Wendel’s License and Service

I bought a new truck from out of state and needed to register it. I took it to my usual place, Wendel’s, and after a half-​hearted attempt to figure out the truck’s weight, and with a generally rude/​dismissive attitude, they told me I had to take it to a scale to have it weighed. I’d never heard of having to do this before, and strongly suspected it was due more to laziness or ignorance on the part of the employee than an actual requirement. Then they told me that the approximate value of the truck wasn’t coming up in their searches, so I would have to research it myself and then present them with the evidence that my vehicle was worth the same amount that I paid for it, which they may or may not accept. The employee literally told me «when it doesn’t come up in our system, it becomes your problem.» Seriously? I left with a list of errands to run and no registration.
Strongly suspecting most of this was b.s., and not wanting to needlessly run around jumping through hoops for Wendel’s, I decided to go for a second opinion and headed over to a different local DMV. They ran into the same issue finding the weight of the truck, but rather than put it on me, they pulled out some books and looked it up in about 30 seconds. Problem number one solved. They had no problem pulling up the value of the truck in their system. Problem number two solved. I was out the door with new plates and tabs in no time. If I had done what Wendel’s had asked me to, I would have had to spend significantly more time and possibly money (for the scale) running around for absolutely no reason to get my truck registered.
Overall this was a bad Wendel’s experience. I gave them 2 stars just because I’ve never had trouble getting my tabs through them for many years and don’t want to completely slam them over one bad experience, but in all honesty, I doubt I’ll go back to them for anything in the future.

These wonderful people are always helpful. I appreciated their ease in working through the details of my moms truck transfer to me after her death. They are pleasant and there is rarely a line.

After an unsavory experience at another licensing office in Seattle last week, coming to Wendel’s this morning was a breath of fresh air. I rarely write reviews, but the stark contrast between the experience I had at the other place (the name of which I won’t mention here out of courtesy) and Wendel’s inspired me to do so.
They’re located in the back left corner of a Rite Aid, making them easy to find (and get to by bus from the downtown Seattle area). I went on a Saturday and called ahead to make sure they were open (as their Saturday hours vary) and they were, but the clerk told me they were pretty busy at the moment. Since I’d been putting off getting my car registered in the state for way longer than I should’ve, I decided to take a chance and head out anyway and I’m so glad that I did!
When I arrived, around 10:30am, there were two employees behind the desk and each were with a customer. There were also two people in line before me. One of the clerks was dealing with a routine service and the other with somebody who was giving them a hard time because they didn’t quite get what was needed in order to transfer their registration from another state. Both employees were friendly enough (although not over-​the-​top upbeat or annoying), knowledgeable, and incredibly patient.
When all is said and done, I think I was out of there within 20 minutes. They do prefer you pay with cash or check (which is fine by me) otherwise I believe there’s a small fee for paying with credit or debit. As mentioned above, their Saturday hours vary so make sure you call ahead. Overall, quick service and professional attitudes from the staff. Thanks for making this usually arduous ordeal a breeze!

Stereotypes are there for a reason. I’m not sure they can be slower or more crabby. It just takes a little eye contact and a smile folks.
They got the job done, but I’ll look for different place as I enjoy being treated like a human unlike the way they treated me… kind of like I wasn’t there.
I am editing this review because the owner did reach out and apologize. Uncommon for sure. Probably holds some promise for the my next stop.

EXTREMELY HELPFUL and kind ladies work here! I had so many issues with my car that I had recently bought in California and ended up moving to WA for work but 8 months later still didn’t have license plates. They helped me get it all sorted out and went above and beyond giving me tips to help me out. Kind of odd it’s in the back of the pharmacy but still a great licensing place.

Located inside rite aid this is a great place for tag/​title needs. There is usually a bit of a line but it’s worth the wait because the staff are all really nice. Moving to WA I found the whole licensing process really confusing but Wendel’s helped make it a lot easier and even when I showed up with half the needed documents they patiently and clearly explained to me exactly what I would need. I’ll continue to use Wendel’s for these services.

In addition to my regular tabs-​n-​registration routine, I’ve had to do two really challenging car-​ownership x-​fers in the last couple of years at Wendel’s. The employees here are patient, kind and extremely helpful. Special shout out to Katie for being so great. Thanks, thanks, thanks.

The folks here were amazing. After moving cross-​country to Seattle, I had to complete a state-​to-​state transfer of my title/​registration, as well as get new tags. After four months of fighting with Hyundai to get them to send my title (as well as holding my breath to not get a ticket) the team at Wendel’s License were quick to get my transfer completed and my new registration and tags in my hands in under 20 minutes.
They were always pleasant to deal with on the phone whenever I had questions and really took a lot of the sting out of the requests to Hyundai after their leasing department consistently dropped the ball. Can’t recommend enough.

