OLYMPIA—Rep. Joe Timmons (D-Bellingham) passed his first bill off the House floor today. House Bill 1302 allows a car dealership to file a report of sale on behalf of an owner who trades in or sells a vehicle to the dealer. It passed the House unanimously.
“When people trade in or sell their car to a dealership, they often don’t know that they are required to report the vehicle as sold to the Department of Licensing,” Timmons said. “Failing to do this can lead to people who have sold their car receiving parking tickets or other fines from the new owner of the car. Allowing the dealership to file this paperwork on behalf of the seller will streamline the process and reduce confusion for auto sellers who are sometimes getting hit with fines years after the sale of their car.”
Currently, auto sellers are required to file a report of sale or transfer within five business days. Dealerships are not allowed to file this paperwork on their behalf. A report of sale includes the date of the sale or transfer, the name and address of both the person selling and purchasing the vehicle, the vehicle identification number, and the license plate number. It also has a fee of $13.25. The bill would allow the dealership to collect the fee from the auto seller at the time of sale.
“This bill idea actually came to me from the auto dealers association,” Timmons said. “Many people assume that when they sell their car to a dealer or trade it in the process is over. So, when they get a parking tickets weeks or months later, the first person they call is the dealership. By allowing the dealership to simply file this paperwork on behalf of the seller, we can reduce confusion and make our government more efficient. It might not be the most blockbuster legislation, but it’s a problem-solver bill that will make life easier for everyone involved,” he added.
HB 1302 was heard in the House Transportation Committee on January 23 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
