Title 46, MOTOR VEHICLES

(1) "Air conditioning equipment," as used or referred to in this section, means mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment that is used to cool the driver's or passenger compartment of any motor vehicle. (2) Air conditioning equipment must be manufactured, installed, an…

(1) No person shall operate any motor vehicle on a public highway while wearing any headset or earphones connected to any electronic device capable of receiving a radio broadcast or playing a sound recording for the purpose of transmitting a sound to the human auditory senses and…

It shall be unlawful to operate any vehicle upon the public highways of this state without having the load thereon securely fastened and protected by safety chains or other device. The chief of the Washington state patrol is hereby authorized to adopt and enforce reasonable rules…

(1) "Safety chains" means flexible tension members connected from the front portion of the towed vehicle to the rear portion of the towing vehicle for the purpose of retaining connection between towed and towing vehicle in the event of failure of the connection provided by the pr…

(1) Except as authorized under subsection (2) of this section, no person may operate any motor vehicle, trailer, cargo extension, or semitrailer that is not equipped with fenders, covers, flaps, or splash aprons adequate for minimizing the spray or splash of water or mud from the…

The state patrol shall adopt standards for the performance, design, and installation of passenger restraint systems for children less than five years old and shall approve those systems which meet its standards. [ 1987 c 330 s 728; 1983 c 215 s 1.] Notes: Construction—Application…

(1) No person may sell any automobile manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1964, nor may any owner cause such vehicle to be registered thereafter under the provisions of chapter 46.12 RCW unless such motor car or automobile is equipped with automobile seat belts installed f…

When any motor vehicle was originally equipped with bumpers or any other collision energy absorption or attenuation system, that system shall be maintained in good operational condition, and no person shall remove or disconnect, and no owner shall cause or knowingly permit the re…

(1) The body, fenders, and bumpers shall be maintained without protrusions which could be hazardous to pedestrians. In addition, the bumpers shall be so attached and maintained so as to not protrude beyond the original bumper line. (2) The hood, hood latches, hood fastenings, doo…

Notwithstanding the requirements of this chapter, hoods and bumpers are optional equipment on street rod vehicles, custom vehicles, and kit vehicles. Street rod vehicles, custom vehicles, and kit vehicles must comply with fender requirements under RCW 46.37.500(2) and the windshi…

A street rod or custom vehicle may use blue dot taillights for stop lamps, rear turning indicator lamps, rear hazard lamps, and rear reflectors. For the purposes of this section, "blue dot taillight" means a red lamp installed in the rear of a motor vehicle containing a blue or p…

(1) For the purposes of this section: (a) "Kit vehicle" means a passenger car or light truck assembled from a manufactured kit, and is either (i) a kit consisting of a prefabricated body and chassis used to construct a complete vehicle, or (ii) a kit consisting of a prefabricated…

It shall be unlawful for any person to lease for hire or permit the use of any vehicle with soft tires commonly used upon the beach and referred to as a dune buggy unless such vehicle has been inspected by and approved by the state patrol, which may charge a reasonable fee theref…

Every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle shall have its head lamps and tail lamps lighted whenever such vehicle is in motion upon a highway. [ 1977 ex.s. c 355 s 45.] Notes: Rules of court: Monetary penalty schedule—IRLJ 6.2. Severability—1977 ex.s. c 355: See note following RCW 4…

(1) Every motorcycle and every motor-driven cycle shall be equipped with at least one lamp which shall comply with the requirements and limitations of this section. (2) Every head lamp upon every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle shall be located at a height of not more than fift…

The head lamp or head lamps upon every motor-driven cycle may be of the single-beam or multiple-beam type but in either event shall comply with the requirements and limitations as follows: (1) Every such head lamp or head lamps on a motor-driven cycle shall be of a sufficient int…

(1) Every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle shall have at least one tail lamp which shall be located at a height of not more than seventy-two nor less than fifteen inches. (2) Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white l…

Every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle must comply with the provisions of RCW 46.37.351, except that: (1) Motorcycles and motor-driven cycles need not be equipped with parking brakes; (2) The wheel of a sidecar attached to a motorcycle or to a motor-driven cycle, and the front w…

Every motorcycle and motor-driven cycle, at all times and under all conditions of loading, upon application of the service brake, shall be capable of: (1) Developing a braking force that is not less than forty-three and one-half percent of its gross weight; (2) Decelerating to a …

(1) The state patrol is authorized to require an inspection of the braking system on any motor-driven cycle and to disapprove any such braking system on a vehicle which it finds will not comply with the performance ability standard set forth in RCW 46.37.351, or which in its opin…

(1) It is unlawful: (a) For any person to operate a motorcycle, moped, or motor-driven cycle not equipped with mirrors on the left and right sides which shall be so located as to give the driver a complete view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred feet to the rea…

It is unlawful for any person to rent out motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, or mopeds unless the person also has on hand for rent helmets of a type conforming to rules adopted by the state patrol. It shall be unlawful for any person to rent a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or mo…

No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motorcycle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the engine of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle, and it shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motorcy…

Every motorcycle and every motor-driven cycle shall also comply with the requirements and limitations of: RCW 46.37.380 on horns and warning devices; RCW 46.37.390 on mufflers and prevention of noise; RCW 46.37.400 on mirrors; and RCW 46.37.420 on tires. [ 1977 ex.s. c 355 s 53.]…

(1) The legislature intends to make it illegal for persons to turn forward the odometer on a new car to avoid compliance with the emissions standards required by chapter 295, Laws of 2005. (2) It shall be unlawful for any person to disconnect, turn back, turn forward, or reset th…

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell a motor vehicle in this state if such person has knowledge that the odometer on such motor vehicle has been turned back and if such person fails to notify the buyer, prior to the time of sale, that the odometer has been turned back or t…

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell a motor vehicle in this state if such person has knowledge that the odometer on such motor vehicle has been replaced with another odometer and if such person fails to notify the buyer, prior to the time of sale, that the odometer has be…

It shall be unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, to use, or to install on any part of a motor vehicle or on an odometer in a motor vehicle any device which causes the odometer to register any mileage other than the true mileage driven. For the purposes of this …

In any suit brought by the purchaser of a motor vehicle against the seller of such vehicle, the purchaser shall be entitled to recover his or her court costs and a reasonable attorney's fee fixed by the court, if: (1) The suit or claim is based substantially upon the purchaser's …

Whenever an act or omission is declared to be unlawful in chapter 46.37 RCW, if the operator of the vehicle is not the owner or lessee of such vehicle, but is so operating or moving the vehicle with the express or implied permission of the owner or lessee, then the operator and/o…

The state patrol shall adopt rules for wheelchair conveyance safety standards. Operation of a wheelchair conveyance that is in violation of these standards is a traffic infraction. [ 1987 c 330 s 734; 1983 c 200 s 4.] Notes: Construction—Application of rules—Severability—1987 c 3…

Effective September 1, 1992, every school bus shall, in addition to any other equipment required by this chapter, be equipped with a crossing arm mounted to the bus that, when extended, will require students who are crossing in front of the bus to walk more than five feet from th…

A private school bus is subject to the requirements set forth in the National Standards for School Buses established by the national safety council in effect at the time of the bus manufacture, as adopted by rule by reference by the chief of the Washington state patrol. A private…

(1) "Air bag" means an inflatable restraint system or portion of an inflatable restraint system including, but not limited to, the cushion material, cover, sensors, controllers, inflators, and wiring that (a) operates in the event of a crash and (b) is designed in accordance with…

(1)(a) It is unlawful for a person, with criminal negligence, to manufacture or import a motor vehicle air bag, that: (i) Is a counterfeit air bag, (ii) is a nonfunctional air bag, (iii) is a previously deployed or damaged air bag that is part of an inflatable restraint system, o…

(1)(a) Whenever an air bag that is part of a previously deployed inflatable restraint system is replaced by either a new air bag that is part of an inflatable restraint system or a nondeployed salvage air bag that is part of an inflatable restraint system, the air bag must confor…

(1) Signal preemption devices shall not be installed or used on or with any vehicle other than an emergency vehicle authorized by the state patrol, an organ transport vehicle, a publicly owned law enforcement or emergency vehicle, a department of transportation, city, or county m…

(1) It is unlawful to possess a signal preemption device except as authorized in RCW 46.37.670. (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. [ 2005 c 183 s 3.]

(1) It is unlawful to: (a) Use a signal preemption device except as authorized in RCW 46.37.670; (b) Sell a signal preemption device to a person other than a person described in RCW 46.37.670; or (c) Purchase a signal preemption device for use other than a duty as described in RC…

(1) When an accident that results only in injury to property or injury to a person that does not arise to substantial bodily harm as defined in RCW 9A.04.110 occurs as a proximate result of the operation of a signal preemption device which was not authorized in RCW 46.37.670, the…

(1) When an accident that results in injury to a person that arises to substantial bodily harm as defined in RCW 9A.04.110 occurs as a proximate result of the operation of a signal preemption device which was not authorized in RCW 46.37.670, the driver is guilty of negligently ca…

(1) When an accident that results in death to a person occurs as a proximate result of the operation of a signal preemption device which was not authorized in RCW 46.37.670, the driver is guilty of negligently causing death by use of a signal preemption device. (2) Negligently ca…

(1) All vehicle sound system components, including any supplemental speaker systems or components, must be securely attached to the vehicle regardless of where the components are located, so that the components cannot become dislodged or loose during operation of the vehicle. (2)…

(1)(a) It is unlawful for a person to display a license plate on a vehicle that does not match or correspond with the registration of the vehicle unless the vehicle is inventory for a properly licensed vehicle dealer. (b) It is unlawful for a person to have an installed license p…

(1) A manufacturer or distributor of new electric-assisted bicycles, where electric-assisted bicycles are defined in RCW 46.04.169, offered for sale or distribution in Washington state must: (a) Beginning July 1, 2018, permanently affix, in a prominent location, a label printed i…

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…