Fifth-wheel travel trailers

AN ACT Relating to fifth-wheel travel trailers; and amending RCW 1
46.44.030. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
Sec. 1. RCW 46.44.030 and 2020 c 110 s 1 are each amended to 4
read as follows: 5
(1) It is unlawful for any person to operate upon the public 6
highways of this state any vehicle having an overall length, with or 7
without load, in excess of ((forty)) 40 feet. This restriction does 8
not apply to (a) a municipal transit vehicle, (b) auto stage, private 9
carrier bus, school bus, travel trailer, or motor home with an 10
overall length not to exceed ((forty-six)) 46 feet, (c) an 11
articulated auto stage with an overall length not to exceed ((sixty-12
one)) 61 feet, excluding a bike rack up to four feet in length, 13
((or)) (d) an auto recycling carrier up to ((forty-two)) 42 feet in 14
length manufactured prior to 2005 , or (e) a fifth-wheel travel 15
trailer:16
(i) With a single axle, not to exceed 38 feet in length from the 17
kingpin to the rearmost axle regardless of overall length; or18
(ii) With two or more axles, not to exceed 40 feet in length from 19
the kingpin to the rearmost axle regardless of overall length.20
S-3514.1
SENATE BILL 5824
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators King, Chapman, Dozier, and Shewmake
Prefiled 12/03/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Transportation.
p. 1 SB 5824
(2)(a) It is unlawful for any person to operate upon the public 1
highways of this state any combination consisting of a tractor and 2
semitrailer that has a semitrailer length in excess of ((fifty-3
three)) 53 feet or a combination consisting of a tractor and two 4
trailers in which the combined length of the trailers exceeds 5
((sixty-one)) 61 feet, with or without load. 6
(b) The restriction under this subsection does not apply to two 7
trailers or semitrailers with a total weight that does not exceed 8
((twenty-six thousand )) 26,000 pounds and when the two trailers or 9
semitrailers do not carry property but constitute inventory property 10
of a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of such trailers. The total 11
combination under this subsection (2)(b) may not exceed ((eighty-12
two)) 82 feet of overall length. 13
(3) It is unlawful for any person to operate on the highways of 14
this state any combination consisting of a truck and trailer, or log 15
truck and stinger-steered pole trailer, with an overall length, with 16
or without load, in excess of ((seventy-five)) 75 feet. "Stinger-17
steered," as used in this section, means the coupling device is 18
located behind the tread of the tires of the last axle of the towing 19
vehicle. 20
(4)(a) The length limitations under this section do not apply to 21
vehicles transporting poles, pipe, machinery, or other objects of a 22
structural nature that cannot be dismembered and operated by a public 23
utility when required for emergency repair of public service 24
facilities or properties, but in respect to night transportation 25
every such vehicle and load thereon shall be equipped with a 26
sufficient number of clearance lamps on both sides and marker lamps 27
upon the extreme ends of any projecting load to clearly mark the 28
dimensions of the load. 29
(b) Excluded from the calculation of length under this section 30
are certain devices that provide added safety, energy conservation, 31
or are otherwise necessary, and are not designed or used to carry 32
cargo. The length-exclusive devices must be identified in rules 33
adopted by the department of transportation under RCW 46.44.101.34
(5) For purposes of this section, "fifth-wheel travel trailer" 35
means a vehicular-type unit primarily designed for recreational 36
camping or travel use that does not have its own motive power and is 37
primarily mounted on or hitched within the bed of a pickup truck.38
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p. 2 SB 5824