Vehicle financial responsib.

AN ACT Relating to enforcement of motor vehicle liability 1
insurance and fiscal responsibilities; and amending RCW 46.30.020 and 2
46.55.113. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 46.30.020 and 2025 c 332 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1)(a) No person may operate a motor vehicle subject to 7
registration under chapter 46.16A RCW in this state unless the person 8
is insured under a motor vehicle liability policy with liability 9
limits of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090, is self-10
insured as provided in RCW 46.29.630, is covered by a certificate of 11
deposit in conformance with RCW 46.29.550, or is covered by a 12
liability bond of at least the amounts provided in RCW 46.29.090. 13
Proof of financial responsibility for motor vehicle operation must be 14
provided on the request of a law enforcement officer in the format 15
specified under RCW 46.30.030. 16
(b) A person who drives a motor vehicle that is required to be 17
registered in another state that requires drivers and owners of 18
vehicles in that state to maintain insurance or financial 19
responsibility shall, when requested by a law enforcement officer, 20
H-2505.1
HOUSE BILL 2308
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Stuebe, Reed, Klicker, Dent, and Graham
Prefiled 01/07/26. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 2308
provide evidence of financial responsibility or insurance as is 1
required by the laws of the state in which the vehicle is registered.2
(c) When asked to do so by a law enforcement officer, failure to 3
display proof of financial responsibility for motor vehicle operation 4
as specified under RCW 46.30.030 creates a presumption that the 5
person does not have motor vehicle insurance. 6
(d) Failure to provide proof of motor vehicle insurance is a 7
traffic infraction and is subject to penalties of at least $1,000 as 8
((set)) adjusted by the supreme court under RCW 46.63.110 for 9
inflation or community restitution. 10
(e) For the purposes of this section, when a person uses a 11
portable electronic device to display proof of financial security to 12
a law enforcement officer, the officer may only view the proof of 13
financial security and is otherwise prohibited from viewing any other 14
content on the portable electronic device. 15
(f) Whenever a person presents a portable electronic device 16
pursuant to this section, that person assumes all liability for any 17
damage to the portable electronic device. 18
(2)(a) Whenever a law enforcement officer discovers that a person 19
is driving a vehicle in violation of subsection (1)(a) of this 20
section, the law enforcement officer may detain the person and 21
vehicle until proof of motor vehicle liability insurance or financial 22
responsibility is provided or may authorize the impoundment of the 23
vehicle.24
(b) If the driver of the vehicle has been given citations for a 25
violation of this section at least twice in the prior three years or 26
the driver has been the cause of an accident that involves damage to 27
another person or property while driving in violation of subsection 28
(1)(a) of this section, then the law enforcement officer must impound 29
the vehicle.30
(3) If a person cited for a violation of subsection (1) of this 31
section appears in person before the court or a violations bureau and 32
provides written evidence that at the time the person was cited, he 33
or she was in compliance with the financial responsibility 34
requirements of subsection (1) of this section, the citation shall be 35
dismissed and the court or violations bureau may assess court 36
administrative costs of $25 at the time of dismissal. In lieu of 37
personal appearance, a person cited for a violation of subsection (1) 38
of this section may, before the date scheduled for the person's 39
appearance before the court or violations bureau, submit by mail to 40
p. 2 HB 2308
the court or violations bureau written evidence that at the time the 1
person was cited, he or she was in compliance with the financial 2
responsibility requirements of subsection (1) of this section, in 3
which case the citation shall be dismissed without cost, except that 4
the court or violations bureau may assess court administrative costs 5
of $25 at the time of dismissal. 6
(((3))) (4) The provisions of this chapter shall not govern:7
(a) The operation of a motor vehicle governed by RCW 46.16A.170 8
or registered with the Washington utilities and transportation 9
commission as common or contract carriers; or 10
(b) The operation of a motor-driven cycle as defined in RCW 11
46.04.332, a moped as defined in RCW 46.04.304, or a wheeled all-12
terrain vehicle as defined in RCW 46.09.310. 13
(((4))) (5) RCW 46.29.490 shall not be deemed to govern all motor 14
vehicle liability policies required by this chapter but only those 15
certified for the purposes stated in chapter 46.29 RCW.16
Sec. 2. RCW 46.55.113 and 2023 c 283 s 6 are each amended to 17
read as follows: 18
