OLYMPIA — December car tab renewal notices were sent to vehicle owners five to six weeks late due to a new tax initiative, the state Department of Licensing said.
The I-976 tax cut measure that passed in November caused December renewal notices to be sent late while the state waited for possible court intervention, The Seattle Times reported.
A King County judge issued an injunction to halt the tax cut in late November, followed by a Dec. 4 order by the state Supreme Court that puts I-976 on hold pending hearings.
Some drivers might receive their bills after the December date by which the tabs should be affixed to rear license plates, officials said.
State Patrol troopers have been briefed on the licensing delay and will use appropriate discretion in dealing with vehicles that have outdated tabs, the department said.
About 525,600 owners are mailed December renewal notices, while 43,000 are notified by email and should have already received their December updates, licensing department spokeswoman Christine Anthony said.
The agency will send January notices on a normal cycle, before the stalled December notices, so only one month’s schedule will be affected, Anthony said.
