The Legislature is considering a proposal to implement road usage charging in Washington. What does the legislative proposal do, and not do? Find out here
RUC is not an additional tax
The gas tax needs to stay in place during a transition to RUC so the state can meet its debt obligations against the gas tax. However, gas taxes paid by drivers in the RUC program will be credited towards their road usage charges, reducing the total amount owed.
Drivers do not have to do anything to receive their gas tax credits. It will be automatically applied to their RUC charges and the reduced balance is what will be due when tabs are renewed.
Here is how the credit is calculated
How much will RUC cost me?
Click on a vehicle below to see how much the RUC will be after fuel tax credits are applied.
Electric Vehicles, eligible for RUC in 2027
Hybrids / 50 MPG, eligible for RUC in 2027
40 MPG vehicles, eligible for RUC in 2031
30 MPG vehicles, eligible for RUC in 2033
25 MPG vehicles, eligible for RUC in 2034
20 MPG vehicles, eligible for RUC in 2035
General questions about Road Usage Charging
Questions are below or via PDF frequent questions (PDF 117KB).
- A road usage charge, or RUC, is a per-mile charge drivers pay based on the number of miles they drive, rather than paying by the gallon of gas.
- Our gas tax is similar to a road usage charge – it just charges drivers per gallon rather than per mile.
- RUC ensures drivers of all types of vehicles pay their fair share for usage of Washington roads, regardless of their car’s age or fuel economy.
- RUC is a user fee like the gas tax and continues to ensure drivers of all vehicle types are paying their fair share for the usage of the roads.
- RUC provides long-term, sustainable funding for transportation regardless of vehicle fuel efficiency or the kind of fuel used.
- It moves Washington away from paying by the gallon of gas to simply paying for each mile driven.
- Drivers would pay RUC or gas tax, but not both.
- Any gas taxes paid at the pump would be credited toward RUC owed, so drivers would only pay one or the other for their road usage.
- Drivers would have choices for reporting miles driven, including by reporting their odometer annually.
- GPS is not required. Customers who want to use GPS could do so by their own choice for their personal convenience.
- Regardless of reporting method, strong data and privacy protection laws will be in place.
- Today’s gas tax is also a per-mile tax, but the cost impact will vary by your car’s MPG. The lower your car’s MPG, the more you pay today under the gas tax.
- The cost impact of RUC compared to the gas tax will be determined by what type of car you drive – not how far you drive.
- If your car gets under 20 MPG, you are already paying three to five cents per mile today, under the gas tax.
- By contrast, in a RUC program drivers will pay the same per mile rate of less than three cents per mile.
- For example, if the RUC rate was set at 2.6 cents per mile, all vehicles would pay $26 per 1,000 miles driven, regardless of your car’s MPG.
- See the table below to see how RUC and gas tax compare by MPG.
| Vehicle MPG | State Gas Tax (49.4 cents per gallon) |
RUC (2.6 cents per mile) |
| 15 MPG | $33 | $26 |
| 19 MPG | $26 | $26 |
| 25 MPG | $20 | $26 |
| 40 MPG | $12 | $26 |
| EV (100+ MPGe) | $0 | $26 |
- Today’s gas tax is regressive. Everyone must pay the same 49.4 cents per gallon regardless of their ability to do so.
- Low-income drivers pay 14% more per mile driven under the gas tax, compared to high-income drivers.
- RUC provides the opportunity to reduce the tax burden on low-income motorists by providing the opportunity to offer discounts, and leveling the playing field so that all drivers pay the same per mile rate, regardless of their car’s MPG.
- No
- EV drivers who sign up for RUC would no longer have to pay the $225 annual registration fee they pay today.
- Hybrid vehicle drivers who sign up for RUC would no longer have to pay the $75 annual registration fee they pay today.
- No
- EV drivers maintain an operating cost advantage under RUC simply by the fact that they do not have to buy gas.
- Compared to gas-powered vehicles, EV driver’s operational costs remain much lower than those who have to buy gas.
- The cost to collect a RUC will depend on the methods used for reporting miles driven:
- Reporting miles via a simple annual odometer report when drivers renew their vehicle’s registration will cost about the same as it does to collect other vehicle registration fees. Costs are estimated in the range of 4 to 6% of revenues.
- If drivers choose an automated mileage reporting option, the collection cost may increase due to the need for onboard technology, data exchange, customer accounts, and account management.
- As the RUC program grows, like a business, the costs will spread across more vehicles, making the program more efficient.
- The gas tax would stay in place so visitors from out of state in Washington can continue to pay gas taxes at the pump like they do today.
- Four states have adopted RUC programs: Utah, Oregon, Virginia, and Hawaii.
- As of 2024, 40 states have conducted research into RUC, including pilots in states like California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Georgia.
- The Washington State Transportation Commission (Commission) has been researching road usage charging over the past decade to analyze how and if it might work for Washington.
- This research program, called WA RUC, has shown that Washington is ready to implement a small-scale RUC program to replace the current gas tax.
- Details on this research program and its findings can be found on waroadusagecharge.org.
You can learn more about the Road Usage Charge and stay up to date on the latest information and our progress by visiting the Road Usage Charge website.
Background
In 2012, the Legislature directed the Transportation Commission, in close cooperation with WSDOT and with guidance from a multi-stakeholder steering committee, to conduct an assessment of Road Usage Charging and determine if it is feasible. Work has continued since 2012, and it has been determined that Road Usage Charging is feasible and that it will out-produce the gas tax in terms of revenue, as cars become more fuel efficient. A Road Usage Charge (RUC) is a per mile charge drivers would pay for the use of the roads, as opposed to paying by the gallon of gas. If implemented, it would replace the gas tax statewide.