Chewelah Auto Licensing subagency will be permanently closing at end of month

The Stevens County Auditor’s Office announced the Chewelah Auto Licensing subagency will permanently close Jan. 31.

It is located in the same building as the Chewelah Insurance Agency and has offered services for Chewelah and surrounding rural communities, including issuing and renewing license plates, registering vehicles and transferring titles.

Subagencies are private businesses that contract with county auditors to provide licensing services for the State Department of Licensing.

Lori Larsen, auditor of Stevens County, said the decision was made by Kevin Schalock, who has been operating the subagency since 1981, although he didn’t share with her specific reasons for closing the location.

Schalock didn’t immediately respond for a comment.

In the coming weeks, the Stevens County Auditor’s Office will conduct an analysis of customer demand for vehicle and vessel licensing services in the region. Based on what they find, the office may open a new competitive bid process to identify a new appointee, according to the news release.

Tamara Bowman, office manager at the Chewelah Insurance Agency, said with the subagency closing, they will be using the space to hire a receptionist.

It is a possibility that someone else will apply for the licensing subagency and reopen at a new location in Chewelah,” Bowman said. “That would be best for the community … it’s sad to lose the licensing service in our town.”

The Chewelah Auto Licensing will also be closed from Tuesday to Jan. 26 before its final day.

Editor’s note: This story was changed on Jan. 14, 2025, to correct information about the services provided at the Chewelah Auto Licensing subagency. The agency does not issue driver’s licenses or identification carts. Additionally, Tamara Bowman’s title was misstated. She is the office manager for the Chewelah Insurance Agency.