There was a bit of a line but they got through it pretty quickly. The staff were really nice and I had no problems whatsoever. It’s inside the rite-​aid all the way in the back on the left side next to the booze :)

*#1 thing in a licensing office you want is no line-​check
*#2 thing is a decent attitude, kinda gruff lady working but she warmed up to me-​check
*#3 thing is speed, got my tabs and was out in a few minutes-​check

If you miss the bygone years of dealing with government agencies or companies with employees who enjoy being slapped upside the head with a wet diaper as much as they enjoy dealing with the public (ie. Vous), bring your cheesy ass down to Wendel’s Licensing, located in Rite Aid Aurora’s ninth ring of hell, right next to the el cheapo wines.
I bought a car from a friend and frequented a licensing office THREE times to get the paperwork straight — the first at the Ballard License office and the other two at Wendel’s. There are many employees working at this location, and all of them seem to share a similar apathy for their jobs. Nobody swore at me, they didn’t look at me funny, nor make impossible demands — but you could tell that they’d rather be flossing their teeth or smelling their toe nail clippings than deal with me. I could’ve gone into cardiac arrest and pass out right in front of the customer rep’s window, and without batting an eyelash she would’ve said, NEXT!
Granted, the people waiting in line at Wendel’s are not easily cajoled… as some of them may not even understand the meaning of cajoled… but getting a car, for me, is a pretty momentous thing. And while I don’t expect streamers and Bob Barkley to come out and congratulate me on my new purchase, I wish the transaction wasn’t so… meh…I’ve seen better.

Excellent customer service from this long-​time family owned business. Ben Wendel in particular went above and beyond to help with a unique vehicle registration situation and far exceeded my expectations. I would recommend anyone use Wendel’s for all their licensing and servicing needs.

Who knew a license place was in rite aid? It was convenient as far as location.
The customer service was on point. There was a short to nil line which is always favorable than the dmv lines. Got in and out quickly.

Ben was awesome! I lost the title to the car I’m trying to sell and recently changed my name so none of my paperwork was in order. Ben helped me through the process which was surprisingly easy. I was stressed out for no reason. Best agency ever!

Years ago, Wendell’s wasn’t very busy because not everyone was «in the know.» Today, you can rest assured that there will be a bit of a line unless you are lucky. If you’re that lucky, you should buy a lottery ticket. This business is located inside Rite Aid. Simply come in and walk straight to the back left hand corner of the store where you’ll find Wendell’s.
Wendell’s is one of my «go to» spots to get my licensing needs taken care of. This does not include driver’s licenses so don’t waste your time.
Service has always been friendly and efficient. I pay attention to why things are going slowly. It’s never because of the staff. It’s always for things like people not having their shit together. Yes, you are charged an additional fee for using Wendell’s. In fact, many such licensing offices charge the fee. If you want to avoid it, you can always drive downtown, deal with parking, and pick up your licenses at the King County Administration Building. Personally, I’m happy to pay a few bucks to remain in North Seattle to take care of my business.
Why you should really go to Wendell’s is because if there is a line, you can go shopping at the stores around or grab a bite to eat and come back.

As a Los Angeleno, dealing with DMVs is nothing short of a nightmare. And while I’ve had wonderful experiences at the WA DOL offices, I still have a low expectations from previous LA DMV trauma. So, when I had to get new tabs and some brand spankin’ new WA plates, I was not thrilled to have to go to Wendel’s. Boy, was I wrong. First off, the employees here are all incredibly friendly and helpful. I had to go to Wendel’s three times in one week because I was missing or forgot pieces of my application, but each time all the employees (I interacted with 3 of them) were very patient and informative. The line can get long sometimes, but the efficiency of the office speeds it up. I would highly recommend Wendel’s for all your licensing needs if you live in the area. It’s located inside the Rite Aid.

The line was long but it moved quickly. The clerk was very helpful and friendly. I appreciated that there was a convenient cash machine there.

I registered a new car and asked for commercial plates, verified after receiving them with the gal issuing them that they were only to find out a day later they were NOT so they made me pay for a new license plate & they double charged me $ 5 sub-​agent fee when it was their mistake. BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE!
Save your $ 5 sub-​agent fee, which is Wendel’s profit, and go downtown to the King County courthouse location or specify that one when ordering online.

I’ve been getting tabs here since I’ve been working in Seattle (10 years). Wendel’s is located in the back of the Rite Aid at 13 201 Aurora which is also my pharmacy so very convenient for me.
Assuming you pay for the tab online — which you can do and certainly should, even after getting a smog inspection — Wendel’s has a special internet pickup window. I’ve never stood in line there. Just walk in and grab the tabs and go.
This is in contrast to paying for tabs at Wendel’s which can involve a wait in line. I haven’t done that in a few years so not sure anymore but they used to require payment in cash. There was a fee-​based ATM there if you only had plastic and no cash. This may still be true, I don’t know. I would deduct a star for this arrangement but maybe they take plastic these days, and anyway there’s no reason not to pay for the tabs online and skip all possible hassle.

Waiting in lines for boring things like license tag renewal is never fun. I’ve had the least strife waiting in the short lines here at Wendel’s. Located inside the Rite Aid in a strip mall, this family-​run agency is easy to navigate. Park in one of the ample spots in the lot and head to the back of the drugstore. It’s that simple.
I’ve been here several times and there’s always been at least two employees at the three stations to assist customers. I had friendly and prompt service with the longest line being 3 – 4 people. I’m almost reticent to extol their virtues lest my quiet place gets overrun!
By the way, they do NOT accept credit cards. It’s strictly cash or check. ATM next to their counters if you’ve forgotten your checkbook or need more cash. I hate paying fees so just go to the registers at the front and get cash over a small purchase to avoid them.