Wash. Rev. Code » Title 46 · Chapter 46.37
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.010 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1) It is a traffic infraction for any person to drive or move, or for a vehicle owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles that:
(a) Is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person;
(b) Is not at all times equipped with such lamps and other equipment in proper working condition and adjustment as required by this chapter or by rules issued by the Washington state patrol;
(c) Contains any parts in violation of this chapter or rules issued by the Washington state patrol.
(2) It is a traffic infraction for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required under this chapter or rules issued by the Washington state patrol.
(3) Nothing contained in this chapter or the state patrol's regulations shall be construed to prohibit the use of additional parts and accessories on any vehicle not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter or the state patrol's regulations.
(4) The provisions of the chapter and the state patrol's regulations with respect to equipment on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers, or farm tractors except as herein made applicable.
(5) No owner or operator of a farm tractor, self-propelled unit of farm equipment, or implement of husbandry shall be guilty of a crime or subject to penalty for violation of RCW 46.37.160 as now or hereafter amended unless such violation occurs on a public highway.
(6) It is a traffic infraction for any person to sell or offer for sale vehicle equipment which is required to be approved by the state patrol as prescribed in RCW 46.37.005 unless it has been approved by the state patrol.
(7) The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment required on vehicles shall not apply to:
(a) Motorcycles or motor-driven cycles except as herein made applicable;
(b) Golf carts, as defined in RCW 46.04.1945, operating within a designated golf cart zone as described in RCW 46.08.175, except as provided in RCW 46.08.175(8).
(8) This chapter does not apply to off-road vehicles used on nonhighway roads or used on streets, roads, or highways as authorized under RCW 46.09.360.
(9) This chapter does not apply to vehicles used by the state parks and recreation commission exclusively for park maintenance and operations upon public highways within state parks.
(10) Notices of traffic infraction issued to commercial drivers under the provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment required on commercial motor vehicles shall not be considered for driver improvement purposes under chapter 46.20 RCW.
(11) Whenever a traffic infraction is chargeable to the owner or lessee of a vehicle under subsection (1) of this section, the driver shall not be arrested or issued a notice of traffic infraction unless the vehicle is registered in a jurisdiction other than Washington state, or unless the infraction is for an offense that is clearly within the responsibility of the driver.
(12) Whenever the owner or lessee is issued a notice of traffic infraction under this section the court may, on the request of the owner or lessee, take appropriate steps to make the driver of the vehicle, or any other person who directs the loading, maintenance, or operation of the vehicle, a codefendant. If the codefendant is held solely responsible and is found to have committed the traffic infraction, the court may dismiss the notice against the owner or lessee.
[ 2011 c 171 s 79; 2010 c 217 s 6. Prior: 2006 c 306 s 1; 2006 c 212 s 5; 2005 c 213 s 7; 1997 c 241 s 14; 1989 c 178 s 22; 1987 c 330 s 707; 1979 ex.s. c 136 s 69; 1977 ex.s. c 355 s 1; 1963 c 154 s 1; 1961 c 12 s 46.37.010; prior: 1955 c 269 s 1; prior: 1937 c 189 s 14, part; RRS s 6360-14, part; RCW 46.40.010, part; 1929 c 178 s 2; 1927 c 309 s 19; 1921 c 96 s 22, part; 1919 c 59 s 10, part; 1917 c 155 s 15, part; 1915 c 142 s 21, part; RRS s 6362-19.]

Notes:

Rules of court: Monetary penalty schedule—IRLJ 6.2.
Intent—Effective date—2011 c 171: See notes following RCW 4.24.210.
Findings—Construction—Effective date—2005 c 213: See notes following RCW 46.09.300.
Effective dates—1989 c 178: See RCW 46.25.901.
Construction—Application of rules—Severability—1987 c 330: See notes following RCW 28B.12.050.
Effective date—Severability—1979 ex.s. c 136: See notes following RCW 46.63.010.
Severability—1977 ex.s. c 355: "If any provision of this 1977 amendatory act, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1977 ex.s. c 355 s 57.]
