​FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 6, 2021

Permanent license plates temporarily in short supply

PORT ORCHARD -- New aluminum license plates are temporarily in short supply in Washington, so some residents purchasing cars will be getting 60-day paper registrations for the back window until supplies can meet the demand.

In Kitsap County this will affect customers at Kitsap County's licensing desk in the Auditor's Office and in the county's five privately owned licensing offices. The paper licenses will be displayed the same way paper licenses are placed when a customer buys a car from a dealership.

Truck, trailer and motorcycle transactions are not affected at this time. The state has asked local licensing agencies to prioritize transactions from dealerships for whatever permanent supply of permanent plates remains on hand.

"We are hopeful that this shortage is brief, but the state is indicating the disruption could last into November, Paul Andrews, Kitsap County Auditor, said.

The State's Department of Corrections slowed plate production as a safety protocol in response to Covid-19. In late July DOC hired more staff and outsourced some production to another state, but an aluminum shortage is delaying delivery of new plates.

Kitsap County licensing locations can be found at the auditor's website at https://www.kitsapgov.com/auditor/Pages/kitsap-vehicle-licensing-locations.aspx