How long does a Washington trip permit last?

Three consecutive days from the first day of use.

How much does a Washington trip permit cost?

Thirty-six dollars per permit. There are no exchanges, refunds, or credits.

Can I buy a Washington trip permit online?

No. Trip permits are sold in person at a vehicle licensing office only, for cash or a check payable to the Department of Licensing.

What counts as unlicensed for a Washington trip permit?

A vehicle whose tabs are expired, or whose registered gross weight is insufficient for the load it carries.

How many trip permits can one vehicle use?

Up to three permits in any 30-day period. Recreational vehicles, including motor homes, travel trailers, camp trailers, and campers, are limited to two permits in one year.

Is a Washington trip permit a renewal extension?

Not as stated on the pages read. It covers unlicensed vehicles, and whether a separate renewal-extension permit exists was not established on the pages read.

Temporary Registration Permits in Washington

The Washington temporary permit in one table

Question	Washington rule
Permit	Trip permit for unlicensed vehicles
Duration	3 consecutive days from the first day of use.
Fee	$36 per permit. No exchanges, refunds, or credits.
Who qualifies	Vehicle is 'unlicensed' if tabs are expired or gross weight is insufficient for the load. Any 1 vehicle: up to 3 permits in any 30-day period. Any 1 RV (motor homes, travel trailers, camp trailers, campers): up to 2 permits in 1 year.
How to get it	In person at a vehicle licensing office only , cannot be bought online. Pay cash or check payable to the Department of Licensing. The permit must be completed, signed, and dated before operating; any correction or alteration invalidates it.

What this permit is, and what it is not

Two different caps apply, and they are easy to confuse. One vehicle may use three trip permits in any 30-day period. Recreational vehicles have a separate, stricter cap: a motor home, travel trailer, camp trailer, or camper may use two permits in one year. The caps count permits, not days, so three short uses in a month exhaust the vehicle cap even though each permit lasts only three days.

The document itself is unforgiving. It must be completed, signed, and dated before the vehicle is operated, and any correction or alteration invalidates it, so the details have to be right the first time. There are no exchanges, refunds, or credits once a permit is bought. Purchase happens in person at a vehicle licensing office, with cash or a check payable to the Department of Licensing; online purchase is not available. Whether a separate 60-day temporary permit exists for plates or paperwork delays was not established on the pages read, since the 60-day permit appears only in unofficial guides, and this guide does not present the trip permit as a renewal extension.

The process, step by step

Check that the vehicle fits one of the two unlicensed cases. Expired tabs qualify. So does a registered gross weight that is insufficient for the load. A currently licensed vehicle does not need this document.
Go to a vehicle licensing office in person. Trip permits are not sold online. Bring cash or a check payable to the Department of Licensing.
Fill in, sign, and date the permit before driving. A correction or alteration after the fact invalidates the permit, so complete every field carefully before operating the vehicle.
Track both caps. Three consecutive days per permit; up to three permits in any 30-day period for one vehicle; for a motor home, travel trailer, camp trailer, or camper, two permits in one year.
Renew through the normal channels when the trip is done. Expired tabs renew through License Express, by mail, or in person, as described on the Washington expired-renewal guide. The trip permit does not renew the registration.

Temporary permits somewhere else

See Temporary Registration Permits in California.

See Temporary Registration Permits in Colorado.

For all states side by side, see the Temporary Registration Permits by State directory.

Source

Washington official pages

Facts verified 2026-10-28.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.

Not carried on this page: Whether a trip permit may be used as a renewal extension (e.g. pending paperwork) beyond the unlicensed-vehicle cases stated; whether a separate 60-day temporary permit for plates/paperwork delays exists (claimed in secondary sources only)..