PRIA Logo™
WashingtonHB 18782025-2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Improving young driver safety.

Sponsored By: Brandy Donaghy (Democratic)

Became Law

Your PRIA Score

Score Hidden

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to start

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.

Remedial courses and under-21 renewals

Starting January 1, 2027, if you hold an initial license and have two separate moving‑violation occasions, you must complete a course. Ages 18–21 must take a safe driving course; ages 22–24 must take a safe driving course through 2030 and a condensed course starting January 1, 2031. You get 180 days to finish after notice or your license is suspended until you complete it. Multiple tickets from the same stop count as one occasion. Beginning January 1, 2031, an initial license issued to someone under 21 expires on the later of your 21st birthday after issue or two years after issue, and you cannot renew until you complete a refresher course set by the department.

Vouchers and local training access

Beginning January 1, 2027, the state offers vouchers (if funded) to pay up to the average cost of approved driver training for ages 15–24 in low‑income households. You can get one voucher per eligible course, and some people who got other specified state help are not eligible. Applicant income data stays private. Beginning July 1, 2026, the department partners with tribal governments to offer young driver education in tribal communities (if funded). The department also builds an instructor training and mentorship program and can offer grants to grow and diversify the instructor workforce, with annual reports starting in 2026.

New training rules for young drivers

Beginning January 1, 2027, first‑time applicants must complete an approved driver training course. The rule phases in by age: 18–18½ in 2027, 18–19 in 2028, 18–20 in 2029, and 18–21 in 2030. From May 1, 2026 through January 1, 2031, applicants under 25 must also pass a free online work zone and first responder safety course (the department can waive this if it is not available). If you already hold a valid license from a reciprocal state, you are exempt. The department can waive training if you cannot take a course, need to drive, and can drive safely, and can pause the rollout if there are too few courses or instructors. Courses must meet state standards; schools may use self‑paced online lessons and can give up to four hours of driving practice in one day for hardship cases. Motorcycle endorsement applicants must finish a state‑approved motorcycle safety course.

Dedicated fund for driver education

The law creates a driver education safety improvement account. Starting January 1, 2026, $15 from each driver’s license application and $10 from each instruction permit application go into this account. Any speed safety camera revenue left after operating and admin costs also goes into the account. The state may spend this money only after appropriation on named driver education programs like vouchers, instructor training, tribal partnerships, and the online work zone course.

Higher license and permit fees

Starting January 1, 2026, the new driver license application fee is $50 (up from $35) and the instruction permit fee is $35 (up from $25). The vehicle license service fee rises from $0.50 to $0.75 per registration. By law, parts of these receipts are directed to transportation and driver education accounts.

New rules on state treasury earnings

The state creates a treasury income account to hold investment earnings on surplus balances. Each month the treasurer credits most earnings to the general fund and sends a share to named accounts based on average daily balances, including school and university permanent funds. Agencies that deposit their own funds by agreement also get their proportionate share. No account gets earnings unless this section expressly allows it.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Brandy Donaghy

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

  • Alex Ramel

    Democratic • House

  • Beth Doglio

    Democratic • House

  • Joe Fitzgibbon

    Democratic • House

  • Liz Berry

    Democratic • House

  • Sharon Tomiko Santos

    Democratic • House

  • Steve Tharinger

    Democratic • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 183 • No: 59

House vote • 4/21/2025

Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 71 • No: 26 • Other: 1

Senate vote • 4/10/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage as Amended by the Senate

Yes: 38 • No: 11

House vote • 3/11/2025

3rd Reading & Final Passage

Yes: 74 • No: 22 • Other: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date 7/27/2025*.

    5/17/2025House

  2. Chapter 299, 2025 Laws.

    5/17/2025House

  3. Governor signed.

    5/17/2025legislature

  4. Delivered to Governor.

    4/24/2025legislature

  5. President signed.

    4/23/2025legislature

  6. Speaker signed.

    4/22/2025legislature

  7. Passed final passage; yeas, 71; nays, 26; absent, 0; excused, 1.

    4/21/2025House

  8. House concurred in Senate amendments.

    4/21/2025House

  9. Third reading, passed; yeas, 38; nays, 11; absent, 0; excused, 0.

    4/10/2025House

  10. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    4/10/2025House

  11. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    4/10/2025House

  12. Committee amendment not adopted.

    4/10/2025House

  13. Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.

    4/7/2025House

  14. Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.

    3/24/2025House

  15. Minority; without recommendation.

    3/20/2025House

  16. Minority; do not pass.

    3/20/2025House

  17. TRAN - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).

    3/20/2025House

  18. First reading, referred to Transportation.

    3/13/2025House

  19. Third reading, passed; yeas, 74; nays, 22; absent, 0; excused, 2.

    3/11/2025House

  20. Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.

    3/11/2025House

  21. Floor amendment(s) adopted.

    3/11/2025House

  22. 1st substitute bill substituted.

    3/11/2025House

  23. Rules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.

    3/10/2025House

  24. Referred to Rules 2 Review.

    2/28/2025House

  25. TR - Executive action taken by committee.

    2/27/2025House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation