and the federal agency as the Legal Owner.

To title a donated vehicle, submit documentation to Purchasing Services from a car dealership verifying the value of the vehicle.

NOTE: Complete a Gift Transmittal to report the in-kind gift. Route copies of the Gift Transmittal and vehicle value verification to the Gift Accounting division of the WSU Foundation and the Property Inventory Section of the Controller's Office. See 30.70 for Gift Transmittal form instructions.

Contact Purchasing Services for additional instructions on titling and licensing aircraft or other modes of transportation not addressed above.

For Pullman units, a department representative picks up the check for the license fees and related charges from Purchasing Services, French 220.

For non-Pullman units, Purchasing Services mails the check for license fees and related charges to the department by certified mail.

The departmental representative delivers the following items to the Department of Licensing in person:

• Check,
• Completed title application,
• Odometer reading, and
• Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO).

If applicable, the departmental representative also takes the inspection slip and/or the Declaration of Use Tax form. See above.

In Whitman County, Department of Licensing offices are located at:

• Whitman County Auditor's Office
  County Courthouse, Colfax, WA


• Department of Licensing Office
  Pufferbelly Depot, Pullman, WA

Departments located outside Whitman County contact the local office of the state of Washington Department of Licensing.

The Department of Licensing provides the departmental representative with the vehicle license plates and the vehicle registration.

Securely attach the license plates to the vehicle. NOTE: Do not move plates from one vehicle to another.

Immediately submit copies of the Department of Licensing's Certificate of Registration to Purchasing Services and the Department of Risk Management.

Place the original Certificate of Registration inside the vehicle glove compartment, along with the vehicle accident forms. See S35.30 for vehicle accident form requirements.

The state of Washington Department of Licensing sends the vehicle title to the legal owner (WSU Risk Management, federal agency, or other) for filing.

The Department of Risk Management maintains the titles for all University vehicles.

The Property Inventory Section of the Controller's Office updates the University's AIS Property Inventory Application when it receives notification of acquisition or transfer of a vehicle. See 20.50 for property inventory procedures.

Once Property Inventory updates the Property Inventory Application, the information appears in the Vehicle Information System, a database maintained by the Department of Risk Management.

The Department of Risk Management is responsible for adding the license and title data into the Vehicle Information System.

Property Inventory issues the department a Property Inventory Card and inventory tag after entering the information into the system.

Departmental personnel are to secure the tag to the inside of the driver's door post.

Contact the Department of Risk Management with questions regarding the titling of University vehicles.

When a vehicle is sold, transferred, or disposed of, the transferring department must formally notify the Property Inventory Division and the Department of Risk Management.

See 20.50 for additional procedures for handling University property.

See 20.80 to sell a motor vehicle to another WSU department.

See 20.76 to dispose of a motor vehicle.