Puget Sound License Agency

Wish I looked at reviews first.
They don’t answer their phone. Tabs were suppose to be sent to me in 5 days and not received yet. I told them it was urgent in voicemail, but not heard back from anyone. Call during normal business hours listed on website and also DOL receipt page, but no one picks up. Will need to either go to office or call many times probably to get a response. :/

If I could give negative stars, I would. The customer service is horrible, tude, and unfriendly. The clerk gives information after the fact of transaction. The signage for Internet pick ups is located towards the back of the front desk. I dread going there every year for the past 8 years.

These people don’t know their business. We’ve received wrong information from them about regulations concerning title transfers on several occasions. They don’t answer their phone, so if you have a question, don’t bother calling. I’ve been treated rudely on several occasions, and all I was trying to do was buy tabs. Too bad there aren’t more choices locally. I wouldn’t give them any stars.

Piss poor licencing agency save yourself the time and trouble and head to university licensing instead these guys are idiots and a waste of time.

If I can give negatives stars… I would. The ladies there are so obnoxious, loud and rude, idk how they landed that job. I’ve been here a few times because it’s so close to home. Every single time, when it’s my turn, they are always on their phones and making rude remarks about the customers.

If I could give this business 0 stars I would.
Today I went in to register my 2008 Scion Xd which I purchased in Idaho, and paid sales tax on (Seattle, Washington Sales Tax Rate) at the time of purchase.
After many minutes of waiting for the woman behind the counter to complete her data entry, she told me the amount due to register and license my car would be $ 371.58. And naturally because I educated myself on the licensing fees and taxes listed on the Washington DOL website prior to stepping foot in this office, I questioned the calculated total. So I asked for an itemized copy of the fees and taxes due. She rolled her eyes at me, and then stated, «As you can see the most of the balance due is the RTA Tax, which is calculated at $ 217.»
Knowing that the RTA tax rate is .3%, the value of my car is $ 10,048, and the total purchase price plus the cost of my service contract was $ 12,983, I knew there was a miscalculation. So I left, and contacted the Washington State department of licensing customer service department.
Upon speaking with the DOL, the representative confirmed my suspicion that that RTA tax on my vehicle had been miscalculated. $ 217 in RTA tax would mean my car would be worth $ 72,333. In 2008 the vehicle wouldn’t have sold for more than $ 16,000. Moreover, the DOL representative explained that the tax is not always based on the actual cash value of the car, but rather a formula based on original MSRP and the years of service since the MSRP date. In either case, sale price or formula, the RTA tax on my car was estimated somewhere between $ 29-​$ 39.
With this information at my fingertips, I went back into the Puget Sound Licensing Office. I was assisted by different woman this time. I explained to her that I had just been in the office and I had some serious questions about the calculation of the RTA tax by the previous representative. She looked at me begrudgingly and said, «So!»
(How rude!)
Then, I politely asked her for the print out that outlined the taxes and fees due for registering licensing my car. Her response, «Well, she probably threw it away! So oh well!» In my head, I’m thought, ‘this b*$#h really has a chip on her shoulder’, and my patience was gone, so I said «It’s not ‘oh well’, lady. It’s, you’re ‘going have to reenter all the information and print out the itemized invoice, if you can’t find the one generated by your colleague. That’s what you do here, so I kindly ask that you make it happen.»
She returned with the previous itemized invoice, and I explained the RTA tax was clearly miscalculated, and that I had spoken with the state DOL about the matter and they concurred; in fact, they had encouraged me to confront the licensing office again to have the tax properly calculated. She proceeded to argue with me, but I wasn’t having it. So yet another representative intervened, and reviewed the data entry, where she then found that the calculation and data entered was INCORRECT (shocker!!!). My RTA tax was recalculated at $ 39.
Nonetheless, the woman with a chip on her shoulder continued to dish out the attitude, tossing papers at me, sneering at me, and she even gave me side eye.
Excuse me!!!
I didn’t do anything wrong. I questioned what some people would’ve taken at face value as accurate, and I’m glad I did. I can’t help but wonder how many miscalculated transactions this place has processed, just spitting out balance due totals to unknowing and innocent people, only to have people pay without any question for what they are paying for.
At the end of it all, I was treated like I was a burden, a nag, and that my concerns weren’t valid. Never did I receive an apology.
And on a side note, as one reviewer wondered how they can type with such long nails. The truth is, THEY CAN’T! Perhaps IT IS TIME to cut the damn nails; the first woman who calculated my RTA had talons that could compete with a bald eagle, and she was the one who screwed up.
What a nightmare. I’ll never go to this place again.

