Motor Vehicles

State laws vary when it comes to motor vehicle insurance requirements, licensing, and registration. The term vehicle generally includes automobiles, motorcycles, vans, trailers, and boats regularly parked or garaged overnight. Service members and their families will want to understand their state’s laws on registration and licensing before moving to a new state. Visit the USA.gov Motor Vehicle Services page for links to state-specific websites.

Washington State law requires you to have sufficient liability insurance and a valid driver’s license in order to operate a vehicle. The term “vehicle” generally includes automobiles, motorcycles, vans, trailers and boats regularly parked or garaged overnight. Further, your vehicle must be properly registered. Even though you are in the Military, you may be required to register your vehicle in-state and obtain an in-state license within a few months of moving. Access complete information on insurance, driver’s licensing, and where and how to register your vehicle by visiting the WA State Department of Motor Vehicles website.

To register your vehicle on base you will need the following:

• Proof of insurance
• Vehicle registration
• Valid military ID card
• Driver's license

The Pass and ID office is located at 2853 Langley BLDV, to the right of the Langley Gate, and operates under a first-come-first-served basis. Telephone number 360-257-5620.

To register your vehicle in the State of Washington, please visit https://www.dol.wa.gov . Oak Harbor Vehicle Licensing Office is located at 75 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA. Telephone number is 360-675-8000.

Beginning July 1, 2013, Pass and ID will no longer issue vehicle decals; however, you will still need to register your vehicle in order operate it on the installation.

All E-3 and below must receive financial counseling prior to purchasing a vehicle per NASWHIDBEYINST 5801.1a.

Traffic --The traffic laws of the State of Washington are strictly enforced on all portions of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Speed limits are enforced by radar. Seatbelts are required to be worn while aboard the station.

Motorcycles --Motorcyclists are required to wear helmets with eye protection, gloves, long trousers/shirts, and hard-soled shoes or boots. A safety course is required as per NASWHIDBEYINST 5100.39 before registering your motorcycle at Pass and ID. 

Bicycles -- Bicyclists are required to wear a helmet approved by ANSI or Snell while riding on government streets and roadways.

Accidents -- Report all traffic accidents and remain at the scene until police arrive to investigate. If there is an injury, death or $500 worth of damage to any person's property, make a full written report of the accident within 24 hours. Be sure to contact your insurance company as well.

Photography -- Cameras may be brought into the housing areas on base and retained in quarters without a camera pass. However, a camera pass is required before a camera can be taken into an official building or controlled area, especially the flight line. Contact the base public affairs office for further guidance at 360-257-2286.

State and local laws regulate the operation of motor vehicles and these laws can vary by location. Many states regulate the following:

• Seatbelt use
• Child safety seats
• Motorcycle operation
• The use of cellphones and other digital devices while driving
• Dangerously Distracted Driving

Learn more about motor vehicle laws in your state at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) page.

You and your passengers must always wear seatbelts while driving; you will be ticketed and issued heavy fines if seatbelts are not secured. A highlighted portion of the Washington State child safety seat laws are as follows per  RCW 46.61.687:

1. Whenever a child who is less than sixteen years of age is being transported in a motor vehicle that is in operation and that is required by  to be equipped with a safety belt system in a passenger seating position, or is being transported in a neighborhood electric vehicle or medium-speed electric vehicle that is in operation, the driver of the vehicle shall keep the child properly restrained as follows:

A child under the age of two years must be properly secured in a child restraint system that is rear-facing until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer. A child may continue to be properly secured in a child restraint system that is rear-facing until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer, as recommended by the American academy of pediatrics.A child who is not properly secured in a rear-facing child restraint system in accordance with (a) and who is under the age of four years must be properly secured in a child restraint system that is forward-facing and has a harness until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer. A child may continue to be properly secured in a child restraint system that is forward-facing and has a harness until the child reaches the weight or height limit of the child restraint system as set by the manufacturer, as recommended by the American academy of pediatrics.A child who is not properly secured in a child restraint system in accordance with (a) or (b) and who is under four feet nine inches tall must be properly secured in a child booster seat. A child may continue to be properly secured in a child booster seat until the vehicle lap and shoulder seat belts fit properly, typically when the child is between the ages of eight and twelve years of age, as recommended by the American academy of pediatrics, or must be properly secured with the motor vehicle's safety belt properly adjusted and fastened around the child's body.The driver of a vehicle transporting a child who is under thirteen years old shall transport the child in the back seat positions in the vehicle where it is practical to do so.