(1) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested for a violation 19
of RCW 46.20.342 or 46.20.345, the vehicle is subject to summary 20
impoundment, pursuant to the terms and conditions of an applicable 21
local ordinance or state agency rule at the direction of a law 22
enforcement officer. 23
(2) In addition, a police officer may take custody of a vehicle, 24
at his or her discretion, and provide for its prompt removal to a 25
place of safety under any of the following circumstances:26
(a) Whenever a police officer finds a vehicle standing upon the 27
roadway in violation of any of the provisions of RCW 46.61.560, the 28
officer may provide for the removal of the vehicle or require the 29
driver or other person in charge of the vehicle to move the vehicle 30
to a position off the roadway; 31
(b) Whenever a police officer finds a vehicle unattended upon a 32
highway where the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic or 33
jeopardizes public safety; 34
(c) Whenever a police officer finds an unattended vehicle at the 35
scene of an accident or when the driver of a vehicle involved in an 36
accident is physically or mentally incapable of deciding upon steps 37
to be taken to protect his or her property; 38
p. 3 HB 2308
(d) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested and taken into 1
custody by a police officer; 2
(e) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested for a violation 3
of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504; 4
(f) Whenever a police officer discovers a vehicle that the 5
officer determines to be a stolen vehicle; 6
(g) Whenever a vehicle without a special license plate, placard, 7
or decal indicating that the vehicle is being used to transport a 8
person with disabilities under RCW 46.19.010 is parked in a stall or 9
space clearly and conspicuously marked under RCW 46.61.581 which 10
space is provided on private property without charge or on public 11
property; 12
(h) Upon determining that a person is operating a motor vehicle 13
without a valid and, if required, a specially endorsed driver's 14
license or with a license that has been expired for 90 days or more;15
(i) When a vehicle is illegally occupying a truck, commercial 16
loading zone, restricted parking zone, bus, loading, hooded-meter, 17
taxi, street construction or maintenance, or other similar zone 18
where, by order of the director of transportation or chiefs of police 19
or fire or their designees, parking is limited to designated classes 20
of vehicles or is prohibited during certain hours, on designated days 21
or at all times, if the zone has been established with signage for at 22
least 24 hours and where the vehicle is interfering with the proper 23
and intended use of the zone. Signage must give notice to the public 24
that a vehicle will be removed if illegally parked in the zone;25
(j) When a vehicle with an expired registration of more than 45 26
days is parked on a public street; 27
(k) Upon determining that a person restricted to use of only a 28
motor vehicle equipped with a functioning ignition interlock device 29
is operating a motor vehicle that is not equipped with such a device 30
in violation of RCW 46.20.740(2); 31
(l) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is arrested for illegal 32
racing conduct in violation of RCW 46.61.500 or 46.61.530 or a 33
comparable municipal ordinance;34
(m) Whenever the driver of a vehicle is driving in violation of 35
RCW 46.30.020(2). 36
(3) When an arrest is made for a violation of RCW 46.20.342, if 37
the vehicle is a commercial vehicle or farm transport vehicle and the 38
driver of the vehicle is not the owner of the vehicle, before the 39
summary impoundment directed under subsection (1) of this section, 40
p. 4 HB 2308
the police officer shall attempt in a reasonable and timely manner to 1
contact the owner of the vehicle and may release the vehicle to the 2
owner if the owner is reasonably available, as long as the owner was 3
not in the vehicle at the time of the stop and arrest and the owner 4
has not received a prior release under this subsection or RCW 5
46.55.120(1)(b)(ii). 6
(4) The additional procedures outlined in RCW 46.55.360 apply to 7
any impoundment of a vehicle under subsection (2)(e) of this section.8
(5) Nothing in this section may derogate from the powers of 9
police officers under the common law. For the purposes of this 10
section, a place of safety may include the business location of a 11
registered tow truck operator. 12
(6) For purposes of this section "farm transport vehicle" means a 13
motor vehicle owned by a farmer and that is being actively used in 14
the transportation of the farmer's or another farmer's farm, orchard, 15
aquatic farm, or dairy products, including livestock and plant or 16
animal wastes, from point of production to market or disposal, or 17
supplies or commodities to be used on the farm, orchard, aquatic 18
farm, or dairy, and that has a gross vehicle weight rating of 7,258 19
kilograms (16,001 pounds) or more. 20
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p. 5 HB 2308