State of Washington | 58th Legislature | 2004 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/03/2004. Referred to Committee on Highways & Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to transportation fees; amending RCW 46.16.237, 46.16.270, 46.20.117, 46.20.120, 46.20.311, 46.20.380, 46.63.110, and 46.64.025; reenacting and amending RCW 46.20.055, 46.20.070, and 46.20.308; adding a new section to chapter 46.16 RCW; creating a new section; and providing effective dates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 46.16.237 and 1987 c 52 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
All vehicle license number plates issued after January 1, 1968, or
such earlier date as the director may prescribe with respect to plates
issued in any county, shall be treated with fully reflectorized
materials designed to increase the visibility and legibility of such
plates at night. In addition to all other fees prescribed by law,
there shall be paid and collected for each vehicle license number plate
treated with such materials, the sum of ((fifty cents)) two dollars and
for each set of two plates, the sum of ((one dollar: PROVIDED,
HOWEVER,)) four dollars. However, one plate is available only to those
vehicles that by law require only one plate. Such fees shall be
deposited in the motor vehicle fund.
Sec. 2 RCW 46.16.270 and 1997 c 291 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
The total replacement plate fee shall be deposited in the motor
vehicle fund.
Upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of one or both of the
vehicle license number plates issued for any vehicle where more than
one plate was originally issued or where one or both have become so
illegible or in such a condition as to be difficult to distinguish, or
upon the owner's option, the owner of the vehicle shall make
application for new vehicle license number plates upon a form furnished
by the director. The application shall be filed with the director or
the director's authorized agent, accompanied by the certificate of
license registration of the vehicle and a fee in the amount of
((three)) ten dollars per plate, whereupon the director, or the
director's authorized agent, shall issue new vehicle license number
plates to the applicant. It shall be accompanied by a fee of two
dollars for a new motorcycle license number plate. In the event the
director has issued license period tabs or a windshield emblem instead
of vehicle license number plates, and upon the loss, defacement, or
destruction of the tabs or windshield emblem, application shall be made
on a form provided by the director and in the same manner as above
described, and shall be accompanied by a fee of one dollar for each
pair of tabs or for each windshield emblem, whereupon the director
shall issue to the applicant a duplicate pair of tabs, year tabs, and
when necessary month tabs or a windshield emblem to replace those lost,
defaced, or destroyed. For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by the
state of Washington or by any county, city, town, school district, or
other political subdivision of the state of Washington or United States
government, or owned or leased by the governing body of an Indian tribe
as defined in RCW 46.16.020, a fee shall be charged for replacement of
a vehicle license number plate only to the extent required by the
provisions of RCW 46.16.020, ((46.16.061,)) 46.16.237, and 46.01.140.
For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by foreign countries or
international bodies to which the United States government is a
signatory by treaty, the payment of any fee for the replacement of a
vehicle license number plate shall not be required.
Sec. 3 RCW 46.20.055 and 2002 c 352 s 10 and 2002 c 195 s 2 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) Driver's instruction permit. The department may issue a
driver's instruction permit with or without a photograph to an
applicant who has successfully passed all parts of the examination
other than the driving test, provided the information required by RCW
46.20.091, paid a fee of ((fifteen)) twenty dollars, and meets the
following requirements:
(a) Is at least fifteen and one-half years of age; or
(b) Is at least fifteen years of age and:
(i) Has submitted a proper application; and
(ii) Is enrolled in a traffic safety education program offered,
approved, and accredited by the superintendent of public instruction or
offered by a ((driving [driver])) driver training school licensed and
inspected by the department of licensing under chapter 46.82 RCW, that
includes practice driving.
(2) Waiver of written examination for instruction permit. The
department may waive the written examination, if, at the time of
application, an applicant is enrolled in:
(a) A traffic safety education course as defined by RCW
28A.220.020(2); or
(b) A course of instruction offered by a licensed driver training
school as defined by RCW 46.82.280(1).
The department may require proof of registration in such a course
as it deems necessary.
(3) Effect of instruction permit. A person holding a driver's
instruction permit may drive a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle,
upon the public highways if:
(a) The person has immediate possession of the permit; and
(b) An approved instructor, or a licensed driver with at least five
years of driving experience, occupies the seat beside the driver.
(4) Term of instruction permit. A driver's instruction permit is
valid for one year from the date of issue.
(a) The department may issue one additional one-year permit.
(b) The department may issue a third driver's permit if it finds
after an investigation that the permittee is diligently seeking to
improve driving proficiency.
