S-4711.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6589

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Horn, Haugen and Wood; by request of Department of Licensing)

Read first time 02/10/98.

Providing exemptions from driver's license requirements for nonresidents.

    AN ACT Relating to exemptions from driver's license requirements for nonresidents; and amending RCW 46.20.025.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 46.20.025 and 1993 c 148 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The following persons are exempt from license hereunder:

    (1) Any person in the service of the army, navy, air force, marine corps, or coast guard of the United States, or in the service of the national guard of this state or any other state, ((when)) if:

(a) Furnished with a driver's license by such service when operating an official motor vehicle in such service; or

(b) He or she is at least sixteen years old and has in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license issued by the jurisdiction designated as his or her home state.  A spouse or dependent of the person who meets the criteria of this subsection (1)(b) is also exempt from the driver's license requirement;

    (2) A nonresident who is at least sixteen years of age and who has in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license issued to him or her in his or her home state or is at least fifteen years of age with a valid instruction permit issued to him or her in his or her home state, and when accompanied by a licensed driver who has had at least five years of driving experience and is occupying a seat beside the driver;

    (3) A nonresident who is at least sixteen years of age and who has in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license issued to him or her in his or her home country may operate a motor vehicle in this state for a period not to exceed one year;

    (4) A student who maintains his or her legal home of record at a location outside Washington state, or the spouse or dependent of the student, who is at least sixteen years of age and who has in his or her immediate possession a valid driver's license issued to him or her in his or her home state.  The student must be enrolled as a full-time nonresident student at an institution of higher learning in Washington state that is accredited by the Northwest association of schools and colleges or by an accrediting association recognized by the higher education coordinating board, or at a private vocational school as that term is defined by RCW 28C.10.020(7).  The student must carry documentation issued by the institution that readily establishes his or her status as a nonresident student.  A spouse or dependent of a nonresident student must carry a copy of the documentation issued to the student by the institution and documentation establishing the relationship with the student;

(5) Any person operating special highway construction equipment as defined in RCW 46.16.010;

    (((5))) (6) Any person while driving or operating any farm tractor or implement of husbandry which is only incidentally operated or moved over a highway;

    (((6))) (7) Any person while operating a locomotive upon rails, including operation on a railroad crossing over a public highway; and such person is not required to display a driver's license to any law enforcement officer in connection with the operation of a locomotive or train within this state.

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