That duplicate plate thing is real, and it's usually the whole reason your permit gets stuck. When they moved everyone to the new online system, old records didn't get cleaned up, so your last car is still sitting there tied to your address. Ask them to pull your record by your name and address, not your plate, and have them delete the dead plates on the spot. Get the name of whoever fixes it and a ticket number if they give one, because otherwise you'll explain it all over again next time. Also skip the portal for the lease issue and bring a copy of your lease plus a bill that's less than 30 days old straight to the office. And stay on them every week or so, the squeaky wheel really does get the sticker.

Ran a 45% readout at a shop in Tacoma for two years before I finally put my own $20 hygrometer by the gun station. Found out the booth sensor was off by 15 points every time it rained, and my clear coats stopped blushing the day I started trusting the cheap one instead. Now I check my own gear before every coat, no matter what the panel says.