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SB5238 • 2026

Reckless driving, speed

Addressing reckless driving in cases involving excessive speed.

Crime
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Senator Muzzall, Senator Lovick, Senator Saldaña, Senator Shewmake, Senator Trudeau, Senator Wagoner, Senator C. Wilson
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
S subst for
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Reckless driving, speed

Reckless driving, speed

What This Bill Does

  • Reckless driving, speed

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

5238-S AMH CS H2021.1

0 • Community Safety

NOT CONSIDERED

Plain English: 5238-S AMH CS H2021.1 SSB 5238 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Community Safety NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.

  • 5238-S AMH CS H2021.1 SSB 5238 - H COMM AMD By Committee on Community Safety NOT CONSIDERED 04/27/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
  • 1.
  • RCW 46.61.500 and 2020 c 330 s 14 are each amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (1) ((Any person who drives any vehicle in )) (a) A person is 5 guilty of reckless driving if the person drives a vehicle:6 (i) In willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or 7 property ((is guilty of reckless driving)); or8 (ii) More than 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.9 (b) Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross 10 misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to ((three hundred 11 sixty-four)) 364 days and by a fine of not more than ((five thousand 12 dollars)) $5,000.
  • 13 (2)(a) Subject to (b) of this subsection, the license or permit 14 to drive or any nonresident privilege of any person convicted of 15 reckless driving shall be suspended by the department for not less 16 than ((thirty)) 30 days.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-12 Senate

    1st substitute bill substituted.

Official Summary Text

Reckless driving, speed

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
AN ACT Relating to reckless driving in cases involving excessive 1
speed; amending RCW 46.61.500; and prescribing penalties.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 46.61.500 and 2020 c 330 s 14 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) ((Any person who drives any vehicle in )) (a) A person is 6
guilty of reckless driving if the person drives a vehicle:7
(i) In willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or 8
property ((is guilty of reckless driving)); or9
(ii) Intentionally more than 30 miles per hour over the posted 10
speed limit. 11
(b) Violation of the provisions of this section is a gross 12
misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to ((three hundred 13
sixty-four)) 364 days and by a fine of not more than ((five thousand 14
dollars)) $5,000. 15
(2)(a) Subject to (b) of this subsection, the license or permit 16
to drive or any nonresident privilege of any person convicted of 17
reckless driving shall be suspended by the department for not less 18
than ((thirty)) 30 days. 19
(b) When a reckless driving conviction is a result of a charge 20
that was originally filed as a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 21
S-0534.2
SENATE BILL 5238
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Muzzall, Lovick, Saldaña, Shewmake, Trudeau, Wagoner, and
C. Wilson
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5238
46.61.504, or an equivalent local ordinance, the department shall 1
grant credit on a day-for-day basis for any portion of a suspension, 2
revocation, or denial already served under an administrative action 3
arising out of the same incident. In the case of a person whose day-4
for-day credit is for a period equal to or greater than the period of 5
suspension required under this section, the department shall provide 6
notice of full credit, shall provide for no further suspension under 7
this section, and shall impose no additional reissue fees for this 8
credit. During any period of suspension, revocation, or denial due to 9
a conviction for reckless driving as the result of a charge 10
originally filed as a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, any 11
person who has obtained an ignition interlock driver's license under 12
RCW 46.20.385 may continue to drive a motor vehicle pursuant to the 13
provision of the ignition interlock driver's license without 14
obtaining a separate temporary restricted driver's license under RCW 15
46.20.391. 16
(3)(a) Except as provided under (b) of this subsection, a person 17
convicted of reckless driving who has one or more prior offenses as 18
defined in RCW 46.61.5055(14) within seven years shall be required, 19
under RCW 46.20.720, to install an ignition interlock device on all 20
vehicles operated by the person if the conviction is the result of a 21
charge that was originally filed as a violation of RCW 46.61.502, 22
46.61.504, or an equivalent local ordinance. 23
(b) A person convicted of reckless driving shall be required, 24
under RCW 46.20.720, to install an ignition interlock device on all 25
vehicles operated by the person if the conviction is the result of a 26
charge that was originally filed as a violation of RCW 46.61.520 27
committed while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any 28
drug or RCW 46.61.522 committed while under the influence of 29
intoxicating liquor or any drug. 30
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5238