Veteran parking privileges

AN ACT Relating to parking privileges for veterans; amending RCW 1
46.19.010, 46.19.040, and 41.04.007; and adding a new section to 2
chapter 46.19 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 46.19.010 and 2020 c 80 s 32 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) A natural person who has a disability that meets one of the 7
following criteria may apply for special parking privileges:8
(a) Cannot walk ((two hundred )) 200 feet without stopping to 9
rest; 10
(b) Is severely limited in ability to walk due to arthritic, 11
neurological, or orthopedic condition; 12
(c) Has such a severe disability that the person cannot walk 13
without the use of or assistance from a brace, cane, another person, 14
prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device;15
(d) Uses portable oxygen; 16
(e) Is restricted by lung disease to an extent that forced 17
expiratory respiratory volume, when measured by spirometry, is less 18
than one liter per second or the arterial oxygen tension is less than 19
((sixty)) 60 mm/hg on room air at rest; 20
S-0190.2
SENATE BILL 5410
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Braun, Boehnke, Chapman, Conway, Dozier, King, Liias,
Lovick, Salomon, Warnick, Wellman, and J. Wilson
Read first time 01/22/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
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(f) Impairment by cardiovascular disease or cardiac condition to 1
the extent that the person's functional limitations are classified as 2
class III or IV under standards accepted by the American heart 3
association; 4
(g) Has a disability resulting from an acute sensitivity to 5
automobile emissions that limits or impairs the ability to walk. The 6
personal physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or 7
physician assistant of the applicant shall document that the 8
disability is comparable in severity to the others listed in this 9
subsection; 10
(h) Has limited mobility and has no vision or whose vision with 11
corrective lenses is so limited that the person requires alternative 12
methods or skills to do efficiently those things that are ordinarily 13
done with sight by persons with normal vision; 14
(i) Has an eye condition of a progressive nature that may lead to 15
blindness; ((or))16
(j) Is restricted by a form of porphyria to the extent that the 17
applicant would significantly benefit from a decrease in exposure to 18
light; or19
(k) Is a veteran, as defined in RCW 41.04.007, who has a 70 20
percent disability rating from the United States armed forces or 21
United States department of veterans affairs and uses a service 22
animal as defined in 28 C.F.R. 35.104. 23
(2) The disability in subsection (1)(a) through (j) of this 24
section must be determined by either: 25
(a) A licensed physician; 26
(b) An advanced registered nurse practitioner licensed under 27
chapter 18.79 RCW; or 28
(c) A physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW.29
(3) A health care practitioner listed under subsection (2) of 30
this section who is authorizing a parking permit for purposes of this 31
chapter must provide a signed written authorization: On a 32
prescription pad or paper, as defined in RCW 18.64.500; on office 33
letterhead; or by electronic means, as described by the director in 34
rule. 35
(((4) The application for special parking privileges for persons 36
with disabilities must contain:37
(a) The following statement immediately below the physician's, 38
advanced registered nurse practitioner's, or physician assistant's 39
signature: "A parking permit for a person with disabilities may be 40
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issued only for a medical necessity that severely affects mobility or 1
involves acute sensitivity to light (RCW 46.19.010). An applicant or 2
health care practitioner who knowingly provides false information on 3
this application is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. The penalty is up 4
to three hundred sixty-four days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 5
or both. In addition, the health care practitioner may be subject to 6
sanctions under chapter 18.130 RCW, the Uniform Disciplinary Act"; 7
and 8
(b) Other information as required by the department.9
(5) A natural person who has a disability described in subsection 10
(1) of this section and is expected to improve within twelve months 11
may be issued a temporary placard for a period not to exceed twelve 12
months. If the disability exists after twelve months, a new temporary 13
placard must be issued upon receipt of a new application with 14
certification from the person's physician as prescribed in 15
subsections (3) and (4) of this section. Special license plates for 16
persons with disabilities may not be issued to a person with a 17
temporary disability.18
(6) A natural person who qualifies for special parking privileges 19
under this section must receive an identification card showing the 20
name and date of birth of the person to whom the parking privilege 21
has been issued and the serial number of the placard.22
(7) A natural person who qualifies for permanent special parking 23
privileges under this section may receive one of the following:24
(a) Up to two parking placards;25
(b) One set of special license plates for persons with 26
disabilities if the person with the disability is the registered 27
owner of the vehicle on which the license plates will be displayed;28
(c) One parking placard and one set of special license plates for 29
persons with disabilities if the person with the disability is the 30
registered owner of the vehicle on which the license plates will be 31