Sec. 4 RCW 46.20.070 and 2002 c 352 s 11 and 2002 c 195 s 3 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) Agricultural driving permit authorized. The director may issue
a juvenile agricultural driving permit to a person under the age of
eighteen years if:
(a) The application is signed by the applicant and the applicant's
father, mother, or legal guardian;
(b) The applicant has passed the driving examination required by
RCW 46.20.120;
(c) The department has investigated the applicant's need for the
permit and determined that the need justifies issuance;
(d) The department has determined the applicant is capable of
operating a motor vehicle without endangering himself or herself or
other persons and property; and
(e) The applicant has paid a fee of ((fifteen)) twenty dollars.
The permit must contain a photograph of the person.
(2) Effect of agricultural driving permit. (a) The permit
authorizes the holder to:
(i) Drive a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state in
connection with farm work. The holder may drive only within a
restricted farming locality described on the permit; and
(ii) Participate in the classroom portion of a traffic safety
education course authorized under RCW 28A.220.030 or the classroom
portion of a traffic safety education course offered by a driver
training school licensed and inspected by the department of licensing
under chapter 46.82 RCW offered in the community where the holder
resides.
(b) The director may transfer the permit from one farming locality
to another. A transfer is not a renewal of the permit.
(3) Term and renewal of agricultural driving permit. An
agricultural driving permit expires one year from the date of issue.
(a) A person under the age of eighteen who holds a permit may renew
the permit by paying a fee of fifteen dollars.
(b) An agricultural driving permit is invalidated when a permittee
attains age eighteen. In order to drive a motor vehicle on a highway
he or she must obtain a motor vehicle driver's license under this
chapter.
(4) Suspension, revocation, or cancellation. The director has sole
discretion to suspend, revoke, or cancel a juvenile agricultural
driving permit if:
(a) The permittee has been found to have committed an offense that
requires mandatory suspension or revocation of a driver's license; or
(b) The director is satisfied that the permittee has violated the
permit's restrictions.
Sec. 5 RCW 46.20.117 and 2002 c 352 s 12 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Issuance. The department shall issue an identicard, containing
a picture, if the applicant:
(a) Does not hold a valid Washington driver's license;
(b) Proves his or her identity as required by RCW 46.20.035; and
(c) Pays the required fee. The fee is ((fifteen)) twenty dollars
unless an applicant is a recipient of continuing public assistance
grants under Title 74 RCW, who is referred in writing by the secretary
of social and health services. For those persons the fee must be the
actual cost of production of the identicard.
(2) Design and term. The identicard must:
(a) Be distinctly designed so that it will not be confused with the
official driver's license; and
(b) Expire on the fifth anniversary of the applicant's birthdate
after issuance.
(3) Cancellation. The department may cancel an identicard if the
holder of the identicard used the card or allowed others to use the
card in violation of RCW 46.20.0921.
Sec. 6 RCW 46.20.120 and 2002 c 352 s 13 are each amended to read
as follows:
An applicant for a new or renewed driver's license must
successfully pass a driver licensing examination to qualify for a
driver's license. The department shall give examinations at places and
times reasonably available to the people of this state.
(1) Waiver. The department may waive:
(a) All or any part of the examination of any person applying for
the renewal of a driver's license unless the department determines that
the applicant is not qualified to hold a driver's license under this
title; or
(b) The actual demonstration of the ability to operate a motor
vehicle if the applicant:
(i) Surrenders a valid driver's license issued by the person's
previous home state; and
(ii) Is otherwise qualified to be licensed.
(2) Fee. Each applicant for a new license must pay an examination
fee of ((ten)) twenty dollars.
(a) The examination fee is in addition to the fee charged for
issuance of the license.
(b) "New license" means a license issued to a driver:
(i) Who has not been previously licensed in this state; or
(ii) Whose last previous Washington license has been expired for
more than five years.
(3) A person whose license expired or will expire on or after
January 1, 1998, while he or she was or is living outside the state
may:
(a) Apply to the department to extend the validity of his or her
license for no more than twelve months. If the person establishes to
the department's satisfaction that he or she is unable to return to
Washington before the date his or her license expires, the department
shall extend the person's license. The department may grant
consecutive extensions, but in no event may the cumulative total of
extensions exceed twelve months. 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 charge a fee of five dollars
for each license extension;
(b) Apply to the department to renew his or her license by mail.
If the person establishes to the department's satisfaction that he or
she is unable to return to Washington within twelve months of the date
that his or her license expires, the department shall renew the
person's license by mail. If a person qualifies for a mail-in renewal
he or she is not required to pass an examination nor provide an updated
photograph. He or she must, however, pay the fee required by RCW
46.20.181 plus an additional five-dollar mail-in renewal fee. A
license renewed by mail that does not include a photograph of the
licensee must be labeled "not valid for identification purposes."
