Vehicle Registration Transactions by Department of Licensing

This dataset shows counts of transactions associated with vehicles authorized to be used on public roads. It is commonly referred to as "buying tabs" or "buying tags."

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Source https://data.wa.gov/resource/brw6-jymh
Author Department of Licensing
Last Updated January 27, 2026, 20:48 (UTC)
Created July 22, 2025, 20:05 (UTC)
1. Vehicle descriptions were standardized using data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) where possible.
2. This dataset only includes passenger cars, light duty trucks, medium duty trucks, and motorcycles.
3. Registration transaction types include: 1) Registration Renewal – The continuation of permission to use a vehicle on public roads. Commonly referred to as “getting new tabs.” 2) Registration at time of Transfer - renewals that occur when the ownership of a vehicle changes. 3) Original Registration – The first time a vehicle is permitted to be used in Washington State on public roads.
Category Transportation
Metadata Language English
Originator Research and Analysis Office, Department of Licensing
Period of Time Data includes transactions from January 2020 through December 2025.
Posting Frequency Monthly
harvest_object_id 567d3b11-9ff7-4a4b-b6fd-dd0a46d5ff3d
harvest_source_id c4128faf-39ff-4aa3-918e-8a395702cab3
harvest_source_title washington-state