Turkish-Speaking Immigration Attorney in Seattle

1. Book an appointment. DOL driver licensing offices do not take walk-ins. They do not handle vehicle registration either, so that is a separate trip (car registration).
2. Bring original documents. DOL refuses copies, scans and photos on a phone. Four combinations are accepted: one stand-alone document, two A-list documents, one A-list plus two B-list documents, or four B-list documents (one showing name and date of birth).
3. Give your SSN if you have one, or sign a declaration. DOL verifies the number with the Social Security Administration. If you do not have one, you sign a declaration saying so and the transaction still goes ahead. A commercial license (CDL) does require an SSN plus citizenship or permanent residence.
4. Take the tests. The knowledge test has 40 multiple-choice questions and you need 32 correct; a passing score is good for 2 years. The drive test is passed at 80 of 100 and the score is good for 1 year. At 18 and over, no learner permit or driving school is required; if you want to practice, a 1-year learner permit costs $35 and lets you drive with someone who has held a license for more than 5 years. Vision screening happens at the office.
5. Bring a car to the drive test. You need an insured vehicle with valid registration, tabs and plates; a rental car is allowed. Without proof of liability insurance for that vehicle you will not be tested. Tests are given at driver training schools and some DOL offices.
6. Wait for the card. The temporary license is good for 45 days and the permanent card arrives by mail in 7 to 10 days. If it has not come in 30 days, call DOL at 360-902-3900. Note that the temporary paper license is probably not accepted as ID.

DOL offices in and around Seattle

Addresses come from DOL's own office locator. Hours differ from office to office and change often: some close on Mondays, some open late on Thursdays, some open on Saturdays. Confirm the hours when you book. DOL customer line 360-902-3900 (TTY 711). 2026 holiday closures: November 11, November 26 and 27, and December 25.

Is the knowledge test offered in Turkish?

No. DOL gives the knowledge test in 12 languages: English, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Arabic, Punjabi, Tagalog and Ukrainian. The driver guide comes in 17 languages, and Turkish is on neither list. The workaround is an interpreter: email [email protected] at least 5 business days ahead with your name, phone, language, office and appointment. A drive test can be given in another language at a driver training school or a DOL office, and if no one there speaks it, with visual flash cards.

Which document counts on which list?

Consular and electoral IDs are accepted only for El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Peru, so a Turkish consular ID is not on the list. In practice the easiest route is a foreign passport with an I-94 plus your U.S. visa, which satisfies the two A-list rule; a Turkish license only counts as supporting B-list evidence.

New from November 1, 2026

From November 1, 2026, first-time Washington license applicants under 25 must complete a free online Work Zone and First Responder course. It takes about an hour, comes in 14 languages and can be done before or after the other steps. There is no such requirement at 25 and over.

Does Washington have a REAL ID?

There is no star-marked REAL ID card here. Washington's REAL ID-compliant card is the enhanced driver license (EDL), and it is issued to U.S. citizens only: DOL states plainly that you cannot use a green card or a work visa to get an EDL. A green card holder or visa holder gets a standard license, which is marked "Federal limits apply". That card has not boarded a domestic flight since May 7, 2025; a foreign passport, a green card or an employment authorization document (I-766) does. You do not need a REAL ID to drive, to show ID inside the state, to take a train, to apply for federal benefits or to get health care.

What does it cost?

Offices take cash and checks, and cards at most locations, with a vendor fee (debit $2.25, credit $2.25 up to $75 and 3% above that). Online transactions carry a 3% card fee. You choose a 6-year or an 8-year license when it is issued. The full statewide rules are in our Washington State guide.

• Visitor or resident: DOL says a visitor holding a valid license from a country that is not on the list may drive for up to 1 year. Once you become a Washington resident, you have 30 days. A Washington address, voter registration, state benefits, in-state tuition and resident-rate state licenses are among the signs of residency.
• What you do: book an appointment at Seattle-Queen Anne or West Seattle, bring your identity documents, and take the knowledge test (32 of 40), the drive test (80 of 100) and the vision screening. You are also asked medical questions.
• What a Turkish license is worth: it counts as a B-list identity document, so it is not enough on its own. Bring A-list documents with it, such as a passport with an I-94 and your U.S. visa.
• Taiwan and Japan: holders of those licenses contact their representative offices and bring a translated certification. There is no such route for Türkiye.
• Test language: Turkish is not among the 12 knowledge-test languages. You can ask DOL for an interpreter at least 5 business days ahead (see above).
• Coming from another U.S. state: no tests, but you still have 30 days to switch to a Washington license. A Texas or Virginia license counts as a stand-alone identity document.
• International Driving Permit: getting one before you leave Türkiye makes life easier, but it does not extend the 1-year window for a foreign license.

1. License first, then registration. DOL wants a valid Washington license before it registers a vehicle. Vehicle licensing offices take no appointments, so you queue, and they do not handle driver licensing. Two offices, two separate 30-day clocks.
2. Documents. Bring your current title and note the odometer reading. Done at an office, plates are issued the same day; by mail it can take up to 3 weeks.
3. If you bought the car. Transfer the title within 15 days: on day 16 a $50 late fee starts, then $2 a day, up to $125. A dealer files the paperwork for you; you show an unexpired Washington license.
4. Private sale. You need the signed title, a Vehicle Title Application signed in front of the licensing agent, an odometer disclosure for model year 2011 and newer, and a bill of sale showing the price. The title arrives in 6 to 8 weeks; Quick Title ($89.50 for a vehicle) is faster but cannot be used for an out-of-state vehicle.
5. A car shipped from abroad. It must clear U.S. Customs, and the Customs paperwork (year, make, VIN) must be signed and stamped by Customs itself, not by a shipping broker or a foreign customs office.

Where do you register a car in Seattle?

• King County Customer Service Center: 201 S Jackson St, 2nd floor, Seattle WA 98104, 206-477-4000. The county's own office.
• Neighborhood subagents: Ballard Auto Licensing Agency (2232 NW Market St, 206-781-0199), Bill Pierre License Agency (12531 30th Ave NE, 206-361-5505), Georgetown License Agency (5963 Corson Ave S, Suite 162, 206-767-7782), Rainier Vehicle and Vessel (3820 Rainier Ave S, Suite C), Seattle Auto License (2515 SW Trenton St, Suite 103, 206-582-2747), University License Agency (5615 Roosevelt Way NE, 206-522-2166).
• Hours: most subagents open around 9 a.m. on weekdays and some also open on Saturdays, but hours vary by office and can change, so call before you go. King County keeps its subagent list up to date.

What does it cost in Seattle?

• Seattle's $50: the city's transportation benefit district fee applies to tabs expiring on or after January 18, 2024. City line 206-684-7623. Other King County examples: Lake Forest Park $50; Burien, Shoreline, Kenmore and Des Moines $40; Kirkland, Mercer Island and Enumclaw $20.
• RTA tax: if you live inside the Sound Transit district in King, Pierce or Snohomish county, you pay a 1.1% regional transit excise tax on the depreciated MSRP, both at purchase and at every renewal. All of Seattle is inside that district. Depreciation starts at 100% in year one and falls year by year, so a new, expensive car makes the bill noticeably larger.
• Use tax: buy from a private party and you owe 0.3% motor vehicle use tax plus the sales tax rate at your address (10.55% in Seattle in the last quarter of 2026), calculated on fair market value. The purchase price may be accepted if fair market value is under $7,500 or the price is within 20% of it.
• New-resident exemption: a private vehicle you acquired and used in another state more than 90 days before moving is exempt from use tax if you license it in Washington within 30 days. A car bought within 90 days of the move is not exempt, and tax paid to another state is credited. The Department of Revenue's text says "another state", so whether a car brought from Türkiye qualifies is unclear; ask DOL and the Department of Revenue.
• Tab renewal: once a year, online through License Express, by mail or at an office. Tabs arrive by mail in about 5 business days. You cannot renew with unpaid tickets or unpaid tolls.
• VIN inspection: since July 1, 2001 there is no physical inspection of out-of-state vehicles; DOL runs an electronic stolen-vehicle screening instead. The State Patrol inspects only rebuilt, homemade, no-VIN or VIN-discrepancy vehicles, and that costs $65 when it is needed.

Is there an emissions test or safety inspection?

No. The state's 38-year emission check program ended on January 1, 2020, and no emissions test is required to renew registration. There is no periodic safety inspection for private cars either. Tampering with emissions equipment and driving a smoking vehicle are still illegal. A separate rule is the Clean Car Law: new cars, and 2009 and newer models with under 7,500 miles, bought by a Washington resident must be certified to California emission standards. Look for "California", "50-state" or "Northeast" on the VECI label under the hood. Cars with more than 7,500 miles at sale, 2008 and earlier models, and vehicles bought by a nonresident before moving here are exempt.

How much insurance do you need?

Driving uninsured brings a fine of $550 or more, and if you are at fault and do not pay for the damage your license can be suspended. Failing to show proof is a traffic infraction; showing false proof is a misdemeanor. Carry your insurer's card with the company, policy number, effective and expiry dates and the vehicle or driver. Alternatives are self-insurance for 26 or more vehicles, a $60,000 certificate of deposit or a $60,000 liability bond.

