Title 46 — Title 46 MOTOR VEHICLES

*** 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…

(1) The Washington state patrol acting by and through the chief of the Washington state patrol has the authority to adopt and enforce the regulations promulgated by the United States department of transportation, 49 C.F.R. Parts 100 through 199, transportation of hazardous materi…

Each violation of any rules and/or regulations made pursuant to RCW 46.48.170 or 81.80.290 pertaining to vehicle equipment on motor carriers transporting hazardous material shall be a misdemeanor.Bail for such a violation shall be set at a minimum of one hundred dollars. The fine…

The chief of the Washington state patrol shall direct the necessary qualified personnel to inspect the cargo of any motor carriers vehicle transporting hazardous material, inspect for proper securing, and inspect for the combined loading of cargo which would be inconsistent with …

(1) The operator of any vehicle which collided with any other vehicle which is unattended shall immediately stop and shall then and there either locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle of the name and address of the operator and owner of the vehicle striking the u…

(1) A driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in the injury to or death of any person or involving striking the body of a deceased person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of such accident or as close thereto as possible but shall then forthwith ret…

(1) Unless a report is to be made by a law enforcement officer under subsection (3) of this section, the driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or damage to the property of any one person to an apparent extent equal to or great…

The director may suspend the license or permit to drive and any nonresident operating privileges of any person failing to report an accident as provided in RCW 46.52.030 until such report has been filed.[ 1988 c 8 s 1; 1965 ex.s. c 119 s 2.]

Whenever the driver of the vehicle involved in any accident, concerning which accident report is required, is physically incapable of making the required accident report and there is another occupant other than a passenger for hire therein, in the vehicle at the time of the accid…

Every coroner or other official performing like functions shall on or before the tenth day of each month, report in writing to the sheriff of the county in which he or she holds office and to the chief of the Washington state patrol the death of any person within his or her juris…

It shall be the duty of the chief of the Washington state patrol to file, tabulate, and analyze all accident reports and to publish annually, immediately following the close of each fiscal year, and monthly during the course of the year, statistical information based thereon show…

Every coroner or other official performing like functions shall submit to the state toxicologist a blood sample taken from all drivers and all pedestrians who are killed in any traffic accident where the death occurred within four hours after the accident. Blood samples shall be …

(1) Any police officer of the state of Washington or of any county, city, town, or other political subdivision, present at the scene of any accident or in possession of any facts concerning any accident whether by way of official investigation or otherwise shall make report there…

All required accident reports and supplemental reports and copies thereof shall be without prejudice to the individual so reporting and shall be for the confidential use of the county prosecuting attorney and chief of police or county sheriff, as the case may be, and the director…

All of the factual data submitted in report form by the officers, together with the signed statements of all witnesses, except the reports signed by the drivers involved in the accident, shall be made available upon request to the interested parties named in RCW 46.52.080.[ 1965 …

Any information authorized for release under RCW 46.52.080 and 46.52.083 may be furnished in written form for a fee sufficient to meet, but not exceed, the costs incurred. All fees received by the Washington state patrol for such copies shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fun…