displayed; or32
(d) One special parking year tab for persons with disabilities 33
and one parking placard.34
(8) Parking placards and identification cards described in this 35
section must be issued free of charge.36
(9) The parking placard and identification card must be 37
immediately returned to the department upon the placard holder's 38
death.))39
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 46.19 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) The application for special parking privileges for persons 3
with disabilities must contain: 4
(a) The following statement immediately below the physician's, 5
advanced registered nurse practitioner's, or physician assistant's 6
signature: "A parking permit for a person with disabilities may be 7
issued only for a medical necessity that severely affects mobility or 8
involves acute sensitivity to light (RCW 46.19.010). An applicant or 9
health care practitioner who knowingly provides false information on 10
this application is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. The penalty is up 11
to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $5,000 or both. In addition, 12
the health care practitioner may be subject to sanctions under 13
chapter 18.130 RCW, the Uniform Disciplinary Act"; and14
(b) Other information as required by the department.15
(2) A natural person who has a disability described in RCW 16
46.19.010(1) and is expected to improve within 12 months may be 17
issued a temporary placard for a period not to exceed 12 months. If 18
the disability exists after 12 months, a new temporary placard must 19
be issued upon receipt of a new application with certification from 20
the person's physician as prescribed in RCW 46.19.010(3) and 21
subsection (1) of this section. Special license plates for persons 22
with disabilities may not be issued to a person with a temporary 23
disability. 24
(3) A natural person or veteran who qualifies for special parking 25
privileges under this section must receive an identification card 26
showing the name and date of birth of the person to whom the parking 27
privilege has been issued and the serial number of the placard.28
(4) A natural person or veteran who qualifies for permanent 29
special parking privileges under RCW 46.19.010 may receive one of the 30
following: 31
(a) Up to two parking placards; 32
(b) One set of special license plates for persons with 33
disabilities if the person with the disability is the registered 34
owner of the vehicle on which the license plates will be displayed;35
(c) One parking placard and one set of special license plates for 36
persons with disabilities if the person with the disability is the 37
registered owner of the vehicle on which the license plates will be 38
displayed; or 39
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(d) One special parking year tab for persons with disabilities 1
and one parking placard. 2
(5) Parking placards and identification cards described in this 3
section must be issued free of charge. 4
(6) The parking placard and identification card must be 5
immediately returned to the department upon the placard holder's 6
death. 7
Sec. 3. RCW 46.19.040 and 2014 c 124 s 5 are each amended to 8
read as follows: 9
(1) Parking privileges for persons with disabilities must be 10
renewed at least every five years, as required by the director, by 11
satisfactory proof of the right to continued use of the privileges. 12
Satisfactory proof must include a signed written authorization from a 13
health care practitioner as required in RCW 46.19.010(3) or proof 14
that the applicant satisfies the criteria of RCW 46.19.010(1)(k).15
(2) The department shall match and purge its database of parking 16
permits issued to persons with disabilities with available death 17
record information at least every ((twelve)) 12 months.18
(3) The department shall adopt rules to administer the parking 19
privileges for persons with disabilities program. 20
Sec. 4. RCW 41.04.007 and 2024 c 146 s 3 are each amended to 21
read as follows: 22
"Veteran" includes every person who, at the time he or she seeks 23
the benefits of RCW 46.18.212, 46.18.235, 46.19.010, 72.36.030, 24
41.04.010, 73.04.090, or 43.180.250, has received a qualifying 25
discharge as defined in RCW 73.04.005, and who has served in at least 26
one of the following capacities: 27
(1) As a member in any branch of the armed forces of the United 28
States, including the national guard and armed forces reserves, and 29
has fulfilled his or her initial military service obligation;30
(2) As a member of the women's air forces service pilots;31
(3) As a member of the armed forces reserves, national guard, or 32
coast guard, and has been called into federal service by a 33
presidential select reserve call up for at least one hundred eighty 34
cumulative days; 35
(4) As a civil service crewmember with service aboard a U.S. army 36
transport service or U.S. naval transportation service vessel in 37
oceangoing service from December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946;38
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(5) As a member of the Philippine armed forces/scouts during the 1
period of armed conflict from December 7, 1941, through August 15, 2
1945; or 3
(6) A United States documented merchant mariner with service 4
aboard an oceangoing vessel operated by the department of defense, or 5
its agents, from both June 25, 1950, through July 27, 1953, in Korean 6
territorial waters and from August 5, 1964, through May 7, 1975, in 7
Vietnam territorial waters, and who received a military commendation.8
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