This bill (Substitute Senate Bill 5432, 69th Legislature, 2025) amends RCW 46.16A.305 and adds a new section to chapter 72.60 RCW to change how department temporary license plates are issued and managed. It specifies who may grant a temporary plate (the department, a county auditor or other agent, or a subagent appointed by the director), what must be on the application (vehicle description, applicant name and address, date, and any other department-required information), that the application must include the fee required under RCW 46.17.400(1)(b), and basic plate characteristics (consecutive numbering, display per RCW 46.16A.200(5)(a), made of material durable and unaltered for at least four months, and remain only until permanent plates are received). The department may adopt rules for design and display, and must adopt by December 1, 2025 rules allowing contingency extensions of temporary plate expiration dates during shortages of permanent plates, with priority on reducing customer return trips and a communication plan with state and local law enforcement. The new section to chapter 72.60 RCW requires the Department of Corrections, in conjunction with the department responsible for licensing, to promptly notify county auditors, agents, and subagents when a projected license plate shortage is anticipated. Those two agencies must develop and implement a mitigation plan that may include contracting with a third‑party vendor to produce license plates until the shortage is eliminated and a sufficient inventory exists for the following 90-day period. After initial use, a third‑party vendor may be engaged by either or both agencies. These are procedural and administrative changes to vehicle registration and plate production processes, including new contingency authority, communication duties, rulemaking deadlines, and authorization to use third‑party vendors. The extracted text references other RCWs for display requirements and fees but does not include their full text; the term "department" is used in the context of vehicle registration but is not explicitly defined in the provided text, and specific triggers, operational details, and full elements of the mitigation plan are not included.

If enacted, vehicle registration offices will have a clearer, standardized process for issuing temporary license plates that must be durable for at least four months, issued on a department form with the required fee, and used only until the permanent plates arrive; the Department of Licensing can set plate design and display rules and must adopt by December 1, 2025 rules allowing contingency extensions of temporary plate expirations during permanent plate shortages, with a communication plan for state and local law enforcement to reduce customer return trips. In practice this should make temporary plate use more predictable for vehicle owners and aim to cut down on repeat visits when permanent plates are delayed. The Department of Licensing and the Department of Corrections will take on new operational duties: Licensing must promptly notify county auditors, agents, and subagents about anticipated plate shortages, and the two agencies must develop and run a mitigation plan that can include contracting third‑party vendors to produce plates until inventory is restored for a 90‑day buffer. County auditors, agents, and subagents will be the front line for issuing plates under these rules, and there will likely be added procurement and administrative costs and oversight for state agencies; specific fee amounts, exact display requirements, and the triggers and detailed mechanics for contingency extensions are not included in the provided text.