Cost of driver's license increases Monday

SEATTLE — The Department of Licensing is making changes to its system which means people will start paying more for a license after Monday.

The Department of Licensing is changing to make it more convenient when dealing with it. The change mostly affects new drivers and people from out of the state.

For people who need to renew their license, the wait will be shorter in lines and have faster service.

For people who have to take a written or driving test, it will be more complicated and expensive. The DOL has outsourced the actual testing and people will need to go to a state-approved driving school and pay them $65.

The state will still get its fees, and they will also go up.

One example of how the state fees work is right now, it costs $20 to apply for a license and after Monday, it will be $35. Once a person applies, a license is needed and that will cost $45, which would total $80.

The 911 Driving School, which has multiple locations, told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News that it is planning to contract with the state. A driving test will range from $30 to $49, depending on whether or not a person uses their own car. The written test costs another $15.

The Defensive Driving school is also in the process of contracting with the state. A driving test will range $35 to $45 and a written will be $10 to $15.

In comparison, in the state of California, license fees cost $37. In Oregon it costs $60, and in Idaho, the application and driver's test fees are nearly $80.

KIRO