The city of Vancouver estimated it could be losing about $317,937 annually due to drivers who live in Washington but have vehicles registered in another state.

That money could be used to improve the city’s streets, from filling potholes to fixing cracked sidewalks.

In December 2015, the city created a Vancouver Transportation Benefit District and a new $20 license tab renewal fee. New Washington residents must register their car within 30 days of moving. But it appears many people could be cutting into the city’s profits by ignoring the renewal fee.

A crew of volunteers recently fanned out across the city, targeting residential neighborhoods, looking for out-of-state plates. Certain neighborhoods had more out-of -state vehicles than others, with the biggest offender being Fourth Plain Village.

The approximately 170 volunteers managed to observe 17, 395 vehicles citywide. The volunteers discovered that about 1,679, or nearly 10 percent, had out-of-state plates. Since there are a variety of factors, such as whether people are simply visiting, the data represent a rough metric to give the city councilors some insight into how big the problem could be.