The tolls that matter in Seattle

• Opening an account: MyGoodToGo.com or 1-866-936-8246, with a free phone interpreter. Two types: Pre-Paid ($30 opening balance with auto-refill) and Pay As You Go (your card is charged twice a month). No monthly fee.
• Passes: sticker $5, Flex $15 (free carpool travel on I-405 and SR 167), motorcycle $8, license-plate pass $12, plus tax. Put your plate on the account without a pass ("Pay By Plate") and each trip costs 25 cents more.
• No account: the camera photographs your plate and the bill goes to the address on your DOL record, at the pass rate plus $2. Visitors staying briefly can open a temporary account that closes within 90 days and saves $1.75 per toll.
• If you do not pay: a $5 late fee after the due date; a $40 civil penalty per toll if it is still unpaid 80 days after the trip; and if that penalty is not paid within 20 days, DOL puts a hold on your registration and you cannot renew your tabs. Call before paying and you get a one-time forgiveness of fees and penalties, though the tolls themselves are still due.
• Rentals and out-of-state plates: tolled by plate as well, and the rental company may add its own charge.
• Low-income discount: applications for households up to 200% of the federal poverty level open in fall 2026 and the discount begins in December 2026, but it applies only to the SR 509 and SR 167 expressways, so it does not help on SR 520 or SR 99. There is no toll discount for electric vehicles. The forms come in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese, not Turkish.
• Scam warning: the only official site is MyGoodToGo.com. WSDOT says its texts come only from 75381 and that it never sends bills by text. It also discourages third-party bill-pay apps.

Of the two bridges across Lake Washington, I-90 is free and SR 520 is tolled, so your route to Bellevue or Redmond shows up directly in your budget. Express-lane prices change by the minute, so check the WSDOT mobile app.

The ORCA card

• Where it works: Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries (passengers only, not vehicles). Transfers are free within 2 hours.
• Where to buy it: station vending machines, retailers, customer service offices, or online and in the app (up to 3 weeks by mail). A contactless credit or debit card works as Tap to Pay, and Android phones can carry ORCA in Google Wallet, though a plastic card is recommended for the ferries.
• Where to tap: on buses and Link you tap only when boarding; on the Sounder train you tap on and off.
• ORCA LIFT: for households with gross income up to 200% of the federal poverty level (1 person $2,660 a month, 2 people $3,607, 3 $4,553, 4 $5,500, 5 $6,447) or anyone enrolled in Apple Health, Basic Food or WIC, the fare is $1.00 and the card is free. For ID, any country's driver's license or passport, and a consular ID, are accepted; proof of income is required. The page lists no SSN or citizenship requirement. Apply online, in person or by phone: 800-756-5437.
• Children: riders 18 and under are free on King County Metro and Sound Transit, with a free Youth ORCA card. Children 5 and under ride free with a paying adult.

Link light rail

• 1 Line: Lynnwood, Northgate, U District, Capitol Hill, downtown, Sea-Tac and Federal Way.
• 2 Line: Seattle (International District/Chinatown) to downtown Redmond via Judkins Park, Mercer Island and Bellevue. The cross-lake connection opened on March 28, 2026, bringing the system to 63 miles and 50 stations.
• Hours and frequency: roughly 5 a.m. to midnight, every 8 minutes at peak and every 10 to 15 minutes otherwise. Between Lynnwood and International District the two lines combine for a train every 4 to 5 minutes. Downtown Seattle to Redmond takes about 40 minutes.
• No fare gates: fares are checked by fare ambassadors. In August 2026 the Board approved a fare-gate pilot at up to 14 stations, with installation targeted for 2029 to 2030.

Buses and RapidRide

• King County Metro: the city's bus network. The August 29, 2026 service change added 9 new routes (72, 77, 121, 164, 166, 215, 220, 270 and 902) and more than 3,000 extra weekly trips. The Seattle Transit Measure pays for more frequent service on routes 8, 72, 75 and 77.
• RapidRide: lines A through H run as bus rapid transit with all-door boarding; tap ORCA at the station or at any door. Planned: the I Line (Renton to Auburn) and J Line (Roosevelt) in 2027, the K Line (Kirkland to Bellevue) in 2030 and the R Line (Rainier) in 2032.
• Overnight: Night Owl service covers 12 routes between midnight and 5 a.m.
• Languages: Metro publishes service changes in English, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, not Turkish.

Ferries

Washington State Ferries runs from downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, and from Fauntleroy in West Seattle to Vashon Island and Southworth. On the Seattle to Bainbridge run the walk-on adult fare is $11.35 round trip, collected on the Seattle side; seniors and riders with a disability pay $5.65, riders 18 and under are free and a bicycle is $1.00. A standard vehicle under 22 feet with its driver is $27.00, under 14 feet $21.30. A 10-ride commuter card is $92.80 and a monthly pass $148.50. Card payments have carried a 3% surcharge since March 1, 2026, and full-fare vehicle tickets carry a peak-season surcharge from May 1 to September 30, so vehicle fares can fall after October 1. Tickets are valid 90 days, and your ORCA card works as a passenger.

Getting to Sea-Tac

• By Link: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is on the Link 1 Line, about 38 minutes from downtown for $3.00. From baggage claim go up to the 4th floor and cross the skybridge to the garage; a free Train-to-Plane shuttle connects the station and the terminal from 5 a.m. to midnight. ORCA cards are sold at the station vending machines.
• By car: the SR 509 Expressway that ends near the airport is tolled; rates are above.
• Turkish Airlines: the Port of Seattle's 2026 list includes Turkish Airlines among its international carriers and Istanbul among its nonstop destinations. The service began on May 27, 2022, and departures use the international S Concourse. U.S. phone 1-800-874-8875. Check the airline for current days and times; the time difference is in the Türkiye section.
• Paine Field (Everett): a small alternative, connected by the Swift Green bus line.

Trains out of the city

Amtrak Cascades runs from King Street Station to Portland 6 times a day each way and to Vancouver BC twice a day each way. New trainsets entered service on trains 503, 508, 516 and 519 on September 30, 2026, and U.S.-Canada preclearance means the trains no longer stop at the border. Sounder commuter trains use the same station. If you plan to take the train to Canada, check in advance what entry document a Turkish passport holder needs.

Electricity: Seattle City Light

1. Open the account. Apply on the utility's website or call (206) 684-3000. You give the legal name of the renter or owner, the service address, the start date, a billing address and contact details. There is no deposit and no credit check, which City Light states on its own page.
2. Verify your identity. Under the city's identity-theft rule (the FACT Act) your identity has to be verified. Three ways: online with credit-bureau questions or a previous utility account, by phone at (206) 684-3000, or in person at a customer service center. If the online check fails, the account cannot be opened by phone and you have to go in person.
3. Photo IDs that are accepted: a current passport, a permanent resident card, an employment authorization card, a Matricula Consular, a U.S. state driver's license or ID, a temporary resident card, a certificate of naturalization, and a military or Geneva ID. No SSN appears on the list. The city also says it "can accommodate immigrants or individuals with limited English-speaking abilities who may not have government-issued identification" and that staff have access to interpreters. If a tenant has no photo ID at all, the account can be opened in the landlord's name with a notarized application or a landlord affidavit.
4. Where to verify in person: Lake City 12525 28th Ave NE (2nd floor), University 4534 University Way NE, Ballard 5604 22nd Ave NW, Central 464 12th Ave (1st floor), Southeast 3815 S Othello St Suite 105, Southwest 2801 SW Thistle St, City Light North Service Center 1300 N 97th St, South Service Center 3613 Fourth Ave S, and the Utilities Service Desk in Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave, 4th floor lobby.
5. Bills. The first bill arrives by mail about 2 months after service starts. A 1% late fee applies to balances more than 15 days past due. Before a disconnection you get a 10-day written notice and then a 24-hour notice. Tenants and owners both have to tell City Light within 10 business days when occupancy changes.

Natural gas: PSE

• Who serves you: in Seattle electricity comes from City Light and gas from Puget Sound Energy (PSE). Customer line 1-888-225-5773, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Identity: PSE asks for your name, phone, address, source of income and length of employment, and for ID it lists a "driver's license or passport number, military ID, tax ID number, Social Security number or birthdate". An SSN is one option among several. The application takes about 15 minutes.
• Deposits and waivers: a deposit may be required, billed on the first bill and spread out automatically (half on the first due date, then a quarter and a quarter). It is refunded with interest after 12 consecutive months of satisfactory payment. New residential customers can avoid it three ways: enroll in AutoPay or bank bill pay, bring a letter of credit from a previous gas or electric utility (at least 1 year of service in the last 24 months, no more than two delinquency notices), or name a qualified guarantor who is a PSE customer in good standing.
• The state rule behind it: WAC 480-100-108 requires a regulated electric company to let you choose from at least five sources of identification, and WAC 480-100-113 limits deposits and forces the company to accept alternatives such as a guarantor or prepayment. Details are in our Washington State guide.

If the bills are hard to pay: the Utility Discount Program

Seattle's discount program cuts two bills at once: 60% off Seattle City Light electricity and 50% off Seattle Public Utilities water, sewer and garbage, every month. The city puts the average saving at $120 to $205 a month and states plainly that its programs do not ask about citizenship or immigration status.