Motorcycles and their operators are subject to special laws. If you own and operate a motorcycle, motor-driven cycles, mopeds, or electric-assisted bicycles, you must comply with those laws. Visit Motorcycle Operator Manual, WA DOL

Personal Electronic Device while Driving: RCW 46.61.672

(1) A person who uses a personal electronic device while driving a motor vehicle on a public highway is guilty of a traffic infraction and must pay a fine as provided in RCW 46.63.110(3).

(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:

(a) A driver who is using a personal electronic device to contact emergency services;

(b) The use of a system by a transit system employee for time-sensitive relay communication between the transit system employee and the transit system's dispatch services;

(c) An individual employed as a commercial motor vehicle driver who uses a personal electronic device within the scope of such individual's employment if such use is permitted under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 31136 as it existed on July 23, 2017; and

(d) A person operating an authorized emergency vehicle.

(3) The state preempts the field of regulating the use of personal electronic devices in motor vehicles while driving, and this section supersedes any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by any political subdivision or municipality to regulate the use of a personal electronic device by the operator of a motor vehicle.

(4) A second or subsequent offense under this section is subject to two times the penalty amount under RCW 46.63.110

(5) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Driving" means to operate a motor vehicle on a public highway, including while temporarily stationary because of traffic, a traffic control device, or other momentary delays. "Driving" does not include when the vehicle has pulled over to the side of, or off of, an active roadway and has stopped in a location where it can safely remain stationary.

(b) "Personal electronic device" means any portable electronic device that is capable of wireless communication or electronic data retrieval and is not manufactured primarily for hands-free use in a motor vehicle. "Personal electronic device" includes, but is not limited to, a cell phone, tablet, laptop, two-way messaging device, or electronic game. "Personal electronic device" does not include two-way radio, citizens band radio, or amateur radio equipment.

(c) "Use" or "uses" means:

(i) Holding a personal electronic device in either hand or both hands;

(ii) Using your hand or finger to compose, send, read, view, access, browse, transmit, save, or retrieve email, text messages, instant messages, photographs, or other electronic data; however, this does not preclude the minimal use of a finger to activate, deactivate, or initiate a function of the device;

(iii) Watching video on a personal electronic device.

Dangerously Distracted Driving: RCW 46.61.673

(1)(a) It is a traffic infraction to drive dangerously distracted. Any driver who commits this infraction must be assessed a base penalty of thirty dollars.

(b) Enforcement of the infraction of driving dangerously distracted may be accomplished only as a secondary action when a driver of a motor vehicle has been detained for a suspected violation of a separate traffic infraction or an equivalent local ordinance.

(c) For the purposes of this section, "dangerously distracted" means a person who engages in any activity not related to the actual operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of such motor vehicle on any highway.

(2) The additional monetary penalty imposed under this section must be deposited into the distracted driving prevention account created in subsection (3) of this section.

(3) The distracted driving prevention account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from the base penalty in subsection (1) of this section must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only to support programs dedicated to reducing distracted driving and improving driver education on distracted driving.

It is recommended you apply for a driver's license within 30 days of becoming a Washington State resident because often local employers require a Washington State driver's license for employment. You are considered a resident when you establish a permanent home in the state, register to vote, receive state benefits, apply for any state license or seek in-state tuition fees.

Special considerations exist for active duty military; please consult the Drivers Guide for the latest information. Obtain a copy of the Washington State Drivers Guide at one of the licensing offices.

Oak Harbor has a local Department of Licensing Office located on Bayshore Drive, 360-675-6466.