(4) If a person's driver's license is extended or renewed under
subsection (3) of this section while he or she is outside the state, he
or she must submit to the examination required under this section
within sixty days of returning to this state. The department will not
assess a penalty or examination fee for the examination.
Sec. 7 RCW 46.20.308 and 1999 c 331 s 2 and 1999 c 274 s 2 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) Any person who operates a motor vehicle within this state is
deemed to have given consent, subject to the provisions of RCW
46.61.506, to a test or tests of his or her breath or blood for the
purpose of determining the alcohol concentration or presence of any
drug in his or her breath or blood if arrested for any offense where,
at the time of the arrest, the arresting officer has reasonable grounds
to believe the person had been driving or was in actual physical
control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating
liquor or any drug or was in violation of RCW 46.61.503.
(2) The test or tests of breath shall be administered at the
direction of a law enforcement officer having reasonable grounds to
believe the person to have been driving or in actual physical control
of a motor vehicle within this state while under the influence of
intoxicating liquor or any drug or the person to have been driving or
in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while having alcohol in
a concentration in violation of RCW 46.61.503 in his or her system and
being under the age of twenty-one. However, in those instances where
the person is incapable due to physical injury, physical incapacity, or
other physical limitation, of providing a breath sample or where the
person is being treated in a hospital, clinic, doctor's office,
emergency medical vehicle, ambulance, or other similar facility in
which a breath testing instrument is not present or where the officer
has reasonable grounds to believe that the person is under the
influence of a drug, a blood test shall be administered by a qualified
person as provided in RCW 46.61.506(4). The officer shall inform the
person of his or her right to refuse the breath or blood test, and of
his or her right to have additional tests administered by any qualified
person of his or her choosing as provided in RCW 46.61.506. The
officer shall warn the driver that:
(a) His or her license, permit, or privilege to drive will be
revoked or denied if he or she refuses to submit to the test;
(b) His or her license, permit, or privilege to drive will be
suspended, revoked, or denied if the test is administered and the test
indicates the alcohol concentration of the person's breath or blood is
0.08 or more, in the case of a person age twenty-one or over, or in
violation of RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.503, or 46.61.504 in the case of a
person under age twenty-one; and
(c) His or her refusal to take the test may be used in a criminal
trial.
(3) Except as provided in this section, the test administered shall
be of the breath only. If an individual is unconscious or is under
arrest for the crime of vehicular homicide as provided in RCW 46.61.520
or vehicular assault as provided in RCW 46.61.522, or if an individual
is under arrest for the crime of driving while under the influence of
intoxicating liquor or drugs as provided in RCW 46.61.502, which arrest
results from an accident in which there has been serious bodily injury
to another person, a breath or blood test may be administered without
the consent of the individual so arrested.
(4) Any person who is dead, unconscious, or who is otherwise in a
condition rendering him or her incapable of refusal, shall be deemed
not to have withdrawn the consent provided by subsection (1) of this
section and the test or tests may be administered, subject to the
provisions of RCW 46.61.506, and the person shall be deemed to have
received the warnings required under subsection (2) of this section.
(5) If, following his or her arrest and receipt of warnings under
subsection (2) of this section, the person arrested refuses upon the
request of a law enforcement officer to submit to a test or tests of
his or her breath or blood, no test shall be given except as authorized
under subsection (3) or (4) of this section.
