Removal of vehicles

AN ACT Relating to the removal of vehicles by certain cities when 1
obstructing the operation of streetcar vehicles or jeopardizing 2
public safety; amending RCW 46.55.080; reenacting and amending RCW 3
46.55.010; and declaring an emergency. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 46.55.010 and 2023 c 326 s 1 are each reenacted and 6
amended to read as follows: 7
The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this 8
chapter: 9
(1) "Abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle that a registered tow 10
truck operator has impounded and held in the operator's possession 11
for 120 consecutive hours. 12
(2) "Abandoned vehicle report" means the document prescribed by 13
the state that the towing operator forwards to the department after a 14
vehicle has become abandoned. 15
(3) "Immobilize" means the use of a locking wheel boot that, when 16
attached to the wheel of a vehicle, prevents the vehicle from moving 17
without damage to the tire to which the locking wheel boot is 18
attached. 19
(4) "Impound" means to take and hold a vehicle in legal custody. 20
There are two types of impounds—public and private.21
H-2916.1
HOUSE BILL 2495
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Thomas, Reed, Scott, Fitzgibbon, Ryu, Parshley,
Macri, Street, Pollet, and Obras
Read first time 01/15/26. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 2495
(a) "Public impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded at 1
the direction of a law enforcement officer or by a public official 2
having jurisdiction over the public property upon which the vehicle 3
was located. 4
(b) "Private impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded 5
at the direction of a person having control or possession of the 6
private property upon which the vehicle was located.7
(5) "Junk vehicle" means a vehicle certified under RCW 46.55.230 8
as meeting at least three of the following requirements:9
(a) Is three years old or older; 10
(b) Is extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited 11
to any of the following: A broken window or windshield, or missing 12
wheels, tires, motor, or transmission; 13
(c) Is apparently inoperable; 14
(d) Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the 15
approximate value of the scrap in it. 16
(6) "Master log" means the document or an electronic facsimile 17
prescribed by the department and the Washington state patrol in which 18
an operator records transactions involving impounded vehicles.19
(7) "Registered tow truck operator" or "operator" means any 20
person who engages in the impounding, transporting, or storage of 21
unauthorized vehicles or the disposal of abandoned vehicles.22
(8) "Residential property" means property that has no more than 23
four living units located on it. 24
(9) "Suspended license impound" means an impound ordered under 25
RCW 46.55.113 because the operator was arrested for a violation of 26
RCW 46.20.342 or 46.20.345. 27
(10) "Tow truck" means a motor vehicle that is equipped for and 28
used in the business of towing vehicles with equipment as approved by 29
the state patrol. 30
(11) "Tow truck number" means the number issued by the department 31
to tow trucks used by a registered tow truck operator in the state of 32
Washington. 33
(12) "Tow truck permit" means the permit issued annually by the 34
department that has the classification of service the tow truck may 35
provide stamped upon it. 36
(13) "Tow truck service" means the transporting upon the public 37
streets and highways of this state of vehicles, together with 38
personal effects and cargo, by a tow truck of a registered operator.39
p. 2 HB 2495
(14) "Unauthorized vehicle" means a vehicle that is subject to 1
impoundment after being left unattended in one of the following 2
public or private locations for the indicated period of time:3
4 Subject to removal after:
5 (a) Public locations:
6
7
(i) Constituting an accident or a traffic hazard as
defined in RCW 46.55.113 . . . . . . . Immediately
8
9
(ii) On a highway and tagged as described in RCW
46.55.085 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 hours
10
11
12
(iii) In a publicly owned or controlled parking
facility, properly posted under RCW
46.55.070 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Immediately
13
14
15
16
17
18
(iv) Within the right-of-way used by a regional transit
authority for high capacity transportation where
the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to the
operation of high capacity transportation vehicles
or
jeopardizes public safety. . . . . . . . . Immediately
19
20
21
22
23
(v) Within the right-of-way used by a city with a
population greater than 700,000 for streetcar
operations where the vehicle constitutes an
obstruction to the operation of streetcar vehicles
or jeopardizes public safety . . . . . . . Immediately
24 (b) Private locations:
25 (i) On residential property . . . . . . . . . . Immediately
26
27
28
(ii) On private, nonresidential property,
properly posted under RCW
46.55.070 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Immediately
29
30
(iii) On private, nonresidential property,
not posted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 hours
Sec. 2. RCW 46.55.080 and 2023 c 326 s 2 are each amended to 31
read as follows: 32
(1) If a vehicle is in violation of the time restrictions of RCW 33
46.55.010(14), it may be impounded by a registered tow truck operator 34
at the direction of a law enforcement officer, authorized regional 35
transit authority representative under the conditions described in 36
RCW 46.55.010(14)(a)(iv), authorized city representative under the 37
p. 3 HB 2495
conditions described in RCW 46.55.010(14)(a)(v), or other public 1
official with jurisdiction if the vehicle is on public property, or 2
at the direction of the property owner or an agent if it is on 3
private property. A law enforcement officer may also direct the 4
impoundment of a vehicle pursuant to a writ or court order.5
(2) The person requesting a private impound or a law enforcement 6
officer, authorized regional transit authority representative, 7
authorized city representative, or public official requesting a 8
public impound shall provide a signed authorization for the impound 9
at the time and place of the impound to the registered tow truck 10
operator before the operator may proceed with the impound. A 11
registered tow truck operator, employee, or his or her agent may not 12
serve as an agent of a property owner for the purposes of signing an 13
impound authorization or, independent of the property owner, identify 14
a vehicle for impound. 15
(3) In the case of a private impound, the impound authorization 16
shall include the following statement: "A person authorizing this 17
impound, if the impound is found in violation of chapter 46.55 RCW, 18
may be held liable for the costs incurred by the vehicle owner."19
(4) A registered tow truck operator shall record and keep in the 20
operator's files the date and time that a vehicle is put in the 21
operator's custody and released. The operator shall make an entry 22
into a master log regarding transactions relating to impounded 23
vehicles. The operator shall make this master log available, upon 24
request, to representatives of the department or the state patrol.25
(5) A person who engages in or offers to engage in the activities 26
of a registered tow truck operator may not be associated in any way 27
with a person or business whose main activity is authorizing the 28
impounding of vehicles. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate 30
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of 31
the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes 32
effect immediately.33
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p. 4 HB 2495