I wish I could give this office ZERO stars. They didn’t know how to process a gifted car from out of state. I had already called and spoke to a DOL rep before heading to this office so I knew I had all of the proper documentation. But once at this office, the rep said I needed to go downtown Seattle to the Dept of Revenue to get a tax waiver doc. What!?! I was prepared as I had a copy of the sales contract that showed sales tax was already paid on California. But no, that was not acceptable and I was sent away despite my protests.
At home, I called the Dept of Revenue and they balked at what happened, saying I should just hit up a different DOL office. Which is what I did — drove all the way up north to Wendel’s with my same file of papers and they were able to process my transaction in 7 minutes.
I will never go to this Rainier office again. They don’t know what they’re doing.

they never answer their phone

If I’m reviewing this place correctly, it’s by safeway, starbucks, ross, and right next to magic dragon. Today, I can’t believe I got robbed for 10 bucks. I paid 22 dollars for my affidavit in lieu of title and I forgot to get my change back. She was in the end of the stand and her VFS operator number is 1 738 116, her name is Juiemton or something. dam cursive! But anyways, it’s too late to get my money back on April 29^th and if she’s done her math correctly the whole day, she would be over 10 dollars and that 10 dollars is mine!
However, the service is fast, no one around and one of the lady was sitting and texting and the lady who stole my 10 bucks told me to go to her booth because she probably thought… oh easy money and yes, she was right… I’m the type of guy who is used to playing debit and credit card transaction…

How do they type with those nails?
The good news, they’re super efficient, friendly (mostly) and I can get in and out without much fuss.
Oh, and it’s a stone’s throw away from other ‘vital’ stops on my errand route of Safeway, Starbucks and Ross.
No longer cash or check only, they’re accepting cards but it’s a $ 2 charge.

These days you can do a lot with the text messaging feature on your cell phone. Hey, people even write entire novels using these things. It’s true!
And the girl working behind the counter at the DOL? She’s proof positive that today’s youth are masters of this feature. Unencumbered by email (that’s for old people) she is able to hold down a full time job *and* stay abreast of the comings-​and-​goings of her social circle.
Seriously, girl made and received 4 texts in the time it took me to write out my check for 107 bucks.
Hey, I can’t complain. I’ve never had to wait more than a minute or two at this DOL. Let’s just hope she has an unlimited texting plan!

Let’s see if we can get this sucker tagged so it shows up on a search.
Vehicle Registration.
Tab renewal.
Department of Licensing.
DOL.
REGISTER MY F$&%@ING CAR
WHERE THE ($#*&@ DO I GO TO GET MY (*@#$#@ING TABS RENEWED YOU BUREAUCRATIC CITY OFFICIAL @*(#HOLES?
*brush hands off* That should do it.
I think it should be the responsibility of the officer who pulls you over to let you know that your tabs are out of date to inform you of where you can actually go to renew your tabs. (Aren’t you supposed to get a notice in the mail? What the hell is going on here?) Because god help you if you go to a DOL where they renew DRIVER’S LICENSES. YOU’RE IN THE WRONG FUCKING PLACE. GAME OVER MAN!
Yeah… some jerk we probably elected and pay out of our taxes decided, «I got a good idea! Let’s separate the functions of these places we call Deparments of Licensing into Driver’s Licensing and Vehicle Licensing, but let’s call them all Department of Licensing, and let’s not make it at all clear via signage or any other commonly used communication other than telepathic morse code, and force everyone to come inside one or the other and wait in line for two hours and train our staff to treat like total ignorant dipshits when they come in and ask, ‘Can I renew my registration here?’ And when we’re done, let’s go waste some more @*#(%&ing tax money on screwing land-​owners out of their property and then building public transit that goes no-​where useful and name it the same as a slang word for a person you have to pay to take a ride that also goes nowhere but at least feels good! And will probably give you crabs!»
I know you’re now looking at my 4 star rating and saying, «um… with a rant like that, I was expecting one star? Like… dude?» And to that I say… don’t call me dude, dude.
A very kind, gentle soul at the DOL on Rainier near Orcas that is for DRIVER’S LICENSING ONLY apparently (not a fucking sign in sight that would let you know that registering your car here will equal FAIL) let me know that I probably wanted the very well hidden DOL that is also on Rainier but next door to the gross chinese buffet.
I headed down there, expecting to continue this colossal clusterfuk of an adventure. I walk into this DOL for AUTO REGISTRATION AND TAB RENEWAL ONLY, and there is virtually no line, and signs hung everywhere letting me know that they don’t accept credit or debit and to please hang up my cell phone before I even think about walking up to the line, and some of the rates they charge for all the services they provide, totally visible behind their counter.
Sweet god. Communication.
Feeling empowered, I head up to the WaMu in the Safeway to grab a whole crapload of cash, because I don’t know about you but I haven’t written a check in about a decade.
I head back in to this DOL for AUTO REGISTRATION AND TAB RENEWAL ONLY (which is actually the Puget Sound License Agency) totally expecting that in my absence there will now be a line out the door and snaking into the gross chinese buffet. But no. There’s one girl standing in front of me. There are three lovely ladies working, and they are turning people around and getting their shit done in a timely, efficient manner.
Within a minute or two I’m at the counter, I’m showing my ID, I’m reciting my license plate number, I’m joking with the gal behind the counter, I’m paying, I’m getting my tabs and my registration, I’m getting my change, and STICK A FORK IN ME I’M DONE.