(6) If, after arrest and after the other applicable conditions and
requirements of this section have been satisfied, a test or tests of
the person's blood or breath is administered and the test results
indicate that the alcohol concentration of the person's breath or blood
is 0.08 or more if the person is age twenty-one or over, or is in
violation of RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.503, or 46.61.504 if the person is
under the age of twenty-one, or the person refuses to submit to a test,
the arresting officer or other law enforcement officer at whose
direction any test has been given, or the department, where applicable,
if the arrest results in a test of the person's blood, shall:
(a) Serve notice in writing on the person on behalf of the
department of its intention to suspend, revoke, or deny the person's
license, permit, or privilege to drive as required by subsection (7) of
this section;
(b) Serve notice in writing on the person on behalf of the
department of his or her right to a hearing, specifying the steps he or
she must take to obtain a hearing as provided by subsection (8) of this
section;
(c) Mark the person's Washington state driver's license or permit
to drive, if any, in a manner authorized by the department;
(d) Serve notice in writing that the marked license or permit, if
any, is a temporary license that is valid for sixty days from the date
of arrest or from the date notice has been given in the event notice is
given by the department following a blood test, or until the
suspension, revocation, or denial of the person's license, permit, or
privilege to drive is sustained at a hearing pursuant to subsection (8)
of this section, whichever occurs first. No temporary license is valid
to any greater degree than the license or permit that it replaces; and
(e) Immediately notify the department of the arrest and transmit to
the department within seventy-two hours, except as delayed as the
result of a blood test, a sworn report or report under a declaration
authorized by RCW 9A.72.085 that states:
(i) That the officer had reasonable grounds to believe the arrested
person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a motor
vehicle within this state while under the influence of intoxicating
liquor or drugs, or both, or was under the age of twenty-one years and
had been driving or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle
while having an alcohol concentration in violation of RCW 46.61.503;
(ii) That after receipt of the warnings required by subsection (2)
of this section the person refused to submit to a test of his or her
blood or breath, or a test was administered and the results indicated
that the alcohol concentration of the person's breath or blood was 0.08
or more if the person is age twenty-one or over, or was in violation of
RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.503, or 46.61.504 if the person is under the age
of twenty-one; and
(iii) Any other information that the director may require by rule.
(7) The department of licensing, upon the receipt of a sworn report
or report under a declaration authorized by RCW 9A.72.085 under
subsection (6)(e) of this section, shall suspend, revoke, or deny the
person's license, permit, or privilege to drive or any nonresident
operating privilege, as provided in RCW 46.20.3101, such suspension,
revocation, or denial to be effective beginning sixty days from the
date of arrest or from the date notice has been given in the event
notice is given by the department following a blood test, or when
sustained at a hearing pursuant to subsection (8) of this section,
whichever occurs first.
(8) A person receiving notification under subsection (6)(b) of this
section may, within thirty days after the notice has been given,
request in writing a formal hearing before the department. The person
shall pay a fee of ((one)) two hundred dollars as part of the request.
If the request is mailed, it must be postmarked within thirty days
after receipt of the notification. Upon timely receipt of such a
request for a formal hearing, including receipt of the required ((one))
two hundred dollar fee, the department shall afford the person an
opportunity for a hearing. The department may waive the required
((one)) two hundred dollar fee if the person is an indigent as defined
in RCW 10.101.010. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the
hearing is subject to and shall be scheduled and conducted in
accordance with RCW 46.20.329 and 46.20.332. The hearing shall be
conducted in the county of the arrest, except that all or part of the
hearing may, at the discretion of the department, be conducted by
telephone or other electronic means. The hearing shall be held within
sixty days following the arrest or following the date notice has been
given in the event notice is given by the department following a blood
test, unless otherwise agreed to by the department and the person, in
which case the action by the department shall be stayed, and any valid
temporary license marked under subsection (6)(c) of this section
extended, if the person is otherwise eligible for licensing. For the
purposes of this section, the scope of the hearing shall cover the
issues of whether a law enforcement officer had reasonable grounds to
believe the person had been driving or was in actual physical control
of a motor vehicle within this state while under the influence of
intoxicating liquor or any drug or had been driving or was in actual
physical control of a motor vehicle within this state while having
alcohol in his or her system in a concentration in violation of RCW
46.61.503 and was under the age of twenty-one, whether the person was
placed under arrest, and (a) whether the person refused to submit to
the test or tests upon request of the officer after having been
informed that such refusal would result in the revocation of the
person's license, permit, or privilege to drive, or (b) if a test or
tests were administered, whether the applicable requirements of this
section were satisfied before the administration of the test or tests,
whether the person submitted to the test or tests, or whether a test
was administered without express consent as permitted under this
section, and whether the test or tests indicated that the alcohol
concentration of the person's breath or blood was 0.08 or more if the
person was age twenty-one or over at the time of the arrest, or was in
violation of RCW 46.61.502, 46.61.503, or 46.61.504 if the person was
under the age of twenty-one at the time of the arrest. The sworn
report or report under a declaration authorized by RCW 9A.72.085
submitted by a law enforcement officer is prima facie evidence that the
officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving
or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle within this state
while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, or both, or
the person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a
motor vehicle within this state while having alcohol in his or her
system in a concentration in violation of RCW 46.61.503 and was under
the age of twenty-one and that the officer complied with the
requirements of this section.