• The condition: the account has to be in your name. Because tenants in Seattle cannot hold a water account (see below), the credit lands on the City Light bill instead, which is one more reason to put electricity in your own name.
• Documents: a photo ID for every adult in the household (state ID or license, passport, military ID, tribal ID, permanent resident card, and documents expired up to a year are accepted) plus last full month's income documents for every adult. Self-employed applicants give a tax return and a declaration form, and there is a declaration of limited income for money from family or friends. No SSN is on the list.
• How to apply: utilityassistance.seattle.gov, by mail to 810 3rd Ave Suite 440, Seattle WA 98104, by email to [email protected], by fax to 206-621-5012, or by phone at 206-684-0268 (Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., free interpretation). In person at the same address, weekdays 8 to 10 a.m. and 12 to 2 p.m. The form is in English; call for other languages. There is no deadline; processing takes 4 to 6 weeks and the discount is back-dated to your application date. If you are denied, you wait 30 days to reapply.
• Emergency bill help: City Light's Emergency Bill Assistance gives up to about $710 a year (income limit $58,536 for 1 person, $112,584 for 4), SPU's emergency program up to about $537 a year, and Project Share a $250 credit. One application covers both the discount and emergency assistance.
• Federal LIHEAP: delivered by appointment through local community agencies, with an income limit of 150% of the federal poverty level and a program year running October 1 to September 30. The state Department of Commerce line is 360-725-2857. The official page says nothing about immigration status, so ask the agency you apply to.

Internet

• Who is available: the city lists Quantum Fiber, Xfinity and Astound for fiber and cable, Atlas Networks and GFiber in many apartment and condo buildings, and Verizon 5G Home, T-Mobile 5G Home and Salmon Bay Wireless for wireless home internet. Check your address on the FCC map.
• Low-cost options: Astound Internet First at $9.95 a month plus tax (50/5 Mbps, no credit check or contract, free install, for people who qualify for the Utility Discount Program, subsidized housing or free and reduced school lunch), Xfinity Internet Essentials at $14.95 a month (up to 75 Mbps, for public-assistance households), Verizon Forward from $20 a month, the federal Lifeline discount up to $9.25 a month, and PCs for People from $15 to $16 a month prepaid.
• Free Wi-Fi: in public buildings and at Seattle Public Library branches, which you can use without a card (library card).
• Help: the city's IT line is (206) 684-0600 and the digital equity team is (206) 684-8498, [email protected].

Whose name is on the water and sewer account?

• The rule: SPU does not open water, wastewater or garbage accounts in tenants' names. The city code makes the property owner ultimately responsible (SMC 21.04.250) and only owners hold the account (SMC 21.04.260). It works the same way in single-family homes and in apartments. Tenants who had an account in their own name before 2012 may keep it.
• What you do in practice: have your lease say clearly who pays for water, sewer and garbage. The landlord collects those costs through the rent or bills them separately; Seattle limits which charges a landlord may add on top of rent, and utilities are on the permitted list (renting section).
• Who may pay a bill: anyone can pay an SPU bill regardless of the name on it. Pay by phone at (877) 398-3531, or by mail to City of Seattle, PO Box 35177, Seattle WA 98124-5177. Customer line (206) 684-3000, or (800) 862-1181 from out of the area, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• If you are the owner: you verify your identity online with credit-bureau questions, which do not affect your credit score, or in person. An owner with no photo ID can use a notarized Verification of Owner Identification form.

What do water and sewer cost?

Most customers are billed every two months. In single-family homes the sewer charge is based on winter water use (November to April), so watering the garden in summer does not inflate the sewer bill. Water rates are published through December 31, 2026, and new rates take effect January 1, 2027.

Garbage: the service is mandatory and so is composting

• Garbage service is required: every Seattle home must have containers and pay for collection. The bill comes every other month, and it is charged even when the home is empty. A single-family house empty for more than 60 days can get a vacancy credit of $6.85 a month ($13.70 per bill), and there is an "unlivable" allowance.
• Food waste cannot go in the garbage: under SMC 21.36.082 and 21.36.083, food scraps, food-soiled paper (napkins, paper towels, cardboard), yard waste and recyclables may not be put in the garbage. In a single-family home they go in the compost and recycling carts. In apartment buildings the building must provide compost and recycling service, and after warnings (a tag on the container, then a mailed notice) a $50 fee can be added to the waste bill. For businesses the fee applies when more than 10% of the garbage by volume is prohibited material.
• How it got here: composting has been mandatory for all houses since 2009, multifamily buildings have had to provide service since 2011, and food waste was banned from the garbage in 2015. The city publishes flyers in Russian, Spanish, Chinese and other languages, but not Turkish.

An extra bag or bundle is $14.40, a special pickup $57.05, and changing cart size more than once a year $35.75. Extra yard waste is collected free in November, up to 10 bags per collection day. Rates change every April 1, and the 2027 figures are not published yet.

• Your collection day: type your address into SPU's Look Up Collection Day tool.
• Which cart takes what: the city's Where Does It Go? tool searches item by item.
• Missed collection or a street problem: report it through the city's non-emergency line and app (city services).
• Discount: the Utility Discount Program takes 50% off water, sewer and garbage, but the account has to be in the applicant's name; as a tenant, the credit goes on your City Light bill instead.

How to reach the city

• By phone: 206-684-CITY (206-684-2489). Customer Service Bureau, Seattle City Hall, 601 Fifth Ave, 1st floor, Seattle WA 98104. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except holidays, TTY 711, fax 206-256-5160, mail PO Box 94726, Seattle WA 98124-4726. Interpretation is provided in more than 240 languages, and you can ask for a Turkish interpreter.
• Find It, Fix It app: free for iOS and Android. You open a request with a photo and a location for potholes, graffiti, litter and illegal dumping, abandoned vehicles or a broken streetlight. Requests are tracked on the city's public Service Request Tracker.
• What it covers: animals, clogged drains, sidewalks, illegal dumping and needles, junk storage, overgrown vegetation, potholes, property and building code, signals and signs, unauthorized encampments. In a life-threatening emergency, always call 911.
• Do not dial 311 here: in many large U.S. cities the non-emergency line is 311, but Seattle's official 2026 information guide lists no such number. Save 206-684-CITY instead.
• Other lines: 211 for social services, 511 for road conditions, 711 for relay, 811 before you dig, King County government 206-296-0100, state government 1-800-321-2808. Around the clock: police non-emergency 206-625-5011, City Light outages 206-706-0051, SPU 206-386-1800, street repair 206-386-1218, PSE 1-888-225-5773, Crisis Clinic 1-866-427-4747, Poison Center 1-800-222-1222.

Customer service centers

The city's seven centers take utility payments, pet licenses, ticket payments and U.S. passport applications; all but Downtown handle passports. The same centers also run the in-person identity check for City Light and SPU accounts.

The passport steps are in the U.S. passport section.

A Seattle Public Library card

• No question about status: the library says on its own page that you can get a card regardless of your immigration status. No SSN is asked.
• Who gets one free: anyone who lives, works, studies or owns property in Seattle, Bothell or King County (Yarrow Point and Hunts Point are covered by a reciprocal agreement). Holders of a current card from Everett, Kitsap Regional, Pierce County, Puyallup, Sno-Isle, Tacoma or Timberland also qualify. Paid cards: visitor $25 for 3 months and 5 items, non-resident $85 for a year.
• Accepted IDs: a foreign driver's license, a U.S. or foreign passport, a green card, a Washington license or ID, an out-of-state license, an employee ID, a school ID, a signed credit or debit card, a birth certificate, a vehicle registration, a bus pass with a photo, a shelter ID, and other ID carrying a preprinted name with a photo or signature. If the ID has no address, bring a utility bill, a paycheck, a receipt, current mail or a lease; staff help applicants who are homeless.
• How to apply: online or at any open branch. Once the address is verified, online applicants get instant access to e-books and online resources, and you pick up the physical card at a branch. A parent can get a free card online for a child under 13.
• What it gives you: up to 50 items at a time on 3-week loans. Wi-Fi, classes and tax help are available without a card. The Central Library is at 1000 Fourth Ave, Seattle WA 98104, 206-386-4636.
• Languages: card guidance exists in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Somali and Amharic, among others, but not Turkish.

What you pay to move in

• The cap: the security deposit plus non-refundable fees together cannot be more than one month's rent. Non-refundable fees are allowed only for cleaning and screening and cannot exceed 10% of one month's rent. A pet damage deposit of up to 25% of one month's rent can be added on top. Example: on a $1,000 rent, $100 in fees plus a $900 deposit, plus a $250 pet deposit.
• Paying in installments: you have the right to pay move-in costs and last month's rent in installments. Under state law (RCW 59.18.610) a written request gets you 3 equal installments on terms of 3 months or more and 2 on shorter terms, with no extra fee or interest.
• The move-in checklist is mandatory: a deposit may be taken only if the rental agreement is in writing and you were given a signed, dated move-in checklist. Without the checklist the landlord is liable for the full deposit amount. The money sits in a trust account at a Washington institution and you get a written receipt.
• Getting it back: within 30 days after the tenancy ends and you move out, with a written statement itemizing every deduction. No deduction for normal wear, for carpet cleaning unless it is documented as beyond ordinary wear, or for items not on the checklist. A landlord who misses the deadline owes the full deposit, and a court may award up to twice the deposit for an intentional refusal.
• No double cleaning charge: if cleaning was charged at move-in, it cannot be charged again at the end of the lease.
• Holding fee: capped at 25% of the first month's rent.

First-in-time

• The landlord must offer the rental agreement to the first qualified applicant with a complete application. Minimum screening criteria and the list of required documents have to be published in advance, applications time-stamped, and screening done in order.
• You get at least 72 hours to supply missing information and 48 hours to answer an offer; after that the landlord may move to the next applicant.
• You have the right to extra time for translation or a disability accommodation, which the city calls meaningful access. If your English is still developing, use it: reading the ad and the criteria and handing in a complete application is what decides things in Seattle's tight rental market.

