Wash. Rev. Code » Title 46 · Chapter 46.52
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101 (2026)

Records of traffic charges, dispositions

✓ current as of May 2026
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(1) Every district court, municipal court, and clerk of a superior court shall keep or cause to be kept a record of every traffic complaint, traffic citation, notice of infraction, or other legal form of traffic charge deposited with or presented to the court or a traffic violations bureau, and shall keep a record of every official action by the court or its traffic violations bureau regarding the charge, including but not limited to a record of every conviction, forfeiture of bail, judgment of acquittal, finding that a traffic infraction has been committed, dismissal of a notice of infraction, and the amount of fine, forfeiture, or penalty resulting from every traffic charge deposited with or presented to the court or traffic violations bureau. In the case of a record of a conviction for a violation of RCW 46.61.502 or 46.61.504, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court shall maintain the record permanently.
(2) After the conviction, forfeiture of bail, or finding that a traffic infraction was committed for a violation of any provisions of this chapter or other law regulating the operating of vehicles on highways, the clerk of the court in which the conviction was had, bail was forfeited, or the finding of commission was made shall prepare and immediately forward to the director of licensing at Olympia an abstract of the court record covering the case. Report need not be made of a finding involving the illegal parking or standing of a vehicle.
(3) The abstract must be made upon a form or forms furnished by the director and must include the name and address of the party charged, the number, if any, of the party's driver's or chauffeur's license, the registration number of the vehicle involved if required by the director, the nature of the offense, the date of hearing, the plea, the judgment, whether the offense was an alcohol-related offense as defined in RCW 46.01.260(2), whether the incident that gave rise to the offense charged resulted in a fatality, whether bail was forfeited, whether the determination that a traffic infraction was committed was contested, and the amount of the fine, forfeiture, or penalty, as the case may be.
(4) In courts where the judicial information system or other secure method of electronic transfer of information has been implemented between the court and the department of licensing, the court may electronically provide the information required in subsections (2), (3), and (5) of this section.
(5) The superior court clerk shall also forward a like report to the director upon the conviction of a person of a felony in the commission of which a vehicle was used.
(6) The director shall keep all abstracts received under this section at the director's office in Olympia. The abstracts must be open to public inspection during reasonable business hours.
(7) The officer, prosecuting attorney, or city attorney signing the charge or information in a case involving a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug shall immediately request from the director an abstract of convictions and forfeitures. The director shall furnish the requested abstract.
[ 2006 c 327 s 6; 1999 c 86 s 4.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 2006–2026 · leading case: In Re Adolph, 243 P.3d 540 (Wash. 2010).
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In Re Adolph, 243 P.3d 540 (Wash. 2010). · cites it 8× “¶ 23 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
In re the Pers. Restraint of Adolph, 170 Wash. 2d 556 (Wash. 2010). · cites it 6× “¶25 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
State v. McKinney, 60 P.3d 46 (Wash. 2006). “" RCW 46.52.101(6) (all abstracts must be available to public for inspection).”
State Of Washington v. Gwen Lynn Ardrey (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “2d at 569 (citing RCW 46.52.101(1)-(3)). "The director then compiles a case record on every motor vehicle driver licensed under the laws of this state .”
State Of Washington, V. Harlan W. Blackburn (Wash. Ct. App. 2026). “075(1), 16 provides that such records obtained by the director of the state department of financial institutions or their staff “shall not be made public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency, association, governmental body, or 15 Citing statutory…”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101(1) — 3 cases
In re the Pers. Restraint of Adolph, 170 Wash. 2d 556 (Wash. 2010). “¶25 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
In Re Adolph, 243 P.3d 540 (Wash. 2010). “¶ 23 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
State Of Washington v. Gwen Lynn Ardrey (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “2d at 569 (citing RCW 46.52.101(1)-(3)). "The director then compiles a case record on every motor vehicle driver licensed under the laws of this state .”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101(3) — 2 cases
In re the Pers. Restraint of Adolph, 170 Wash. 2d 556 (Wash. 2010). “¶25 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
In Re Adolph, 243 P.3d 540 (Wash. 2010). “¶ 23 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101(6) — 2 cases
State v. McKinney, 60 P.3d 46 (Wash. 2006). “" RCW 46.52.101(6) (all abstracts must be available to public for inspection).”
State Of Washington, V. Harlan W. Blackburn (Wash. Ct. App. 2026). “075(1), 16 provides that such records obtained by the director of the state department of financial institutions or their staff “shall not be made public or otherwise disclosed to any person, firm, corporation, agency, association, governmental body, or 15 Citing statutory…”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101(7) — 2 cases
In Re Adolph, 243 P.3d 540 (Wash. 2010). “¶ 23 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
In re the Pers. Restraint of Adolph, 170 Wash. 2d 556 (Wash. 2010). “¶25 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.52.101(l) — 1 case
In re the Pers. Restraint of Adolph, 170 Wash. 2d 556 (Wash. 2010). “¶25 The process by which a driving related crime becomes part of a DOL driving record abstract is governed by RCW 46.52.101 and .120. Under the statute, a court, or court clerk, must forward an abstract of each record of conviction from that court, including DUI convictions, to…”
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