A hearing officer shall conduct the hearing, may issue subpoenas
for the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents, and
shall administer oaths to witnesses. The hearing officer shall not
issue a subpoena for the attendance of a witness at the request of the
person unless the request is accompanied by the fee required by RCW
5.56.010 for a witness in district court. The sworn report or report
under a declaration authorized by RCW 9A.72.085 of the law enforcement
officer and any other evidence accompanying the report shall be
admissible without further evidentiary foundation and the
certifications authorized by the criminal rules for courts of limited
jurisdiction shall be admissible without further evidentiary
foundation. The person may be represented by counsel, may question
witnesses, may present evidence, and may testify. The department shall
order that the suspension, revocation, or denial either be rescinded or
sustained.
(9) If the suspension, revocation, or denial is sustained after
such a hearing, the person whose license, privilege, or permit is
suspended, revoked, or denied has the right to file a petition in the
superior court of the county of arrest to review the final order of
revocation by the department in the same manner as an appeal from a
decision of a court of limited jurisdiction. Notice of appeal must be
filed within thirty days after the date the final order is served or
the right to appeal is waived. Notwithstanding RCW 46.20.334, RALJ
1.1, or other statutes or rules referencing de novo review, the appeal
shall be limited to a review of the record of the administrative
hearing. The appellant must pay the costs associated with obtaining
the record of the hearing before the hearing officer. The filing of
the appeal does not stay the effective date of the suspension,
revocation, or denial. A petition filed under this subsection must
include the petitioner's grounds for requesting review. Upon granting
petitioner's request for review, the court shall review the
department's final order of suspension, revocation, or denial as
expeditiously as possible. The review must be limited to a
determination of whether the department has committed any errors of
law. The superior court shall accept those factual determinations
supported by substantial evidence in the record: (a) That were
expressly made by the department; or (b) that may reasonably be
inferred from the final order of the department. The superior court
may reverse, affirm, or modify the decision of the department or remand
the case back to the department for further proceedings. The decision
of the superior court must be in writing and filed in the clerk's
office with the other papers in the case. The court shall state the
reasons for the decision. If judicial relief is sought for a stay or
other temporary remedy from the department's action, the court shall
not grant such relief unless the court finds that the appellant is
likely to prevail in the appeal and that without a stay the appellant
will suffer irreparable injury. If the court stays the suspension,
revocation, or denial it may impose conditions on such stay.
(10) If a person whose driver's license, permit, or privilege to
drive has been or will be suspended, revoked, or denied under
subsection (7) of this section, other than as a result of a breath or
blood test refusal, and who has not committed an offense for which he
or she was granted a deferred prosecution under chapter 10.05 RCW,
petitions a court for a deferred prosecution on criminal charges
arising out of the arrest for which action has been or will be taken
under subsection (7) of this section, the court may direct the
department to stay any actual or proposed suspension, revocation, or
denial for at least forty-five days but not more than ninety days. If
the court stays the suspension, revocation, or denial, it may impose
conditions on such stay. If the person is otherwise eligible for
licensing, the department shall issue a temporary license, or extend
any valid temporary license marked under subsection (6) of this
section, for the period of the stay. If a deferred prosecution
treatment plan is not recommended in the report made under RCW
10.05.050, or if treatment is rejected by the court, or if the person
declines to accept an offered treatment plan, or if the person violates
any condition imposed by the court, then the court shall immediately
direct the department to cancel the stay and any temporary marked
license or extension of a temporary license issued under this
subsection.
A suspension, revocation, or denial imposed under this section,
other than as a result of a breath or blood test refusal, shall be
stayed if the person is accepted for deferred prosecution as provided
in chapter 10.05 RCW for the incident upon which the suspension,
revocation, or denial is based. If the deferred prosecution is
terminated, the stay shall be lifted and the suspension, revocation, or
denial reinstated. If the deferred prosecution is completed, the stay
shall be lifted and the suspension, revocation, or denial canceled.
(11) When it has been finally determined under the procedures of
this section that a nonresident's privilege to operate a motor vehicle
in this state has been suspended, revoked, or denied, the department
shall give information in writing of the action taken to the motor
vehicle administrator of the state of the person's residence and of any
state in which he or she has a license.