Rent increases

• The state cap: under RCW 59.18.700 there is no increase in the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that no more than 7% plus inflation or 10% per 12 months, whichever is lower. The published limits are 9.683% for 2026 and 10% for 2027. RCW 59.18.710 exempts some situations, such as new buildings.
• Seattle notice: an increase needs 180 days of written notice, where the state minimum is 90. If the increase is 10% or more within 12 months, the landlord must also give an Economic Displacement Relocation Assistance (EDRA) notice, and income-eligible tenants may get help with moving costs. The EDRA notice is also produced in Amharic, Chinese, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese.
• Who enforces it: the city does not enforce the state cap; tenants and the state Attorney General do. The Attorney General can impose a civil penalty of up to $7,500 per violation, and a tenant can claim up to 3 months of the unlawful rent plus attorney fees.
• Software ban: since July 31, 2025, landlords may not use software that aggregates rival-property data to set rent.

Which fees are allowed?

• Any fee not on the list is prohibited. The late fee is capped at $10 a month (SMC 7.24.034, since June 6, 2023), and no fee may be charged for preparing or delivering notices. A returned-payment fee is the bank's fee or $31, whichever is less. A lockout is $50 on a weekday and $150 after hours. A replacement key is cost or $50. Beyond that, utilities, parking, air-conditioning units and documented tenant damage can be billed.
• State rule: no late fee at all if rent is paid within 5 days of the due date (RCW 59.18.170).
• A new rule that is not in force yet: the City Council passed the Rental Fee Restriction Ordinance (CB 121254) on August 11, 2026. It requires ads and applications to disclose monthly rent, mandatory and optional fees, utilities, discounts and the average total monthly cost, bans extra fees, and makes optional services and renters insurance opt-in only. It applies only to rental agreements entered into or renewed after July 1, 2027, so it does not apply today.

Eviction: just cause and a free attorney

• Sixteen reasons: Seattle's just cause ordinance (SMC 22.205, in place since 1980) requires a landlord to state one of 16 approved reasons for month-to-month tenancies, verbal agreements and expiring term leases. Examples: rent unpaid after a pay-or-vacate notice, the owner sells a single-family home (90 days' notice), the owner or family moves in (90 days), substantial rehabilitation or demolition after relocation licensing. Term leases must be offered renewal unless there is just cause, with notice 60 to 90 days before expiry.
• State law also requires just cause (RCW 59.18.650). A pay-or-vacate notice for unpaid rent is 14 days; a material breach gets 10 days to cure, and waste, nuisance or unlawful activity 3 days.
• Winter and school-year protection: under SMC 22.205.080, where the owner owns 4 or more housing units, a low- to moderate-income renter is protected from having to leave between December 1 and March 1 in certain cases. Under SMC 22.205.110, a household with a student or a school employee cannot be required to vacate during the school year. These are defenses against particular just-cause displacements, not a blanket winter moratorium, and they do not by themselves stop a non-payment eviction. Call 206-684-5700 to check whether your situation is covered.
• Right to counsel: city law gives renters who cannot pay for an attorney the right to free legal representation in an eviction lawsuit, and notices have to carry that language. The line is Renting in Seattle, 206-684-5700 (SDCI, 700 5th Ave Suite 2000). Tenant materials come in 14 languages (Amharic, Chinese, English, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Thai, Tigrinya, Vietnamese), not Turkish, so ask for an interpreter on the phone.
• If you are the one leaving: end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 20 days before the end of the period (RCW 59.18.200).
• Registration: every rental unit in Seattle must be registered with the city under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance, and you may ask your landlord for the registration.

1. The county bills it. The King County Assessor values the home and King County Treasury collects: 201 S Jackson St, 2nd floor, Seattle WA 98104; property tax hotline 206-263-2890. One bill carries the shares of the state, the county, the city, schools, fire districts and others, and the county's own share is about 20% of it. King County will collect $8.4 billion in property tax in 2026, up 10%, on a total assessed value of $920 billion, up 5.4%. Seattle voters also renewed the Families, Education and Preschool levy at $0.72 per $1,000 of value.
2. Do not miss the installments. First half April 30, second half October 31. Late charges accrue monthly from May 1.
3. Appealing the valuation. Petitions to the county Board of Equalization are due by July 1. King County's free Tax Advisor helps with appeals: 206-477-1060, [email protected]. The county's eReal Property Search shows values and levy rates parcel by parcel. Assessor general info 206-296-7300.
4. Deferral applications are due by September 1.

What relief exists?

The county's own page gives the minimum age for the senior exemption as 61 in one place and 62 in another, so call 206-296-3920 to confirm before you apply. Applications go through senior-exemption.kingcounty.gov, and the forms exist in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian and Somali, among others. Email [email protected].

Buying or selling: REET

The real estate excise tax is normally paid by the seller. For sales through December 31, 2026 the state rates are graduated: 1.10% up to $525,000; 1.28% from $525,000.01 to $1,525,000; 2.75% from $1,525,000.01 to $3,025,000; and 3% above that. The thresholds change on January 1, 2027: the 1.1% band runs to $551,000, the 1.28% band to $1,551,000 and the 2.75% band to $3,051,000. A local REET share is added on top; confirm Seattle's local rate with the city or your real estate attorney before closing.

Seattle's own taxes

• No city income tax and no city property tax: the county collects property tax, and sales tax is made up of the state and local shares (10.55% in Seattle in the last quarter of 2026).
• JumpStart payroll expense tax: it touches only large employers. For 2026 the thresholds are a 2025 Seattle payroll of $9,074,409 or more plus at least one employee earning $194,452 or more in 2026. Employees do not pay it and nothing is withheld from your paycheck.
• State income tax: Washington does not tax wage income at the state level. For the capital gains tax and the new rule that starts January 1, 2028, see the taxes section.

1. Start the online enrollment. Seattle Public Schools serves about 50,000 students in 63 elementary schools, 10 K-8 schools, 12 middle schools and 17 high schools. New students enroll through the district's website, with forms in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Somali. The Enrollment Team helps in English, Spanish, Chinese, Amharic, Oromo, Somali and Vietnamese (Turkish is not listed), with office hours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed every third Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m.
2. Gather documents. A parent or guardian photo ID or passport; two pieces of address verification dated within the past eight weeks (a utility or cable bill, a mortgage statement, rental insurance, insurance documents, or papers from a public agency such as the courts or DSHS; a recent lease counts if you include the first page and the last signature page, while envelopes and junk mail do not); the student's Certificate of Immunization Status or Certificate of Exemption; and proof of age only for kindergarten, 1st grade or special-education preschool (a birth certificate, hospital records, a passport, or DSHS or court records). Parents who have none of those should call the Admissions Center. No SSN is on the list.
3. Find your school. Students are assigned to their attendance-area school by address; type yours into the district's Find Your Neighborhood School tool. Option and alternative schools are applied for during open enrollment, and the waitlist and tiebreaker rules are on the same pages.
4. Complete the Home Language Survey. Enrollment asks what language is spoken at home. If a language other than English is the first or most-used one, your child takes the WIDA screener within 10 days of starting school. If the scores fall below the threshold, the child is eligible for multilingual learner (EL/ML) services; the family is notified by email and may accept or waive them. Support continues until the child scores proficient on the annual WIDA ACCESS test. District students come from 159 countries and speak more than 140 languages, and there are dual-language schools in Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish.
5. No fixed address? Families without stable housing enroll without address verification, and the file goes to the district's McKinney-Vento department for an eligibility decision.

Enrollment office: Enrollment Services, John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, 2445 3rd Ave S, Seattle WA 98134, 206-252-0000.

How the immunization rule works

A signed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) or a Certificate of Exemption (COE) is due on or before the first day of attendance. For kindergarten through grade 6: hepatitis B 3 doses, DTaP 5, polio 4, MMR 2 and varicella 2 (or a provider-verified disease history). Grades 7 to 12 add a Tdap. The number of doses can be lower depending on the child's age. Records from abroad are accepted: the district says a record verified by a doctor or clinic, a health ministry, an immigration office or another official source is fine even if it is in a language other than English. A child with missing doses can start under conditional status: the doses due that day must be given, and the rest completed within 30 calendar days of the first day (WAC 246-105-060). A personal or philosophical exemption cannot be used for MMR. If a student is excluded over missing records, you can request a hearing within 10 school business days. Immunization line 206-252-0757, [email protected], fax 206-252-0751. Vaccines are available at pharmacies, from providers, at school-based health centers (ages 4 to 18, with consent) and at King County public health clinics.

What if the school asks for immigration documents?

OSPI, the state education agency, is explicit: public schools may not deny admission because a child is undocumented, may not treat a student differently when determining residency, may not require a parent or student to disclose or document immigration status, and may not require Social Security numbers from all students. A district that does ask for one must say the disclosure is voluntary, give the legal basis and explain the use, and OSPI strongly discourages districts from asking at all. State law also prohibits discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status. Under Attorney General guidance, schools may not initiate contact with immigration authorities to share student information and must have a policy for responding if enforcement comes to a campus.

The school calendar

For 2026-27, classes began Wednesday, September 2, 2026 for grades 1 to 12 and Tuesday, September 8, 2026 for preschool and kindergarten. After the first week, every Wednesday is an early release day. Even though the year has started, you can enroll at any time; compulsory attendance in Washington runs from age 8 to under 18.

For clinic visits, also see our free and low-cost clinic directory.

