Sponsor and county auditors back no‑fee plate replacements in hearing on House Bill 2114

The Senate Transportation Committee held a public hearing on Substitute House Bill 2114 on Feb. 23, a proposal to require no‑fee replacement license plates within the first two years of issuance and to allow discretionary waivers for replacements up to five years after issuance.

Brian Moore, committee staff, summarized the bill and said current Department of Licensing practice replaces defective plates informally within one year but statute does not require it. The fiscal note estimates a small revenue loss: about $600 in the first biennium (roughly 9–10 qualifying plates) and about $1,200 in subsequent biennia, with an estimated $94,000 in expenditures listed.

Representative Andrew Engel, prime sponsor, said the bill was sparked by constituent complaints and county auditors' reports that plates — particularly in parts of Eastern Washington — have been delaminating and becoming unreadable within a few years. "This seems to be a recent phenomenon in the last five years," Engel said, urging the committee to move the bill out as a customer‑service fix.

Remote testimony from county auditors supported the bill. Mary Ann Nichols, Pend Oreille County auditor, described daily customer complaints and visible plate deterioration in her community and called HB 2114 "a good customer service bill." Thad Duvall, Douglas County auditor and co‑chair of county licensing, also testified in favor and said the bill would help create clear replacement standards and reduce subjectivity in the field.

No final action was taken; the hearing closed after committee questions and the public testimony.