Sec. 8 RCW 46.20.311 and 2003 c 366 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1)(a) The department shall not suspend a driver's license or
privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways for a fixed
period of more than one year, except as specifically permitted under
RCW 46.20.267, 46.20.342, or other provision of law. Except for a
suspension under RCW 46.20.267, 46.20.289, 46.20.291(5), 46.61.740, or
74.20A.320, whenever the license or driving privilege of any person is
suspended by reason of a conviction, a finding that a traffic
infraction has been committed, pursuant to chapter 46.29 RCW, or
pursuant to RCW 46.20.291 or 46.20.308, the suspension shall remain in
effect until the person gives and thereafter maintains proof of
financial responsibility for the future as provided in chapter 46.29
RCW. If the suspension is the result of a violation of RCW 46.61.502
or 46.61.504, the department shall determine the person's eligibility
for licensing based upon the reports provided by the alcoholism agency
or probation department designated under RCW 46.61.5056 and shall deny
reinstatement until enrollment and participation in an approved program
has been established and the person is otherwise qualified. If the
suspension is the result of a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504,
and the person is required pursuant to RCW 46.20.720 to drive only a
motor vehicle equipped with a functioning ignition interlock or other
biological or technical device, the department shall determine the
person's eligibility for licensing based upon written verification by
a company doing business in the state that it has installed the
required device on a vehicle owned and/or operated by the person
seeking reinstatement. Whenever the license or driving privilege of
any person is suspended as a result of certification of noncompliance
with a child support order under chapter 74.20A RCW or a residential or
visitation order, the suspension shall remain in effect until the
person provides a release issued by the department of social and health
services stating that the person is in compliance with the order.
(b)(i) The department shall not issue to the person a new,
duplicate, or renewal license until the person pays a reissue fee of
((twenty)) seventy-five dollars.
(ii) If the suspension is the result of a violation of RCW
46.61.502 or 46.61.504, or is the result of administrative action under
RCW 46.20.308, the reissue fee shall be one hundred fifty dollars.
(2)(a) Any person whose license or privilege to drive a motor
vehicle on the public highways has been revoked, unless the revocation
was for a cause which has been removed, is not entitled to have the
license or privilege renewed or restored until: (i) After the
expiration of one year from the date the license or privilege to drive
was revoked; (ii) after the expiration of the applicable revocation
period provided by RCW 46.20.3101 or 46.61.5055; (iii) after the
expiration of two years for persons convicted of vehicular homicide; or
(iv) after the expiration of the applicable revocation period provided
by RCW 46.20.265.
(b)(i) After the expiration of the appropriate period, the person
may make application for a new license as provided by law together with
a reissue fee in the amount of ((twenty)) seventy-five dollars.
(ii) If the revocation is the result of a violation of RCW
46.20.308, 46.61.502, or 46.61.504, the reissue fee shall be one
hundred fifty dollars. If the revocation is the result of a violation
of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, the department shall determine the
person's eligibility for licensing based upon the reports provided by
the alcoholism agency or probation department designated under RCW
46.61.5056 and shall deny reissuance of a license, permit, or privilege
to drive until enrollment and participation in an approved program has
been established and the person is otherwise qualified. If the
revocation is the result of a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504,
and the person is required pursuant to RCW 46.20.720 to drive only a
motor vehicle equipped with a functioning ignition interlock or other
biological or technical device, the department shall determine the
person's eligibility for licensing based upon written verification by
a company doing business in the state that it has installed the
required device on a vehicle owned and/or operated by the person
applying for a new license.
(c) Except for a revocation under RCW 46.20.265, the department
shall not then issue a new license unless it is satisfied after
investigation of the driving ability of the person that it will be safe
to grant the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public
highways, and until the person gives and thereafter maintains proof of
financial responsibility for the future as provided in chapter 46.29
RCW. For a revocation under RCW 46.20.265, the department shall not
issue a new license unless it is satisfied after investigation of the
driving ability of the person that it will be safe to grant that person
the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways.
(3)(a) Whenever the driver's license of any person is suspended
pursuant to Article IV of the nonresident violators compact or RCW
46.23.020 or 46.20.289 or 46.20.291(5), the department shall not issue
to the person any new or renewal license until the person pays a
reissue fee of ((twenty)) seventy-five dollars.
(b) If the suspension is the result of a violation of the laws of
this or any other state, province, or other jurisdiction involving (i)
the operation or physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public
highways while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, or
(ii) the refusal to submit to a chemical test of the driver's blood
alcohol content, the reissue fee shall be one hundred fifty dollars.
Sec. 9 RCW 46.20.380 and 1985 ex.s. c 1 s 6 are each amended to
read as follows:
No person may file an application for an occupational driver's
license as provided in RCW 46.20.391 unless he or she first pays to the
director or other person authorized to accept applications and fees for
driver's licenses a fee of ((twenty-five)) one hundred dollars. The
applicant shall receive upon payment an official receipt for the
payment of such fee. All such fees shall be forwarded to the director
who shall transmit such fees to the state treasurer in the same manner
as other driver's license fees.