Hospital bills: charity care

• Emergency care cannot be refused. RCW 70.170.060 does not allow any hospital to deny emergency care for inability to pay, and the federal EMTALA rule guarantees emergency screening and stabilization regardless of status.
• An income-based discount is a legal right. At larger hospital systems, care is 100% free at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, 75% discounted from 301 to 350%, and 50% discounted from 351 to 400%. Smaller hospitals have lower thresholds: free up to 200%, 75% off from 201 to 250%, 50% off from 251 to 300%. Neither RCW 70.170.060 and 70.170.020 nor WAC 246-453 sets an immigration-status condition.
• How to ask. Apply for charity care at the hospital's billing or registration desk before you pay, and note that hospital bills are required to say the patient may qualify for free care. Questions and complaints go to the state Department of Health: [email protected], 360-236-4210. If you are denied, appeal within 30 days.
• Surprise billing law: Washington's Balance Billing Protection Act protects people with state-regulated insurance (emergency care, emergency behavioral health, and out-of-network providers at in-network facilities), and the patient pays only in-network cost sharing. Ground ambulances have been covered since January 1, 2025. It does not protect uninsured patients; for them the tool is charity care. The Insurance Commissioner's help line is 800-562-6900, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Apple Health (Medicaid) and who is covered

• Children and pregnant people: Apple Health for Kids covers children under 19 and pregnancy coverage covers pregnant people, both regardless of immigration status, with 12 months of postpartum coverage.
• Apple Health Expansion (adults): a state-funded program for adults 19 and over with income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level who would qualify for Apple Health but for their immigration status. The monthly income limits published by the Health Care Authority (HCA) are $1,835 for 1 person, $2,490 for 2, $3,142 for 3 and $3,795 for 4. But enrollment is closed: the program hit its enrollment cap in December 2025. People already enrolled keep their coverage, and from January 1, 2027 the program moves to fee-for-service. HCA still invites people to apply to be considered.
• Routes that still work while enrollment is closed: Apple Health for Kids, pregnancy coverage, Alien Emergency Medical (AEM) for a genuine emergency, Family Planning Only and Medical Care Services.
• How to apply: online through Washington Healthplanfinder or by phone at 1-855-923-4633.
• The federal change on October 1, 2026: under the federal H.R. 1 law, federal Medicaid is limited to lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Refugees, asylees, parolees, VAWA self-petitioners and trafficking survivors lose federal Medicaid eligibility after September 30, 2026. Children and pregnant people are exempt. Apple Health work requirements for adults begin January 1, 2027.

Buying insurance: Healthplanfinder

• Status is not asked: under the state's federal 1332 waiver (2024-2028), every Washington resident may buy a Qualified Health Plan on the marketplace regardless of immigration status. People without an eligible status cannot get federal tax credits.
• State help: Cascade Care Savings lowers premiums for people up to 250% of the federal poverty level who are not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, and it does not ask about immigration status. Below 250% there is an income-based special enrollment window all year.
• Open enrollment: November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Sign up by December 31, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027.
• Federal credits narrow: from January 1, 2027 federal financial help is limited to citizens, green card holders, COFA migrants and Cuban and Haitian entrants. State Cascade Care Savings stays open.
• Help lines: Healthplanfinder 1-855-923-4633; [email protected] for immigrant coverage questions; CLEAR free legal advice 1-888-201-1014; Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Seattle 206-587-4009.
• Crisis line: 988 answers calls, texts and chats 24/7, with interpretation.

Free care

Seattle/King County Clinic · Seattle Center

A large free clinic held once a year over four days. Medical, dental, vision and social services are provided free, and no ID, no proof of income, no insurance and no immigration documents are required. Daily admission tickets are handed out from 5:30 a.m. at Fisher Pavilion, first come first served. The 2026 edition ran April 23 to 26, and as of October 1, 2026 the 2027 date had not been announced: watch the Seattle Center page as spring approaches, and put the date in your calendar as soon as it is published, because the ticket line fills early.

Event page

King County Access and Dental Program (KCADP) · adult dental care

A county program providing free dental care to adults who are not eligible for Apple Health and whose income is below 138% of the federal poverty level. Funds are limited, so intake is not always open. Referral and application go through the county's free health care access line, CHAP: 1-800-756-5437. Ask on the call what the current requirements are and whether the program is taking applications.

The public health center

Public Health - Seattle & King County · Downtown Public Health Center

The joint city and county public health agency. It states plainly that it does not collect or keep immigration-status records and that it requires a judicial warrant for private areas; its privacy notice is effective February 16, 2026. Call before you go to ask which services carry a charge.

Address: 2124 4th Ave, Seattle WA 98121. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
206-477-8300 · Public health centers

Community health centers with income-based fees

These centers appear on King County's list but are not run by the county. All of them apply a sliding fee discount based on income and household size: the price goes down, the care is not free. Get branch addresses and appointment details from each organization's own site.

International Community Health Services (ICHS)

A Federal Health Center Program grantee (42 USC 254b). It offers a sliding scale discount and asks for proof of income within 5 days of your first visit. For its After Hours clinic at Holly Park, ICHS says care is provided "regardless of ability to pay, insurance, or immigration status".

Sliding scale discount

Neighborcare Health

A federally funded network of community health centers. Its sliding fee starts at $20 for a medical visit and $45 for dental. Without an approved discount application, deposits of $80 and $90 apply, so filing the application before your visit is worth the effort.

Neighborcare Health

HealthPoint

A network of community health centers across King County. Its sliding scale starts at $25 for a medical visit and $50 for dental. You have 60 days after the visit to bring proof of income, and approval lasts 12 months. HealthPoint says that applying "will not affect your credit or immigration status".

Financial assistance

Sea Mar Community Health Centers

Applies a sliding fee scale to medical, dental and behavioral health services based on household size and income. Sea Mar says it provides services "without regard to immigration status".

Sliding fee scale

Seattle Indian Health Board

A Federal Health Center Program grantee serving primarily the American Indian and Alaska Native community. It offers a sliding-fee discount.

Seattle Indian Health Board

Others on the county list

King County's community health center list also includes Country Doctor Community Health Centers and Odessa Brown Children's Clinic (Seattle Children's). Confirm their fee terms on their own pages or by phone; we could not verify them, which is why no prices appear here.

King County: community health centers

Questions to ask before booking

• Are you accepting new patients? Are there age, income, insurance or residency requirements?
• Are visits, lab tests, medications, dental care and outside referrals charged separately?
• Which documents do I bring for the sliding fee, and how long do I have to turn them in?
• Is an interpreter available?

For more options, use the HRSA health center finder; not every listed center is free. For emergency care, hospital charity care and Apple Health, see health care without insurance.

• Where: King County Recorder's Office, King County Customer Service Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 204 (2nd floor), Seattle WA 98104, in Pioneer Square. Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed weekends and King County holidays. Phone 206-477-6620 (phone hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), [email protected].
• Fee: $169 in cash, check, money order, debit or credit card. By mail, a check or money order is made out to the King County Recorder, and starter checks are refused.
• Three ways to apply: start online and finish in person with the transaction number, walk in, or apply by mail with a notarized application (the packet comes back by USPS Priority or FedEx, and not to a P.O. box).
• Both applicants appear in person. There is an exception: a partner who cannot attend may sign the application before a notary in advance, and if neither can attend, a third party may submit it as long as both signatures are notarized. Scanned or faxed affidavits are refused, only originals.
• ID: King County publishes no list of accepted IDs, on the page or on the form. Bring a government photo ID such as a passport, and call 206-477-6620 before you go to confirm what they will take.
• Timing: the 3-day wait counts from the day the license is issued, and for online applicants from the day the payment is finalized in person. If it is not used within the following 60 days the license is void and you buy another. The Recorder says it cannot guarantee a three-day turnaround at peak times, so plan your ceremony date accordingly.
• What the form asks: name, date of birth, place of birth, addresses, marital status, and a declaration that the applicants are not related. Both must be 18 or older. There is no Social Security number field and no blood test.
• The ceremony: it takes place in Washington, with two witnesses, performed by someone authorized by state law (clergy of any religion, state and federal judges, court commissioners, tribal judges). The spouses cannot officiate their own marriage. The officiant returns the Certificate of Marriage to King County within 30 days. Certified copies are $3 each and are not sent automatically, so you have to ask for them.
• Using it abroad: Washington does not require a single-status letter, but the Department of Health issues one if you need it overseas. An apostille on a marriage certificate comes from the Washington Secretary of State (see below).

Changing your name

• After marriage: changing your name is not required and Washington sets no deadline. If you do, take a certified marriage certificate ($3 per copy) to the Social Security Administration, DOL, the passport agency, USCIS and your banks.
• A first, middle or last name change by court order: under RCW 4.24.130 you petition a district court, which for Seattle is King County District Court. The filing fee is $98 (including one certified copy, $5 for extras), plus a separate $203.50 recording fee paid by its own check to the King County Recorder (a family petition is $204.50 for the first person and $203.50 for each additional one). A fee waiver can be requested by motion and declaration. You need a photo ID, there is a hearing before a judge, and recording takes 6 to 8 weeks.
• A sealed order: King County Superior Court seals the order automatically under RCW 4.24.130(5) for gender identity, refugee, special immigrant juvenile or asylum status, domestic-violence victims and emancipated minors. District Court does not seal automatically, though a judge may on request.

