Washington DOL License: Requirements, Fees, and Renewal

A Washington DOL driver license costs $111 for a six-year term or $131 for eight years the first time you apply, and the process runs in this order: pre-apply online, gather proof of identity and Washington residency, pass a written knowledge test and a behind-the-wheel skills test, then visit a Department of Licensing office for a vision screening, photo, and fee payment.¹ Your permanent card arrives by mail within seven to ten business days; a paper temporary license covers you in the meantime.²

Documents You Need to Bring

Identity comes first. Under RCW 46.20.035, the DOL accepts a valid or recently expired passport, a military ID, a Department of Homeland Security immigration document, or another state’s driver license with your photo and signature. A Washington license that expired within the last five years also works.³

You also provide your Social Security number, or sign a declaration if you do not have one.³ Non-citizens go through a separate check when the DOL verifies immigration status through the federal SAVE system.⁴

Residency is a separate requirement. Bring documents showing a current Washington home address, such as utility bills, a signed lease, or government-issued tax records. The DOL publishes an online document checklist sorted by license type; running through it before your appointment prevents a wasted trip.

How to Get Your First License

Start on the DOL website by pre-applying online. This gives you a Washington Driver License (WDL) number, a 12-digit identifier you will use to book test appointments and identify yourself at testing centers.⁵

Next, pass the two tests. The knowledge exam covers traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices drawn from the Washington Driver Guide, including right-of-way rules, impaired driving penalties, and common hazards. The behind-the-wheel test checks lane changes, turns, parking, and hazard response. Both are administered at licensed third-party testing locations rather than at the DOL office itself, and you pay their fees directly.

Finish at a DOL office. An agent runs a vision screening; you need 20/40 or better in at least one eye, with or without correction. If you rely on glasses or contacts to meet that standard, a corrective lens restriction is added to your license.⁶ Staff take your photo, you pay the fee, and you leave with a temporary paper license valid for 45 days.²

The DOL provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities, including low-distraction testing, audio-assistive devices, alternate-format materials, flash cards for the driving test, and ASL interpreters. Contact the DOL ahead of your appointment to arrange these.⁷

Fees

Instruction permit application: $35 as of January 1, 2026.⁸
First standard driver license: $111 for six years, $131 for eight years.¹
First Enhanced Driver License: $153 for six years, $187 for eight years.¹
Standard renewal: $61 for six years, $81 for eight years.¹
EDL renewal: $103 for six years, $137 for eight years.¹
Late renewal (more than 60 days expired): add a $10 late fee.¹
Replacement card: $20 for either a standard license or EDL.¹

DOL offices accept credit cards, debit cards, personal checks, and cash. Knowledge and skills test fees are paid separately to the third-party testing provider.

Standard License or Enhanced Driver License

The standard Washington driver license is not REAL ID compliant. Since May 7, 2025, federal agencies have enforced REAL ID for domestic air travel and access to certain federal buildings.⁹ To use one card for driving and flying, you need an Enhanced Driver License, or you keep carrying a passport.

The EDL is REAL ID compliant and also serves as proof of U.S. citizenship for land and sea border crossings to Canada and Mexico.¹⁰ Applying requires an in-person visit and proof of identity, U.S. citizenship, and Washington residency. Expect two to three weeks for the card to arrive rather than the seven to ten business days on a standard license.¹¹

Drivers Under 18

Washington uses a graduated licensing system. You can apply for an instruction permit at 15 if you are enrolled in an approved driver training course, or at 15 and a half if you are not. Either way, you pass the knowledge test first.⁸

At 16 you can apply for a full license, classified as an intermediate license until you turn 18. For the first six months, you cannot carry any passengers under 20 outside your immediate family. After that, the cap becomes three non-family passengers under 20. Driving between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. is off-limits unless you are with a licensed driver at least 25, or heading to work, school, or a religious activity. Phones and wireless devices are prohibited except to call 911.¹²

Twelve months clean — no at-fault accidents, no traffic violations, no intermediate license violations — lifts the passenger and nighttime limits before your 18th birthday.¹² Agricultural driving is separately exempt at any hour with any number of passengers.

Moving to Washington With an Out-of-State License

A valid, unexpired license from another U.S. state lets you skip both tests when transferring. You still need proof of identity, your out-of-state license (which is surrendered), a vision screening, and the licensing fee.² Drivers with foreign licenses, or anyone whose license has been expired more than a year, should plan on taking both the knowledge and skills tests.

Renewing Your License

Washington rotates renewal channels. You can renew online or by phone if you are under 70 and last renewed in person. You must renew in person if you are 70 or older, need a new photo, need a vision screening, or renewed online at your last expiration.¹³ In practice, that means one remote renewal followed by one in-person renewal, so your photo and vision stay current.

You can pick a six-year or eight-year renewal term. The eight-year option costs more upfront but works out to a lower annual rate and fewer trips to the DOL over time. If more than 60 days have passed since your license expired, add $10 to whatever renewal fee applies.¹

Address and Name Changes

You have 10 days to notify the DOL after you move.¹⁴ The update goes through the License eXpress portal at no charge. If you want an updated physical card, it is $20.¹⁵ The deadline matters: notices about your registration, insurance, or license status go to the address on file, and a suspension mailed to your old address still binds you.

Name changes require an in-person visit and original documents — a certified marriage certificate, certified divorce decree, or court order. Photocopies are not accepted. The same rules and documents apply to an EDL.¹⁵¹⁶

Out-of-State Convictions

Washington is a member of the Driver License Compact, so traffic convictions from other member states are reported back to the DOL.¹⁷ Serious offenses — impaired driving, vehicular homicide, felonies involving a vehicle, and hit-and-run causing injury — are treated as if they happened in Washington, which can suspend or revoke your license here. The federal Problem Driver Pointer System also tracks revocations, suspensions, and denials nationwide, so applying for a license in a different state does not clear a suspended record.¹⁸

1
Washington State Department of Licensing. Driver Licensing Fees
2
Washington State Department of Licensing. Moving to Washington – Get a Driver License
3
Washington State Legislature. Washington State Code 46.20.035 – Evidence of Identity and Date of Birth
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. SAVE CaseCheck
5
Washington State Department of Licensing. Pre-apply Online
6
Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-104-010 – Vision Screening
7
Washington State Department of Licensing. Accessing Our Services
8
Washington State Legislature. Washington State Code 46.20.055
9
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
10
Washington State Department of Licensing. Enhanced Driver License (EDL)
11
Washington State Department of Licensing. Guide to Enhanced Driver Licenses (EDL)
12
Washington State Legislature. Washington State Code 46.20.075 – Intermediate License
13
Washington State Department of Licensing. Renew Driver License
14
Washington State Legislature. Revised Code of Washington 46.20.205 – Change of Address or Name
15
Washington State Department of Licensing. Change Your Name or Address on Your Driver License
16
Washington State Department of Licensing. Change Name or Address on Enhanced Driver License (EDL)
17
Washington State Legislature. Washington State Code Chapter 46.21 – Driver License Compact
18
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. National Driver Register