Title 46 — Title 46 MOTOR VEHICLES

The total outside width of any vehicle or load thereon must not exceed eight and one-half feet; except that an externally mounted rear vision mirror may extend beyond the width limits of the vehicle body to a point that allows the driver a view to the rear of the vehicle along bo…

Motor homes, travel trailers, and campers may exceed the maximum width established under RCW 46.44.010 if the excess width is attributable to appurtenances that do not extend beyond the body of the vehicle by more than four inches, or if an awning, by more than six inches. As use…

It is unlawful for any vehicle unladen or with load to exceed a height of fourteen feet above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands. This height limitation does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles or repair equipment of a public utility engaged in reasonably nece…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2467-S.SL) ***(1) It is unlawful for any person to operate upon the public highways of this state any vehicle having an overall length, with or without load, in excess of forty feet. This restriction does not apply to (a) a municipal transit vehicle, (…

(1) The load, or any portion of any vehicle, operated alone upon the public highway of this state, or the load, or any portion of the front vehicle of a combination of vehicles, shall not extend more than three feet beyond the front wheels of such vehicle, or the front bumper, if…

Except as provided in RCW 46.44.037, it is unlawful for any person to operate upon the public highways of this state any combination of vehicles consisting of more than two vehicles. For the purposes of this section a truck tractor-semitrailer or pole trailer combination will be …

Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 46.44.036 and subject to such rules and regulations governing their operation as may be adopted by the state department of transportation, operation of the following combinations is lawful:(1) A combination consisting of a truck tractor, a se…

No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall operate upon the public highways of this state with a gross load on any single axle in excess of twenty thousand pounds, or upon any group of axles in excess of that set forth in the following table, except that two consecutive sets of …

Subject to the maximum gross weights specified in RCW 46.44.041, it is unlawful to operate any vehicle upon the public highways with a gross weight, including load, upon any tire concentrated upon the surface of the highway in excess of six hundred pounds per inch width of such t…

The switch that controls the raising and lowering of the retractable rear booster or tag axle on a ready-mix cement truck may be located within the reach of the driver's compartment as long as the variable control, used to adjust axle loadings by regulating air pressure or by oth…

A three axle truck tractor and a two axle pole trailer combination engaged in the operation of hauling logs may exceed by not more than six thousand eight hundred pounds the legal gross weight of the combination of vehicles when licensed, as permitted by law, for sixty-eight thou…

The department of transportation may make and enter into agreements with the federal government or any state or group of states or agencies thereof, or any nonprofit association, on a joint or cooperative basis, to study, analyze, or test the effects of weight on highway construc…

It shall be unlawful to operate any vehicle upon public highways with a wheelbase between any two axles thereof of less than three feet, six inches when weight exceeds that allowed for one axle under RCW 46.44.042 or 46.44.041. It shall be unlawful to operate any motor vehicle up…

No passenger type vehicle shall be operated on any public highway with any load carried thereon extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of such vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the right side thereof.[ 1961 c 12 s 46.4…

The drawbar or other connection between vehicles in combination shall be of sufficient strength to hold the weight of the towed vehicle on any grade where operated. No trailer shall whip, weave or oscillate or fail to follow substantially in the course of the towing vehicle. When…

Local authorities with respect to public highways under their jurisdiction may prohibit the operation thereon of motor trucks or other vehicles or may impose limits as to the weight thereof, or any other restrictions as may be deemed necessary, whenever any such public highway by…

The department of transportation, pursuant to its rules with respect to state highways, and local authorities, with respect to public highways under their jurisdiction, may, upon application in writing and good cause being shown therefor, issue a special permit in writing, or ele…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, no special permit shall be issued for movement on any state highway or route of a state highway within the limits of any city or town where the gross weight, including load, exceeds the following limits:…

(1)(a) Except as provided in (b) and (c) of this subsection, the department of transportation, with respect to state highways maintained within port district property, may, at the request of a port commission, make and enter into agreements with port districts and adjacent jurisd…