• King County Vital Statistics: 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 220, Seattle WA 98104 (2nd floor, East Lobby), 206-837-0719, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., opening at 9 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. It issues birth records for all of Washington from 1907 to the present, death records for anyone who died in Seattle, in King County since 1944 and in Washington since 2015. The marriage license bureau is in the same building, Suite 204 (above).
• King County fees: $25 for a birth or death certificate. The VitalChek kiosk in the office is $28.50 and prints in about 10 to 15 minutes. Online and phone orders through VitalChek add a $6.00 agency fee plus $11.50 handling with standard shipping included, and UPS rush adds $18.50. By mail it is $4 extra (3 to 4 weeks for a birth record, 2 to 3 for a death record). VitalChek phone 1-888-273-4623. There are no refunds.
• The state office: the Washington Department of Health's Center for Health Statistics, phone 360-236-4300, toll-free within Washington 1-800-525-0127. A certified copy is $25 plus VitalChek and shipping extras, a decorative Heirloom certificate starts at $50, and a noncertified informational copy is also $25. By mail it takes 8 to 10 weeks; VitalChek orders ship in 3 to 7 business days.
• Who can order: the person named, a spouse or domestic partner, a parent, stepparent, guardian, child, sibling, grandparent, great-grandparent, legal or authorized representative, an agency or a court. You need one government photo ID not expired by more than 60 days plus one proof-of-relationship document from the Department of Health's list.
• What happens at the hospital: new parents sign a Birth Filing Form. The first certified copy is not free and the hospital does not order it for you, so you have to request it yourself.
• If something is wrong on it: corrections are made with an Affidavit of Correction, and a replacement is free if you return the certificate within 1 year of issue. The supporting proof must be more than 5 years old or established within 5 years of the birth. Parentage changes only through an Acknowledgment of Parentage or a court order.
• Apostille: to use the document in Türkiye you need a certified copy, and the Washington Secretary of State adds the apostille (see below).
• The baby's SSN is a separate application; see the SSN section.
• Free in specific circumstances: the state issues free certified copies in certain cases, for example for people experiencing homelessness. Check the conditions on the Department of Health's page.

• What to bring: current immigration documents (green card, I-94 or EAD) with a valid passport, and a birth certificate if you have it. No photocopies or notarized copies. SSA suggests waiting 10 days after arrival so DHS records can be verified.
• Which office: SSA decides which office serves you by ZIP code, not by distance. Living downtown does not automatically mean the office at 915 2nd Ave. Check the SSA office locator before you go.
• F-1 and J-1: an SSN is available only once you are authorized to work (on-campus job, CPT, OPT), not just for enrolling in school.
• National line: 1-800-772-1213.

Offices are open weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This list comes from SSA's own open data file; addresses and hours change, so check the locator before you travel.

What can I do in Seattle without an SSN?

• Driving: Washington is one of the states that issues a standard license to people without an SSN. The Department of Licensing asks for your SSN if you have one, or for a signed declaration that you do not. A standard license does not show immigration status or legal presence. The REAL ID-compliant Enhanced Driver License (EDL) is only for U.S. citizens with an SSN. More in the driver's license section.
• School enrollment: the state education agency, OSPI, says districts may not require Social Security numbers from all students and may not ask families to disclose or document immigration status. Seattle Public Schools does not list an SSN among its enrollment documents either. More in the school section.
• Utilities: Seattle City Light charges no deposit and accepts a passport, Matricula Consular, green card or employment authorization card as ID. An SSN is not on its list. The line is (206) 684-3000.
• Library card: the Seattle Public Library issues cards regardless of immigration status and does not ask for an SSN. A foreign driver's license or passport works as ID, with one proof of address such as a bill, a lease or mail sent to you. The card also opens the museum pass program.
• Taxes: people who must file but cannot get an SSN use an ITIN (see the tax section below).

What comes out of a Seattle paycheck

• No state income tax: the Washington Department of Revenue says the state does not currently have an individual income tax. There is no state return and no state withholding.
• No city income tax either: the city's own tax page says Seattle levies neither an income tax nor a property tax; King County collects the property tax. If you are moving from Philadelphia or New York City, the city wage tax you are used to does not exist here.
• That changes on January 1, 2028: SB 6346, passed in the 2026 session, creates a 9.9% tax on individuals and joint filers with annual adjusted gross income above $1 million, with the first returns due in April 2029. It will not touch an ordinary salary.
• Capital gains tax: long-term gains on stocks, bonds and business interests are taxed under RCW 82.87. Since tax year 2025 the rate is tiered: 7% on the first $1,000,000 of taxable Washington gains and 9.9% above that. The standard deduction was $278,000 for 2025. Home sales and retirement accounts are exempt. DOR line: 360-705-6705.
• Seattle's payroll expense tax (JumpStart) only reaches large employers: for 2026 the company needs 2025 Seattle payroll of $9,074,409 or more and at least one employee earning $194,452 or more in 2026. The employer pays it; nothing is deducted from the employee.

How much is sales tax?

Sales tax depends on where you receive the goods or services, and rates are revised quarterly. From October 1 to December 31, 2026 the Seattle rate is 6.5% state plus 4.05% local, a combined 10.55%. Seattle's local share rose 0.1 point on January 1, 2026 to fund law-enforcement programs.

Rates change again on January 1, 2027. Look up your own address with DOR's rate lookup tool. Coming from Texas? There was no state income tax there either, but sales tax in Seattle is noticeably higher.

Property tax and selling a home

• Installments: in King County the first half of the property tax is due April 30 and the second half October 31; if the bill is under $50 the whole amount is due April 30. Late charges accrue monthly from May 1. King County Treasury is at 201 S Jackson St, 2nd floor, and the property tax line is 206-263-2890. More in the property tax section.
• If you sell: the state real estate excise tax (REET) is usually paid by the seller. For sales through December 31, 2026 the graduated rates are 1.10% up to $525,000, 1.28% to $1,525,000, 2.75% to $3,025,000 and 3% above that. The thresholds rise on January 1, 2027, and a local share is added on top.

How do I get an ITIN?

1. Complete Form W-7 and attach it to your federal return unless an exception applies.
2. Get documents verified. Mail originals to the IRS in Austin, use a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA), or book an appointment at an IRS office that reviews ITIN documents. With a CAA or an IRS office, your passport does not go in the mail; documents are returned at the end of the appointment.
3. Wait. Processing takes about 7 weeks, or 9 to 11 weeks during tax season (January 15 to April 30).

• The Seattle IRS office: according to the IRS list, the Seattle center that reviews ITIN documents in person is at 915 Second Ave., 32nd Floor (Henry M. Jackson Federal Building), the same building as the immigration court but a different floor. Other Washington offices with the same service are in Everett, Olympia, Richland, Silverdale, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Yakima.
• Appointments: 844-545-5640. It can take several weeks to get one, and the offices take no walk-ins. Confirm the address with the IRS office locator. The two 2026 Saturday openings (April 11 and May 30) have passed.
• What to take: a current government photo ID, your passport and supporting documents. The centers review originals or copies certified by the issuing agency, and interpretation is available by phone.
• Expiration: an ITIN not used on a federal return for three years in a row expires.

1. Certificate of Formation: filed with the Secretary of State's Corporations & Charities Division; the fee is $180. Expedited service is $100 extra for about three working days; same-day service is $150 extra and only in person, in Tumwater (243 Israel Rd SE) or Cheney. There is no counter in Seattle, so build the drive into any urgent filing.
2. State business license and UBI: once the entity is on file, apply through DOR's business license application. You need the license if you do business under a name other than your own legal name, plan to hire within 90 days, collect sales tax, or have gross income of $12,000 a year or more. Online applications take about 10 business days, plus 2 to 3 weeks if city or state endorsements are needed, and up to 6 weeks by mail. The UBI number that comes with the license is what you use to file taxes and make later changes.
3. Seattle business license tax certificate: most businesses operating in the city need the city's license tax certificate, including home-based ones and ones that are not yet profitable. Apply through FileLocal or by mail, with the UBI number first if one is required.
4. Annual report: $70. A late filing adds a $95 delinquency fee, and reinstating a cancelled entity costs $140 plus the missed annual report fees. An amendment is $30.

What the Seattle certificate costs, and the B&O tax

• Tiers: the fee follows last year's Seattle taxable revenue. $73 for $0 to $19,999 (rising to $76 in 2027), $147 for $20,000 to $499,999 ($154 in 2027), $667 for $500,000 to $1,999,999 ($697), $1,604 for $2 million to $4.99 million ($1,677), and $3,210 for $5 million and above ($3,355). Add $10 per branch location.
• First year and renewal: businesses that start on or after July 1 pay half the fee in the first year. Renew by December 31 each year; the 2027 fees are higher, so leaving the renewal to the last days of the year can cost more.
• A new exemption since 2026: no certificate is required if your gross income in the city is $4,000 or less and you have no place of business there.
• Seattle B&O tax: from January 1, 2026 the threshold rose from $100,000 to $2 million, with a $2 million standard deduction, and the rates went up. You still have to file returns even below the threshold. The annual 2026 return is due April 30, 2027. Questions: [email protected], (206) 684-8484.
• Trade name (DBA): a sole proprietor using a name other than their legal name registers it in the same business license application. Washington does not expect a separate county DBA filing.

