Towing Issues: Interstate towing, wa dept of licensing, light medium duty

Question
I have a tow business in Idaho. Basic light & medium duty towing from point A to point B, no accidents, just tow, fuel,jump, etc.
In order to perform these services in WA state, can I just get a temporary permit for the occasional trip, and still be legit? Or do I have to get a dual registration, business license,etc for the state of WA??
Dept of Licensing gives me a different answer every time.
Help!
Thank you.

Answer
Karen, from what you describe of your operation it sounds like you are an "INTRASTATE OPERATION" in the Idaho DMV and US DOT regulations.

That means all your operations are in Idaho.   

Now if you were to change your US DOT authority (hope you have a DOT NUMBER) to an "INTERSTATE AUTHORITY" that would mean that you are licensed to operate in other states and you can enter and operate in other states.  But remember that you will have to also pay a prorated fee for licenses in those states and fuel taxes also to the states you operate in.   More paperwork.    Now this can not be bad as it will allow you to grow your business and make more money.

Best answer I can give you is to look at the US Dot website and read all the information about the differences between "INTRASTATE and INTERSTATE" operations.  
That way you can make up your mind on this issue.  

Now I am not sure what part of Idaho you are in since you mention going into Washington but if I was in the upper part of Idaho, I would consider also listing Montana as its only 77 miles across the state at that point. As to if you are close to Oregon, well Oregon wants to collect that "ton mileage tax" and you can get a temporary trip permit for Oregon.


Hope this helps.