Effective date—1963 c 154: "This act shall take effect on January 1, 1964." [ 1963 c 154 s 32.]
Moving defective vehicle: RCW 46.32.060.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1969–2025 · leading case: W. Packing Co. v. Visser, 521 P.2d 939 (Wash. Ct. App. 1974).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
W. Packing Co. v. Visser, 521 P.2d 939 (Wash. Ct. App. 1974). · cites it 8× “However, RCW 46.37.010 (3) reads as follows: (3) The provisions of the chapter with respect to equipment on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers or farm tractors except as herein made applicable.”
State v. Wayman-Burks, 56 P.3d 598 (Wash. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 3× “RCW 46.37.010(1) provides in pertinent part: It is a traffic infraction for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any…”
Mathis v. Ammons, 928 P.2d 431 (Wash. Ct. App. 1996). “RCW 46.37.010 provides that it is a traffic infraction to violate a statute contained in RCW 46.”
State v. Wayman-Burks, 56 P.3d 598 (Wash. Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 3× “RCW 46.37.010(1) provides in pertinent part: It is a traffic infraction for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any…”
State v. Regan, 457 P.2d 1016 (Wash. 1969). “RCW 46.37.010, 46.37.050(1). This being so, the officers in moving forward to the front of the Oldsmobile to identify the occupants were not required to blind themselves to such contents of the rear seat area of the vehicle as were in plain sight.”
Mathis v. Ammons, 928 P.2d 431 (Wash. Ct. App. 1997). “RCW 46.37.010 provides that it is a traffic infraction to violate a statute contained in RCW 46.”
Farson v. City of Lake Stevens (W.D. Wash. 2023). · cites it 3× “2002) (under Section 46.37.010(1), an officer may stop the driver of a vehicle 15 whose windshield is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person).”
Warren Bell v. David Olson (9th Cir. 2023). “3 See Wash. Rev. Code §§ 46.37.010 (1)(b), 46.37.”
State of Washington v. Michael E. Vassar (Wash. Ct. App. 2025). “See RCW 46.37.010(1)(b). Vassar relies on Prado, 145 Wn.”
Durfee v. Dep't of Licensing, 662 P.2d 70 (Wash. Ct. App. 1983). “RCW 46.37.010(1), for instance, furthers this goal by penalizing those who drive or move, or permit to be driven or moved, unsafe vehicles on highways.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.010(1) — 4 cases
State v. Wayman-Burks, 56 P.3d 598 (Wash. Ct. App. 2002). “RCW 46.37.010(1) provides in pertinent part: It is a traffic infraction for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any…”
State v. Wayman-Burks, 56 P.3d 598 (Wash. Ct. App. 2002). “RCW 46.37.010(1) provides in pertinent part: It is a traffic infraction for any person to drive or move or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any…”
Farson v. City of Lake Stevens (W.D. Wash. 2023). “2002) (under Section 46.37.010(1), an officer may stop the driver of a vehicle 15 whose windshield is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person).”
Durfee v. Dep't of Licensing, 662 P.2d 70 (Wash. Ct. App. 1983). “RCW 46.37.010(1), for instance, furthers this goal by penalizing those who drive or move, or permit to be driven or moved, unsafe vehicles on highways.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.010(1)(a) — 1 case
Farson v. City of Lake Stevens (W.D. Wash. 2023). “2002) (under Section 46.37.010(1), an officer may stop the driver of a vehicle 15 whose windshield is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person).”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.010(1)(b) — 1 case
State of Washington v. Michael E. Vassar (Wash. Ct. App. 2025). “See RCW 46.37.010(1)(b). Vassar relies on Prado, 145 Wn.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.37.010(3) — 1 case
W. Packing Co. v. Visser, 521 P.2d 939 (Wash. Ct. App. 1974). “However, RCW 46.37.010 (3) reads as follows: (3) The provisions of the chapter with respect to equipment on vehicles shall not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers or farm tractors except as herein made applicable.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.