• Food assistance: applications go through Washington Connection. After H.R. 1, SNAP is generally limited to U.S. citizens, green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA citizens, and the 5-year wait still applies to green card holders, with exceptions such as children under 18. Washington also funds its own Food Assistance Program for some immigrants who cannot get SNAP; ask Washington Connection or your local DSHS office whether you fall inside it before you open an application.
• U.S.-citizen children in the household may still receive benefits in their own right.
• The October 1, 2026 break in Apple Health: according to the Health Care Authority's page for noncitizens, refugees, asylees, parolees, VAWA self-petitioners and trafficking survivors lose federal Medicaid eligibility after September 30, 2026. Children and pregnant or postpartum people are outside that change.
• Apple Health Expansion is closed: the state-funded program that covers adults 19 and over regardless of immigration status hit its enrollment cap in December 2025 and takes no new enrollees. People already enrolled keep their coverage, and the program moves to fee-for-service on January 1, 2027. HCA still asks people to apply so they can be considered. The routes that work regardless of status are Apple Health for Kids (under 19), pregnancy coverage with 12 months postpartum, Alien Emergency Medical for emergencies, and Family Planning Only. More in the health section.
• A nuance about data: HCA says Apple Health Expansion is exempt from the public charge test and that it does not share data with ICE. But a federal court ruling of December 29, 2025 lets CMS give DHS an enrollee's name, immigration status, address, phone number and Medicaid ID. So "completely safe" is not the right word.
• The new public charge rule: for green card applications filed on or after September 18, 2026, officers may consider any means-tested benefit (SNAP, Medicaid, housing assistance and others) received on or after that date. Benefits received earlier count only if they were cash assistance or long-term institutional care. Benefits received by family members, such as a child in their own right, are generally not counted.
• Who is exempt: humanitarian categories such as asylees and refugees, T and U visa holders, VAWA self-petitioners and TPS. Family-based, most employment-based and diversity visa applicants are subject to it.
• Litigation: on September 14, 2026, more than 20 states filed one lawsuit and cities led by New York City filed another. As of October 1, 2026, no court had blocked the rule, so check again on the day you read this.
• Seattle discounts that are not benefits: the city's Utility Discount Program takes 60% off electricity and 50% off water, sewer and garbage, and the city does not ask about immigration status (utilityassistance.seattle.gov, 206-684-0268). ORCA LIFT gives a reduced transit fare (see the transit section). These are discounted services, not public assistance.
• Free legal help: the CLEAR hotline at 1-888-201-1014 and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project in Seattle at 206-587-4009.

1. Sign in to your USCIS account and open the Change of Address screen. Reporting online satisfies the legal requirement; you do not also need to mail a paper AR-11.
2. Enter the receipt number of every pending case. Otherwise letters can still go to the old address.
3. Tell USPS separately. A post office change of address does not update USCIS records, and USPS does not forward USCIS mail.
4. If you have a court case, file Form EOIR-33/IC within 5 days. The court changes an address only through that form.
5. If you have an ICE reporting obligation (for example a check-in schedule), update your address with ICE through the ICE Portal as well. ICE asks for the update within 5 business days of the move.

A and G visa holders and visitors who entered under the Visa Waiver Program are outside the USCIS reporting requirement.

• About the field office address: the USCIS field office page states plainly that there are no walk-ins, but it does not give a readable street address. The office is reported to sit on the same site as the Tukwila support center, and we could not confirm that on an official page. So take the address from your notice rather than from a guess.
• Getting to Tukwila: parking is $8 a day and King County Metro route 174 stops in front of the building. It sits near Sea-Tac Airport, so from downtown you can ride Link light rail south and connect by bus. Allow extra time for traffic on a wet morning.
• What a support center does not do: an ASC takes no filings and no documents, only biometrics. Military personnel are seen without an appointment from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Appointments and questions: USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283, or book online. Appointments are free.
• Processing times: on the USCIS processing times page, pick the form, the category and Seattle as the office. Times update monthly.
• Biometrics: the center is assigned on your I-797C notice and may not be the closest one. To reschedule, ask through your USCIS online account at least 12 hours before the appointment. Our biometrics guide covers what to bring.
• Attorneys at interviews: since May 18, 2026, attorneys generally cannot join a field office interview remotely. Your attorney has to come with you.

• Hours: both courts are open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with window filing until 4 p.m. Closed on federal holidays.
• Getting into the building: in Seattle, use the 1st Avenue entrance, go through security screening, and expect to be escorted from the lobby. Bring photo ID. The same building, the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, also holds the IRS office that reviews ITIN documents and an SSA office, so make sure you get off on the right floor.
• An old address still circulating: some websites still show 1000 Second Avenue for the Seattle court. The court moved to 915 2nd Ave. in the summer of 2020. Always check the location on your latest hearing notice.
• Tacoma: the court is inside the Northwest ICE Processing Center and there is no transit stop nearby; Tacoma Dome Station is about a mile away. Go there only if your notice gives that address.
• Email: [email protected] and [email protected].
• Online lookup: ACIS needs only your A-number (A + 8 or 9 digits). Your hearing notice is still the official source; the system may show new dates late.
• ICE: the ERO Seattle Field Office can be reached at 206-277-2000. Its address is listed in the Tukwila area, but we could not confirm that on ICE's own page, so verify it on ICE's site or on your own paperwork before you travel. If you have a check-in, the place to go is on the paperwork you were given; talk to your attorney before you go.

Where do I find my I-94, and how do I fix an error?

Download your most recent I-94 from CBP's website. Errors made at entry (wrong visa class, name or admit-until date) are corrected by CBP Deferred Inspection. If you entered through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the office is at the airport and the phone is (206) 214-2200; CBP's pages were not reachable for us, so confirm the address and hours on CBP's deferred inspection list and call before you go. The office fixes only mistakes made at the time of entry.

• The jury list is more than the voter list: each county pool is built every year by merging the Secretary of State's list of registered voters with the Department of Licensing file of licensed drivers and identicard holders (RCW 2.36.054). A standard Washington license is available to applicants without an SSN and does not show immigration status, so a noncitizen who never registered to vote can still land in the pool. A driver's license does not give you the right to vote, but it is enough to put your name on the jury list.
• Check which court sent it: a Seattle resident may be summoned by a King County court or by the federal court, and the heading on the letter tells you which. Both require U.S. citizenship for service, but the office you answer is not the same.
• How King County handles it: a person who is not a U.S. citizen is not competent to serve (RCW 2.36.070). The summons arrives with a written or electronic declaration signed under penalty of perjury; return it stating that you do not meet the qualifications and you are excused from appearing (RCW 2.36.072(4)). King County Superior Court lists "not a United States citizen" among the disqualifications and lets you answer through its online juror portal, by mail, by fax or by email. The page gives no separate deadline, so work to the date printed on your summons.
• Never ignore the summons: Washington pays no juror fee to a person who never returned the declaration and is later found not qualified. Answering takes a few minutes. Misstating your citizenship to get out of service is a different and far larger problem.
• Voter registration at the licensing counter: automatic registration in Washington applies only to citizens who apply for, renew or change the address on an enhanced driver license or enhanced ID, which calls for proof of U.S. citizenship. A standard license registers nobody; registration happens only if the applicant asks for it at the counter. Read the voter registration part of the form, and if you are not a citizen do not sign it and do not tick its box. Answer the citizenship question truthfully.
• The penalty is heavy: knowingly giving false information on a voter registration application, or signing a false declaration about voter qualifications, is a class C felony in Washington (RCW 29A.84.130), and the state's own registration form warns of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. Registering or voting without citizenship can also have serious immigration consequences (USCIS Policy Manual). A green card or permanent residency is not citizenship.
• Leave the volunteers' forms alone: around election season Seattle sees registration tables at campuses, markets and front doors. Do not fill in the form, even when a campaign worker says it is fine. Give calls and emails the same caution: a court does not use jury duty as a reason to ask for an SSN, a card number or a payment.

• King County District Court locations: the King County Courthouse in Seattle, plus Bellevue, Burien, Issaquah, the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Redmond and Shoreline. They take new applications only, not renewals. An appointment is required and there are no drop-ins. Slots run weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 30 minutes each, with up to four applicants per slot.
• Two separate payments: the court's $35 service fee can be paid in cash, by card, check or money order. The State Department passport fee is accepted only as a check or money order payable to "U.S. Department of State". Do not mix them up; the wrong payment wastes the appointment.
• City customer service centers: six of Seattle's seven centers (Ballard, Central, Lake City, Southeast, Southwest and University, but not the Downtown one) accept passport applications. The same counters also take utility payments.
• Post offices: USPS branches also take new applications by appointment, booked at 1-800-275-8777 or usps.com/scheduler. Which branch offers the service can change, so check the scheduler.
• What to bring: your original naturalization certificate and a photo ID.
• Urgent travel: you need proof of travel within 14 days, or of a foreign visa needed within 28 days. The expedite fee is an extra $60.

• Seattle Passport Agency: the agency serves only people travelling within 14 days (or needing a foreign visa within 28 days), and only by appointment. The official page gives a downtown Seattle address, but we could not open that page directly, so rely on the address and time in your appointment confirmation.
• Appointments: free, through the online appointment system or 877-487-2778. Third-party sites that charge to book an appointment are scams. Arrive 15 minutes early for security.
• Online renewal: adults who qualify renew only through the State Department's own renewal system.

Two ways into the museums for free

• The Library museum pass: anyone with a Seattle Public Library card can reserve one free pass a month to one of 18 museums. Cards are issued regardless of immigration status and no SSN is asked, which makes this the most useful tool a newly arrived family has. Details in the free and family section below.
• First Thursdays: the Seattle Art Museum 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., MOHAI 5 to 8 p.m., the Museum of Flight 5 to 9 p.m. and the Burke Museum all day. The Washington Park Arboretum also runs a free public tour on the first Thursday.

