Seattle Transportation Benefit District fee and refunds
Vehicle owners in the City of Seattle whose vehicle registration renewal with the Washington State Department of Licensing occurred from Dec. 1, 2023 through Jan. 17, 2024, and who paid $50 for their Seattle Transportation Benefit District fee rather than the required $40, will be issued a $10 refund by the City.
A refund check will be sent to the address of the registered vehicle owner. The Seattle Transportation Benefit District fee increased to $50 beginning Jan. 18, 2024.
For additional questions please refer to the FAQs below.
Refunds FAQ
Vehicle owners in the City of Seattle whose vehicle registration renewal with the Washington State Department of Licensing occurs between Dec. 1, 2023 through Jan. 17, 2024 and who pay $50 for their Seattle Transportation Benefit District fee.
Look at your receipt on the bottom of your registration or go online here and click on “Historical fee data” in the middle of the page. If you paid $50 for the fee labeled “Transportation Benefit District – Seattle”, and your vehicle registration expiration was between Dec. 1, 2023 and Jan. 17, 2024, you will receive a $10 refund.
The City of Seattle will be sending refund checks to the mailing address of the vehicle’s registered owner regardless of the original payment method. Refund payments will not be available in person. Refund checks will be processed automatically and mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.
Eligible vehicle owners will get their refund as expeditiously as possible.
Check your registration information using the Department of Licensing online change address feature or by calling DOL at 1 (360) 902-3770. If your vehicle registration address is not current, update it on the DOL website.
City of Seattle vehicle owners with renewals between Dec. 1, 2023 and Jan. 17, 2024 must pay a $50 Seattle Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee (rather than the currently required $40), and are owed a $10 refund.
On Nov. 29, 2022, Seattle City Council passed Ordinance 126720 approving a $10 increase to the Seattle Transportation Benefit District (STBD) vehicle license fee, thereby, increasing the total fee from $40 to $50.
On Oct. 18, 2023, the City Clerk posted the fee increase notice in the Daily Journal of Commerce, as required notification to the public of the change. Per RCW 36.73.065 (6), a 90-day waiting period is required from the date of public notification until the increased fee can be collected. Thus, collection of the fee should not commence before January 18, 2024.
However, the City had already notified the State Department of Licensing (DOL) for the fee increase to be effective with vehicle renewals due on or after Dec. 1, 2023. Programming and timing constraints do not allow for the fee on renewal notices to be re-updated, as vehicle renewal notices with the increased amount were already in process when the issue was raised.
The City of Seattle selected BrownGreer PLC as the Third Party Administrator (“TPA”) to implement and administer the Seattle Transportation Benefit District Refund Program. The TPA’s duties include, issuing checks to those who are due $10 refunds from the Seattle Transportation Benefit District vehicle license fee, maintaining the program’s call center and email inbox, and any other tasks necessary to administer the refund program.
For questions, please contact the City’s Third Party Administrator at (888) 589-0114 or SeattleCarTabRefund@BrownGreer.com