Sec. 10 RCW 46.63.110 and 2003 c 380 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A person found to have committed a traffic infraction shall be
assessed a monetary penalty. No penalty may exceed two hundred and
fifty dollars for each offense unless authorized by this chapter or
title.
(2) The monetary penalty for a violation of RCW 46.55.105(2) is two
hundred fifty dollars for each offense. No penalty assessed under this
subsection (2) may be reduced.
(3) The supreme court shall prescribe by rule a schedule of
monetary penalties for designated traffic infractions. This rule shall
also specify the conditions under which local courts may exercise
discretion in assessing fines and penalties for traffic infractions.
The legislature respectfully requests the supreme court to adjust this
schedule every two years for inflation.
(4) There shall be a penalty of twenty-five dollars for failure to
respond to a notice of traffic infraction except where the infraction
relates to parking as defined by local law, ordinance, regulation, or
resolution or failure to pay a monetary penalty imposed pursuant to
this chapter. A local legislative body may set a monetary penalty not
to exceed twenty-five dollars for failure to respond to a notice of
traffic infraction relating to parking as defined by local law,
ordinance, regulation, or resolution. The local court, whether a
municipal, police, or district court, shall impose the monetary penalty
set by the local legislative body.
(5) Monetary penalties provided for in chapter 46.70 RCW which are
civil in nature and penalties which may be assessed for violations of
chapter 46.44 RCW relating to size, weight, and load of motor vehicles
are not subject to the limitation on the amount of monetary penalties
which may be imposed pursuant to this chapter.
(6) Whenever a monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or other
monetary obligation is imposed by a court under this chapter it is
immediately payable. If the ((person is unable to pay at that time the
court may, in its discretion, grant an extension of the period in which
the penalty may be paid. If the penalty is not paid on or before the
time established for payment the court shall notify the department of
the failure to pay the penalty)) court determines, in its discretion
that a person is not able to pay a monetary obligation in full, and not
more than one year has passed since the effective date of this section
or the date the monetary obligation initially became due and payable,
the court shall enter into a payment plan with the person, unless the
person has previously been granted a payment plan with respect to the
same monetary obligation, in which case the court may implement a
payment plan. "Payment plan," as used in this section, means a plan
that requires reasonable payments based on the financial ability of the
person to pay. The person may voluntarily pay an amount at any time in
addition to the payments required under the payment plan:
(a) If a payment required to be made under the payment plan is
delinquent or the person fails to complete a community restitution
program on or before the time established under the payment plan, the
court shall notify the department of the person's failure to meet the
conditions of the plan, and the department shall suspend the person's
driver's license or driving privilege until ((the penalty has)) all
monetary obligations, including those imposed under subsections (3) and
(4) of this section, have been paid, and ((the penalty provided in
subsection (4) of this section has been paid)) court-authorized
community restitution has been completed or until the department has
been notified that the court has entered into a new time payment or
community restitution agreement with the person.
(b) If a person has not entered into a payment plan with the court
and has not paid the monetary obligation in full on or before the time
established for payment, the court shall notify the department of the
delinquency. The department shall suspend the person's driver's
license or driving privilege until all monetary obligations have been
paid, including those imposed under subsections (3) and (4) of this
section, or until the person has entered into a payment plan under this
section.
(c) If the payment plan is to be administered by the court, the
court may assess the person a reasonable administrative fee to be
wholly retained by the city or county with jurisdiction. The
administrative fee may not exceed ten dollars per infraction or twenty-five dollars per payment plan, whichever is less.
(d) Nothing in this section precludes a court from contracting with
outside entities to administer its payment plan system. When outside
entities are used for the administration of a payment plan, the court
may assess the person a reasonable fee for the administrative services,
which fee may be calculated on a periodic, percentage, or other basis.
Fees collected under this subsection must be wholly retained by the
city or county with jurisdiction, for payment to its outside entity.
(e) If a court-authorized community restitution program for
offenders is available in the jurisdiction, the court may allow
conversion of all or part of the monetary obligations due under
subsection (5) of this section to court-authorized community
restitution in lieu of time payments if the person is unable to make
reasonable time payments.
(7) In addition to any other penalties imposed under this section
and not subject to the limitation of subsection (1) of this section, a
person found to have committed a traffic infraction shall be assessed
a fee of five dollars per infraction. Under no circumstances shall
this fee be reduced or waived. Revenue from this fee shall be
forwarded to the state treasurer for deposit in the emergency medical
services and trauma care system trust account under RCW 70.168.040.
