Vehicle inspection backlog

AN ACT Relating to addressing the current backlog of vehicle 1
inspections; amending RCW 46.12.560; adding a new section to chapter 2
46.09 RCW; and providing an effective date. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 46.12.560 and 2024 c 301 s 22 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1)(a) ((Before)) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this 7
section, before accepting an application for a certificate of title, 8
the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed 9
by the director shall require an applicant to provide a certificate 10
of vehicle inspection completed by the Washington state patrol or 11
other authorized inspector if the vehicle: 12
(i) Was declared a total loss or salvage vehicle under the laws 13
of this state; 14
(ii) Has been rebuilt after the certificate of title was returned 15
to the department under RCW 46.12.600 and the vehicle was not kept by 16
the registered owner at the time of the vehicle's destruction or 17
declaration as a total loss; or 18
(iii) Is presented with documents from another state showing that 19
the vehicle was a total loss or salvage vehicle and has not been 20
S-0183.1
SENATE BILL 5462
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Braun, Chapman, and J. Wilson
Read first time 01/23/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
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reissued a valid registration certificate from that state after the 1
declaration of total loss or salvage. 2
(b) A vehicle presented for inspection must have all damaged 3
major component parts replaced or repaired to meet all requirements 4
in law and rule before the Washington state patrol will inspect the 5
vehicle. The inspection must verify that the vehicle identification 6
number is genuine and agrees with the number shown on the certificate 7
of title and registration certificate. 8
(c) A Washington state patrol vehicle identification number 9
specialist must ensure that all major component parts used for the 10
reconstruction of a salvage or rebuilt vehicle were obtained legally, 11
and must securely attach a marking at the driver's door latch pillar 12
indicating the vehicle was previously destroyed or declared a total 13
loss. It is a class C felony for a person to remove the marking 14
indicating that the vehicle was previously destroyed or declared a 15
total loss. 16
(2) A person presenting a vehicle for inspection under subsection 17
(1) of this section must provide original invoices for new and used 18
parts from: 19
(a) A vendor that is registered with the department of revenue or 20
a comparable agency in the jurisdiction where the major component 21
parts were purchased for the collection of retail sales or use taxes. 22
The invoices must include: 23
(i) The name and address of the business; 24
(ii) A description of the part or parts sold; 25
(iii) The date of sale; and 26
(iv) The amount of sale to include all taxes paid unless exempted 27
by the department of revenue or a comparable agency in the 28
jurisdiction where the major component parts were purchased;29
(b) A vehicle wrecker licensed under chapter 46.80 RCW or a 30
comparable business in the jurisdiction outside Washington state 31
where the major component part was purchased; and 32
(c) Private individuals. The private individual must have the 33
certificate of title to the vehicle where the parts were taken from 34
unless the parts were obtained from a parts car owned by a collector. 35
Bills of sale for parts must be notarized and include:36
(i) The names and addresses of the sellers and purchasers;37
(ii) A description of the vehicle and the part or parts being 38
sold, including the make, model, year, and identification or serial 39
number; 40
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(iii) The date of sale; and 1
(iv) The purchase price of the vehicle part or parts.2
(3) A person presenting a vehicle for inspection under this 3
section who is unable to provide an acceptable release of interest or 4
proof of ownership for a vehicle or major component part as described 5
in this section shall apply for an ownership in doubt application 6
described in RCW 46.12.680. 7
(4) All-terrain vehicles, wheeled all-terrain vehicles, and 8
utility-type vehicles are exempt from the vehicle identification 9
number inspection required in subsections (1) through (3) of this 10
section.11
(5)(a) Before accepting an application for a certificate of 12
title, the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent 13
appointed by the director shall require an applicant to provide a 14
certificate of vehicle inspection completed by the Washington state 15
patrol or other authorized inspector when the application is for a 16
vehicle being titled for the first time as: 17
(i) Assembled; 18
(ii) Glider kit; 19
(iii) Homemade; 20
(iv) Kit vehicle; 21
(v) Street rod vehicle; 22
(vi) Custom vehicle; or 23
(vii) Subject to ownership in doubt under RCW 46.12.680.24
(b) The inspection must verify that the vehicle identification 25
number is genuine and agrees with the number shown on the certificate 26
of title and registration certificate. 27
(((5))) (6)(a) Before accepting an application for a certificate 28
of title, the department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent 29
appointed by the director shall require an applicant to provide a 30
certificate of vehicle inspection completed by the Washington state 31
patrol when the application is for a vehicle with a vehicle 32
identification number that has been: 33
(i) Altered; 34
(ii) Defaced; 35
(iii) Obliterated; 36
(iv) Omitted; 37
(v) Removed; or 38
(vi) Otherwise absent. 39
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(b) The application must include payment of the fee required in 1
RCW 46.17.135. 2
(c) The Washington state patrol shall assign a new vehicle 3
identification number to the vehicle and place or stamp the new 4
number in a conspicuous position on the vehicle. 5
(d) The department shall use the new vehicle identification 6
number assigned by the Washington state patrol as the official 7
vehicle identification number assigned to the vehicle.8
(((6))) (7) The department may adopt rules as necessary to 9
implement this section. 10
(((7))) (8) Nothing in this section creates a requirement for the 11
Washington state patrol to inspect attached catalytic converters as 12
major component parts. 13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 46.09 14
RCW to read as follows: 15
Vehicles titled under this chapter are exempt from the vehicle 16
identification number inspection required in RCW 46.12.560.17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.18
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