Before you drive to a national park

• No cash at the gate: Mount Rainier and Olympic take only credit or debit cards. If you are carrying cash, shops in Ashford, Packwood and Wilkeson sell the $30 seven-day Rainier pass before you reach the entrance.
• Sunrise is closed: because of the Wonderland Complex fires, the Sunrise area and Sunrise Road are closed to private vehicles for the rest of the 2026 season. White River Road reopened on September 5, 2026. The Wonderland Trail between the Carbon River bridge and White River Campground and the Grand Park trails are closed too, and the Grove of the Patriarchs is closed until a new bridge is built, with construction starting in 2028.
• Check first: fire and road conditions change day to day, so read the park's conditions page before you set off. As of October 1, 2026 every state park is under a Level 2 or Level 3 burn ban, so plan campfires accordingly.
• State parks are a separate system: Washington State Parks and the state's forest and wildlife lands need a Discover Pass on the windshield: $45 a year or $10 a day. One pass covers two vehicles, valid for one at a time. From November 1 to March 31, Sno-Park areas need a separate permit and the Discover Pass is not valid there.
• Getting to Olympic: the Olympic Peninsula is reached from Seattle by the Bainbridge ferry or the Edmonds-Kingston route. Allow for sailing times and the vehicle queue.
• The rest of the state: park fees, closures and statewide trips are covered in more detail in our Washington State guide.

The Library museum pass

• How it works: anyone with a Seattle Public Library card can reserve one free pass a month to one of 18 museums, among them the Seattle Art Museum, MOHAI, the Museum of Flight, the Burke Museum, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, MoPOP, the Seattle Children's Museum, Wing Luke, rowing at the Center for Wooden Boats, the Seattle Japanese Garden and the Volunteer Park Conservatory.
• How many people: a pass admits two to four people and most include children. The Seattle Aquarium and Woodland Park Zoo passes admit four.
• How to reserve: new passes are released every day after noon and go quickly for the popular museums. Bring the pass and a photo ID whose last name matches it; printing is free at Library branches.
• How to get the card: it is free for Seattle and King County residents, no questions about immigration status and no SSN. A foreign driver's license, a foreign passport or a green card works as ID, with one proof of address. Apply online and the digital access opens right away.

Always free

• Parks and viewpoints: Kerry Park, Gas Works Park, Discovery Park, Alki Beach, Golden Gardens, Green Lake, Seward Park, Volunteer Park, the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Washington Park Arboretum, open dawn to dusk at no charge.
• Pike Place Market: walking the Market and watching the fishmongers and flower stalls costs nothing.
• Ballard Locks: the site's page mentions no entrance fee for watching the boats or the fish ladder viewing room; only the parking is paid.
• First Thursdays: the Seattle Art Museum 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., MOHAI 5 to 8 p.m. for the core exhibits, the Museum of Flight 5 to 9 p.m., and the Burke Museum all day.
• Museums for All: the Burke Museum admits visitors free when they show a SNAP, EBT or WIC card with an ID.
• Free days: no Discover Pass is needed on October 10 and November 11, 2026 (day-use parking only). The national parks are fee-free on October 27 and November 11, 2026. NPS describes those days as being for U.S. citizens and residents, so read the park's page or ask a ranger before you count on one.

With kids

• Woodland Park Zoo: on "Kid at Heart" days adults pay the child ticket price, on October 4, 5, 18 and 19 and November 1 and 2, 2026. Tickets are sold online only. The zoo is closed all day on Saturday, October 3.
• Seattle Aquarium: open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 5 p.m. Children 3 and under are free and ages 4 to 12 reduced. A Library pass admits four.
• Burke Museum and MOHAI: free for 3 and under at the Burke and for 14 and under at MOHAI. The Seattle Art Museum is free for 14 and under with a pass.
• Play areas in the parks: wading pools and playgrounds at Green Lake, the play barn and kite hill at Gas Works Park, a wading pool and play area at Volunteer Park, volleyball and a beach at Golden Gardens, swimming beaches and a play area at Seward Park.
• Museum of Flight: a place to spend hours indoors on a wet weekend, and free on the first Thursday evening from 5 to 9 p.m.
• Mount Rainier: U.S. fourth graders get in free with an Every Kid Outdoors voucher. With Sunrise closed, plan the Paradise side this season and check road status before you drive.
• December: Argosy's Christmas Ship Festival opens on November 27 at Pier 55, with the Parade of Boats on Lake Union on December 11 (the Fremont Cut, with an onshore viewing party at Evanston Plaza) and the finale on December 23. Sailings are ticketed, but watching from the shore is open to everyone.

To book: konsolosluk.gov.tr → Randevu Al → Türk Vatandaşları İçin Konsolosluk İşlemleri, then choose the Los Angeles Consulate General from the list. The 24/7 Consular Call Center: +1 888 566 7656. After-hours emergency line: +1 310 779 3288. Email: [email protected]. Office hours are weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., but in-person applications are accepted only from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

What that means if you live in Seattle

• The district: the mission's contact page gives its district as Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the Pacific islands. Living in Seattle, Bellevue or Tacoma makes no difference; the appointment is in Los Angeles.
• Passports are in person: passport and Turkish ID card applications cannot be done by mail. If your passport is close to expiring, plan a flight from Seattle to Los Angeles, a day off work and usually a night in a hotel. Applications are taken only in the morning, which makes a same-day round trip tight.
• Do not count on a mobile consulate: the mission's announcement archive shows mobile consular services in Seattle only in 2013. Nothing is announced for 2026. Do not plan an urgent document around the hope that such a visit appears.
• Start early: put your passport expiry date in your calendar now. A Turkish passport's validity also matters for U.S. visa renewals and your I-94, so leaving it to the last month gets expensive.
• Bring every document: one missing paper means a new appointment and another flight. Check the document list on the mission's site before you book.
• Closed days: the mission's remaining 2026 holidays are October 12, October 29 (Turkish Republic Day), November 11, November 26 and December 25, then January 1, 2027. Book around them.

Fees, document lists and the conditions for mail applications are updated from time to time. Check them on the mission's site before your appointment.

Registering a Seattle-born child with the Turkish civil registry

Birth registration uses a certified copy of the birth certificate and can be done by mail, so you do not have to fly to Los Angeles for a child's registration. In King County the certified copy comes from King County Vital Statistics at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 220, Seattle WA 98104, phone 206-837-0719, open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A copy is $25, or $28.50 from the kiosk in the same building, ready in about 10 to 15 minutes. More in the birth certificate section.

Military service (askerlik)

• Registration (yoklama): men born in 2007, and anyone without a deferral, must complete it by December 31, 2026, through the consulate or e-Devlet.
• Paid military service (dövizle askerlik): for July to December 2026 the amount is the foreign-currency equivalent of 472,653.60 TL, collected by the consulate in U.S. dollars at the Turkish central bank rate of the payment day. Ask the mission whether a transfer fee is added. The amount changes on January 1, 2027.
• Conditions: a U.S. residence or work permit, at least 3 years (1,095 days) of work abroad excluding time spent in Türkiye, the MSB online training, and an in-person appointment in the mission's district. Seattle is in the Los Angeles district.
• Dual citizens: people born in the U.S., or who arrived as minors and naturalized, can defer until the end of age 35 once their U.S. citizenship is recorded in the Turkish civil registry. For multiple citizens there is no work condition; 3 years abroad is enough.
• F-1 students defer through the education attaché at 5455 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 804, Los Angeles CA 90036, +1 310 342 5222.
• Timing: the amount is reset on January 1, 2027 and the registration deadline is December 31, 2026. Booking a flight and an appointment from Seattle takes time, and the mission is closed on December 25, so do not leave it to the last week.

1. Get the right certified copy. An apostille goes only on a certified copy. In King County, birth and death records come from King County Vital Statistics at 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 220, Seattle WA 98104, phone 206-837-0719, at $25 a copy or $28.50 from the kiosk. At state level the same record comes from the Department of Health's Center for Health Statistics in Tumwater (360-236-4300, or 1-800-525-0127 in state). A marriage certificate comes from the King County Recorder, at $3 a copy. Documents issued or notarized in another state must be authenticated in that state, not in Washington.
2. By mail: send the document, the cover letter and payment to the Secretary of State's apostille program at PO Box 40228, Olympia WA 98504-0228. Turnaround is about 7 to 10 business days from receipt. Expedited service (2 to 3 business days) is $100 extra per 10 documents.
3. In person: same-day service exists at only two offices, for $150 extra for the first 10 documents: Tumwater, Town Center 3, 243 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater WA 98501, and Cheney, 960 Washington St, Cheney WA 99004. Check the front-counter cut-off times on the office's contact page. Phone 360-725-0377.

• Fee: $15 per document, not per page.
• Driving from Seattle: Tumwater is south of Seattle near Olympia, down I-5. If you need same-day service, leave early enough for the counter cut-off; the morning backup around Tacoma can be heavy.
• Apostille or certification: an apostille is issued only for countries in the Hague Apostille Convention. For a country outside it, the office issues a different certification instead.

• U.S. clock changes: daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November: November 1, 2026 and March 14, 2027. The gap shifts twice a year because of it.
• Calling Türkiye: with 10 or 11 hours between you, working hours barely overlap. To reach an office in Türkiye as it opens, plan for 10 or 11 p.m. in Seattle; to catch family in their evening, call in your morning. The Los Angeles consulate, on the other hand, is in your own time zone.
• Seattle to Istanbul: Turkish Airlines is on the Port of Seattle's list of nonstop international routes and launched the route on May 27, 2022. Flights leave from the international S Concourse; U.S. reservations 1-800-874-8875. Check current days and times on the Turkish Airlines website.
• Getting to the airport: Link light rail reaches Sea-Tac from downtown in about 38 minutes for $3, and a walkway connects the station to the terminal. Allow extra time for international bag drop and security.
• Luggage and the season: between November and March, rain on the Seattle end is close to certain. Carry any documents you bring back from Türkiye in a separate waterproof folder.