H-0169.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1005

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Ballasiotes, O'Brien, Benson, Mitchell, Quall, Cairnes, Morris, Bush, Cooper, Mielke, Dunn, Schoesler and Rockefeller

Prefiled 12/23/98.  Read first time 01/11/1999.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Allowing extension of a driver's license expiring while out of state.

    AN ACT Relating to driver's license expiration while outside state; and amending RCW 46.20.120.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 46.20.120 and 1990 c 9 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    No new driver's license may be issued and no previously issued license may be renewed until the applicant therefor has successfully passed a driver licensing examination.  However, the department may waive all or any part of the examination of any person applying for the renewal of a driver's license except when the department determines that an applicant for a driver's license is not qualified to hold a driver's license under this title.  The department may also waive the actual demonstration of the ability to operate a motor vehicle by a person who surrenders a valid driver's license issued by the person's previous home state and who is otherwise qualified to be licensed.  For a new license examination a fee of seven dollars shall be paid by each applicant, in addition to the fee charged for issuance of the license.  A new license is one issued to a driver who has not been previously licensed in this state or to a driver whose last previous Washington license has been expired for more than four years.

    Any person renewing his or her driver's license more than sixty days  after the license has expired shall pay a penalty fee of ten dollars in addition to the renewal fee under RCW 46.20.181.  The penalty fee shall be deposited in the highway safety fund.

    Any person who is outside the state at the time his or her driver's license expires or who is unable to renew the license due to any incapacity may renew the license within sixty days after returning to this state or within sixty days after the termination of any such incapacity without the payment of the penalty fee.  The department may adopt rules setting the procedures by which a person who is outside the state at the time his or her driver's license expires may extend the validity of the license for up to six months.  The department shall collect a fee for an extension granted under this section.  The department shall set the fee by rule, for an amount of not more than five dollars.  An extension granted under this section does not change the expiration date of the license for purposes of RCW 46.20.181.

    The department shall provide for giving examinations at places and times reasonably available to the people of this state.

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