Special permits may not be issued for movements on any state highway outside the limits of any city or town in excess of the following widths:On two-lane highways, fourteen feet;On multiple-lane highways where a physical barrier serving as a median divider separates opposing traf…

The department of transportation or the local authority is authorized to issue or withhold such special permit at its discretion, although where a mobile home is being moved, the verification of a valid license under chapter 46.70 RCW as a mobile home dealer or manufacturer, or u…

The following fees, in addition to the regular license and tonnage fees, shall be paid for all movements under special permit made upon state highways. All funds collected, except the amount retained by authorized agents of the department as provided in RCW 46.44.096, shall be fo…

When a combination of vehicles has been licensed to a total gross weight of 80,000 pounds or when a three or more axle single unit vehicle has been licensed to a total gross weight of 40,000 pounds, a temporary additional tonnage permit to haul loads in excess of these limits may…

In determining fees according to RCW 46.44.0941, mileage on state primary and secondary highways shall be determined from the planning survey records of the department of transportation, and the gross weight of the vehicle or vehicles, including load, shall be declared by the app…

If the congress of the United States further amends section 127, Title 23 of the United States Code, authorizing increased sizes and weights, the Washington state department of transportation may authorize the operation of vehicles and combinations of vehicles upon completed port…

The department of transportation may, within the provisions set forth in this chapter, adopt rules for size and weight criteria relating to vehicles considered to be specialized equipment by the federal highway administration for interstate travel or as determined by the departme…

(1)(a) Except as provided in (c) of this subsection, a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is a traffic infraction, and upon the first finding thereof shall be assessed a basic penalty of not less than fifty dollars; and upon a second finding thereof shall be asses…

(1) Any person operating any vehicle or moving any object or conveyance upon any public highway in this state or upon any bridge or elevated structure that is a part of any such public highway is liable for all damages that the public highway, bridge, elevated structure, or other…

Whenever an act or omission is declared to be unlawful in chapter 46.44 RCW, the owner or lessee of any motor vehicle involved in such act or omission is responsible therefor. Any person knowingly and intentionally participating in creating an unlawful condition of use, is also s…

The limitations of RCW 46.44.010, 46.44.020, 46.44.030, and 46.44.041 shall not apply to the movement of farm implements of less than forty-five thousand pounds gross weight, a total length of seventy feet or less, and a total outside width of fourteen feet or less when being mov…

In addition to any other special permits authorized by law, special permits may be issued by the department of transportation for a quarterly or annual period upon such terms and conditions as it finds proper for the movement of (1) farm implements used for the cutting or threshi…

The state, county, or city authority having responsibility for the reconstruction or improvement of any public highway may, subject to prescribed conditions and limitations, authorize vehicles employed in such highway reconstruction or improvement to exceed the gross weight limit…

(1) Any person moving a mobile home as defined in RCW 46.04.302 or a park model trailer as defined in RCW 46.04.622 upon public highways of the state must obtain:(a) A special permit from the department of transportation and local authorities pursuant to RCW 46.44.090 and 46.44.0…

(1) Upon validation of a special permit as provided in RCW 46.44.170, the county treasurer shall forward notice of movement of the mobile home or park model trailer subject to property taxes to the treasurer's own county assessor and to the county assessor of the county in which …

(1) Failure of any person or agent acting for a person who causes to be moved or moves a mobile home as defined in RCW 46.04.302 upon public highways of this state and failure to comply with any of the provisions of RCW 46.44.170 and 46.44.173 is a traffic infraction for which a …

(1) It is unlawful for a person, other than an employee of a dealer or other principal licensed to transport mobile homes within this state acting within the course of employment with the principal, to operate a pilot vehicle accompanying a mobile home, as defined in RCW 46.04.30…

(1) As used in this section, "firefighting apparatus" means a vehicle or combination of vehicles, owned by a regularly organized fire suppression agency, designed, maintained, and used exclusively for fire suppression and rescue or for fire prevention activities. These vehicles a…

(1) Upon entering the state, any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than forty thousand pounds and transporting cattle must immediately stop at a port of entry, which is operated by the Washington state patrol.(2) The requirement of subs…