(8)(a) In addition to any other penalties imposed under this
section and not subject to the limitation of subsection (1) of this
section, a person found to have committed a traffic infraction other
than of RCW 46.61.527 shall be assessed an additional penalty of twenty
dollars. The court may not reduce, waive, or suspend the additional
penalty unless the court finds the offender to be indigent. If a
court-authorized community restitution program for offenders is
available in the jurisdiction, the court ((shall)) may allow offenders
to offset all or a part of the penalty due under this subsection (8) by
participation in the court-authorized community restitution program.
(b) Eight dollars and fifty cents of the additional penalty under
(a) of this subsection shall be remitted to the state treasurer. The
remaining revenue from the additional penalty must be remitted under
chapters 2.08, 3.46, 3.50, 3.62, 10.82, and 35.20 RCW. Money remitted
under this subsection to the state treasurer must be deposited as
provided in RCW 43.08.250. The balance of the revenue received by the
county or city treasurer under this subsection must be deposited into
the county or city current expense fund. Moneys retained by the city
or county under this subsection shall constitute reimbursement for any
liabilities under RCW 43.135.060.
(9) A person may not enter into a second or subsequent payment plan
if the person is in noncompliance with the terms of any existing or
prior plan.
(10) A person is not eligible to enter into a payment plan if any
delinquent amount owed by the person for any penalty imposed by the
court under this section has been assigned to a collection agency and
legal action has commenced to collect the delinquent amount.
Sec. 11 RCW 46.64.025 and 1999 c 86 s 7 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Whenever any person violates his or her written promise to
appear in court, ((or)) fails to appear for a scheduled court hearing,
or fails to comply with the terms of a citation, the court in which the
defendant failed to appear or comply shall promptly give notice of such
fact to the department of licensing. Whenever thereafter the case in
which the defendant failed to appear or comply is adjudicated, the
court hearing the case shall promptly file with the department a
certificate showing that the case has been adjudicated.
(2)(a) Where compliance with the terms of a misdemeanor citation is
limited to the payment of a monetary penalty, fee, cost, assessment, or
other monetary obligation, and the court determines, in its discretion,
that a person is not able to pay the monetary obligation in full, and
not more than one year has passed since the effective date of this
section or the date the monetary obligation initially became due and
payable, the court shall enter into a payment plan with the person,
unless the person has previously been granted a payment plan with
respect to the same monetary obligation, in which case the court may
implement a payment plan. "Payment plan," as used in this section,
means a plan that requires reasonable payments based on the financial
ability of the person to pay. The person may voluntarily pay any
amount at any time in addition to these payments. If a person has
entered into a payment plan under this subsection, the court shall not
notify the department of licensing that the person has failed to comply
with the terms of a citation as it applies to payment of the monetary
obligation unless a payment required to be made under the payment plan
is delinquent.
(b) If the payment plan is to be administered by the court, the
court may assess the person a reasonable administrative fee to be
wholly retained by the city or county with jurisdiction. The
administrative fee may not exceed ten dollars per infraction or twenty-five dollars per payment plan, whichever is less.
(c) Nothing in this section precludes a court from contracting with
outside entities to administer its payment plan system. When outside
entities are used for the administration of a payment plan, the court
may assess the person a reasonable fee for the administrative services,
which fee may be calculated on a periodic, percentage, or other basis.
Fees collected under this subsection must be wholly retained by the
city or county with jurisdiction, for payment to its outside entity.
(d) A person may not enter into a second or subsequent payment plan
if the person is in noncompliance with the terms of any existing or
prior plan.
(e) A person is not eligible to enter into a payment plan if any
delinquent amount owed by the person for any penalty imposed by the
court under this section has been assigned to a collection agency and
legal action has commenced to collect the delinquent amount.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12 A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW
to read as follows:
In lieu of the license tab fees provided in RCW 46.16.0621, private
use single-axle trailers of two thousand pounds scale weight or less
may be licensed upon the payment of a license fee in the sum of fifteen
dollars, but only if the trailer is operated upon public highways. The
license fee must be collected annually for each registration year or
fraction of a registration year. This reduced license fee applies only
to trailers operated for personal use of the owners, and not trailers
held for rental to the public or used in any commercial or business
endeavor. The fee from this section must be deposited in the state
patrol highway account.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 13 Sections 1 and 2 of this act take effect
October 1, 2004.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 14 Sections 3 through 9 of this act take
effect July 1, 2004.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 15 Section 12 of this act is effective with
registration fees that are due or will become due January 1, 2005, and
thereafter.