Driver training alternative

AN ACT Relating to training as an alternative to driver license 1
suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions; 2
amending RCW 46.20.2892 and 46.20.311; and providing an effective 3
date. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 46.20.2892 and 2021 c 240 s 7 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) Whenever the official records of the department show that a 8
person has committed a traffic infraction for a moving violation on 9
three or more occasions within a one-year period, or on four or more 10
occasions within a two-year period, the department must suspend the 11
license of the driver for a period of 60 days and establish a period 12
of probation for one calendar year to begin when the suspension ends , 13
except as provided in subsection (2) of this section . Prior to 14
reinstatement of a license, the person must complete a safe driving 15
course as recommended by the department. 16
(2) At any time after the department provides notice of a pending 17
suspension under subsection (1) of this section, a person may 18
complete the safe driving course mandated under subsection (1) of 19
this section. The department must terminate a suspension prior to the 20
expiration of the 60-day period when the department receives notice 21
Z-0196.1
SENATE BILL 5198
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Valdez, Holy, Bateman, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Nobles, and
Trudeau; by request of Department of Licensing
Prefiled 01/09/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5198
that the person has completed the safe driving course. The department 1
must establish a period of probation for one calendar year to begin 2
the day the suspension is terminated. A suspension may only be 3
terminated early once every five years under this subsection.4
(3) During ((the)) a period of probation, the person must not be 5
convicted of any additional traffic infractions for moving 6
violations. Any traffic infraction for a moving violation committed 7
during the period of probation shall result in an additional 30-day 8
suspension to run consecutively with any suspension already being 9
served. A person is not eligible for early reinstatement under 10
subsection (2) of this section for a probation violation that occurs 11
during the period of probation.12
(((2))) (4) When a person has committed a traffic infraction for 13
a moving violation on two occasions within a one-year period or three 14
occasions within a two-year period, the department shall send the 15
person a notice that an additional infraction will result in 16
suspension of the person's license for a period of 60 days.17
(((3))) (5) The department may not charge a reissue fee at the 18
end of the term of suspension under this section. 19
(((4))) (6) For purposes of this section, multiple traffic 20
infractions issued during or as the result of a single traffic stop 21
constitute one occasion. 22
Sec. 2. RCW 46.20.311 and 2021 c 240 s 8 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
(1)(a) The department shall not suspend a driver's license or 25
privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways for a fixed 26
period of more than one year, except as specifically permitted under 27
RCW 46.20.267, 46.20.342, or other provision of law.28
(b) Except for a suspension under RCW 46.20.267, 46.20.289, 29
46.20.291(5), 46.61.740, or 74.20A.320, whenever the license or 30
driving privilege of any person is suspended by reason of a 31
conviction, a finding that a traffic infraction has been committed, 32
pursuant to chapter 46.29 RCW, or pursuant to RCW 46.20.291 or 33
46.20.308, the suspension shall remain in effect until the person 34
gives and thereafter maintains proof of financial responsibility for 35
the future as provided in chapter 46.29 RCW. 36
(c) If the suspension is the result of a nonfelony violation of 37
RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, the department shall determine the 38
person's eligibility for licensing based upon the reports provided by 39
p. 2 SB 5198
the substance use disorder agency or probation department designated 1
under RCW 46.61.5056 and shall deny reinstatement until enrollment 2
and participation in an approved program has been established and the 3
person is otherwise qualified. If the suspension is the result of a 4
violation of RCW 46.61.502(6) or 46.61.504(6), the department shall 5
determine the person's eligibility for licensing based upon the 6
reports provided by the substance use disorder agency required under 7
RCW 46.61.524 and shall deny reinstatement until satisfactory 8
progress in an approved program has been established and the person 9
is otherwise qualified. If the suspension is the result of a 10
violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, and the person is required 11
pursuant to RCW 46.20.720 to drive only a motor vehicle equipped with 12
a functioning ignition interlock, the department shall determine the 13
person's eligibility for licensing based upon written verification by 14
a company doing business in the state that it has installed the 15
required device on a vehicle owned or operated by the person seeking 16
reinstatement. The department may waive the requirement for written 17
verification under this subsection if it determines to its 18
satisfaction that a device previously verified as having been 19
installed on a vehicle owned or operated by the person is still 20
installed and functioning or as permitted by RCW 46.20.720(8). If, 21
based upon notification from the interlock provider or otherwise, the 22
department determines that an interlock required under RCW 46.20.720 23
is no longer installed or functioning as required, the department 24
shall suspend the person's license or privilege to drive. Whenever 25
the license or driving privilege of any person is suspended or 26
revoked as a result of noncompliance with an ignition interlock 27
requirement, the suspension shall remain in effect until the person 28
provides notice issued by a company doing business in the state that 29
a vehicle owned or operated by the person is equipped with a 30
functioning ignition interlock device. 31
(d) Whenever the license or driving privilege of any person is 32
suspended as a result of certification of noncompliance with a child 33
support order under chapter 74.20A RCW, the suspension shall remain 34
in effect until the person provides a release issued by the 35
department of social and health services stating that the person is 36
in compliance with the order. 37
(e)(i) Except as provided in RCW 46.20.2892(((3)))(5), the 38
department shall not issue to the person a new, duplicate, or renewal 39
p. 3 SB 5198
license until the person pays a reissue fee of ((seventy-five 1
dollars)) $75. 2
(ii) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, if the 3
suspension is the result of a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 4
46.61.504, or is the result of administrative action under RCW 5
46.20.308, the reissue fee shall be ((one hundred seventy dollars )) 6
$170. 7
(2)(a) Any person whose license or privilege to drive a motor 8
vehicle on the public highways has been revoked, unless the 9
revocation was for a cause which has been removed, is not entitled to 10
have the license or privilege renewed or restored until: (i) After 11
the expiration of one year from the date the license or privilege to 12
drive was revoked; (ii) after the expiration of the applicable 13
revocation period provided by RCW 46.20.3101 or 46.61.5055; (iii) 14
after the expiration of two years for persons convicted of vehicular 15
homicide; or (iv) after the expiration of the applicable revocation 16
period provided by RCW 46.20.265. 17
(b)(i) After the expiration of the appropriate period, the person 18
may make application for a new license as provided by law together 19
with a reissue fee in the amount of ((seventy-five dollars)) $75.20
(ii) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, if the 21
revocation is the result of a violation of RCW 46.20.308, 46.61.502, 22
or 46.61.504, the reissue fee shall be ((one hundred seventy 23
dollars)) $170. If the revocation is the result of a nonfelony 24
violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, the department shall 25
determine the person's eligibility for licensing based upon the 26
reports provided by the substance use disorder agency or probation 27
department designated under RCW 46.61.5056 and shall deny reissuance 28
of a license, permit, or privilege to drive until enrollment and 29
participation in an approved program has been established and the 30
person is otherwise qualified. If the suspension is the result of a 31
violation of RCW 46.61.502(6) or 46.61.504(6), the department shall 32
determine the person's eligibility for licensing based upon the 33
reports provided by the substance use disorder agency required under 34
RCW 46.61.524 and shall deny reinstatement until satisfactory 35
progress in an approved program has been established and the person 36
is otherwise qualified. If the revocation is the result of a 37
violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, and the person is required 38
pursuant to RCW 46.20.720 to drive only a motor vehicle equipped with 39
a functioning ignition interlock or other biological or technical 40
p. 4 SB 5198
device, the department shall determine the person's eligibility for 1
licensing based upon written verification by a company doing business 2
in the state that it has installed the required device on a vehicle 3
owned or operated by the person applying for a new license. The 4
department may waive the requirement for written verification under 5
this subsection if it determines to its satisfaction that a device 6
previously verified as having been installed on a vehicle owned or 7
operated by the person is still installed and functioning or as 8
permitted by RCW 46.20.720(8). If, following issuance of a new 9
license, the department determines, based upon notification from the 10
interlock provider or otherwise, that an interlock required under RCW 11
46.20.720 is no longer functioning, the department shall suspend the 12
person's license or privilege to drive until the department has 13
received written verification from an interlock provider that a 14
functioning interlock is installed. 15
(c) Except for a revocation under RCW 46.20.265, the department 16
shall not then issue a new license unless it is satisfied after 17
investigation of the driving ability of the person that it will be 18
safe to grant the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public 19
highways, and until the person gives and thereafter maintains proof 20
of financial responsibility for the future as provided in chapter 21
46.29 RCW. For a revocation under RCW 46.20.265, the department shall 22
not issue a new license unless it is satisfied after investigation of 23
the driving ability of the person that it will be safe to grant that 24
person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public 25
highways. 26
(3)(a) Whenever the driver's license of any person is suspended 27
pursuant to Article IV of the nonresident violators compact or RCW 28
46.23.020 or 46.20.289 or 46.20.291(5), the department shall not 29
issue to the person any new or renewal license until the person pays 30
a reissue fee of ((seventy-five dollars)) $75. 31
(b) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, if the 32
suspension is the result of a violation of the laws of this or any 33
other state, province, or other jurisdiction involving (i) the 34
operation or physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public 35
highways while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, 36
or (ii) the refusal to submit to a chemical test of the driver's 37
blood alcohol content, the reissue fee shall be ((one hundred seventy 38
dollars)) $170. 39
p. 5 SB 5198
(4) When the department reinstates a person's driver's license 1
following a suspension, revocation, or denial under RCW 46.20.3101 or 2
46.61.5055, and the person is entitled to full day-for-day credit 3
under RCW 46.20.3101(4) or 46.61.5055(9)(b)(ii) for an additional 4
restriction arising from the same incident, the department shall 5
impose no additional reissue fees under subsection (1)(e)(ii), 6
(2)(b)(ii), or (3)(b) of this section associated with the additional 7
restriction. 8
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act takes effect April 1, 2026.9
--- END ---
p. 6 SB 5198