Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2495.SL) ***

The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter:

(1) "Abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle that a registered tow truck operator has impounded and held in the operator's possession for 120 consecutive hours.

(2) "Abandoned vehicle report" means the document prescribed by the state that the towing operator forwards to the department after a vehicle has become abandoned.

(3) "Immobilize" means the use of a locking wheel boot that, when attached to the wheel of a vehicle, prevents the vehicle from moving without damage to the tire to which the locking wheel boot is attached.

(4) "Impound" means to take and hold a vehicle in legal custody. There are two types of impounds—public and private.

(a) "Public impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded at the direction of a law enforcement officer or by a public official having jurisdiction over the public property upon which the vehicle was located.

(b) "Private impound" means that the vehicle has been impounded at the direction of a person having control or possession of the private property upon which the vehicle was located.

(5) "Junk vehicle" means a vehicle certified under RCW 46.55.230 as meeting at least three of the following requirements:

(a) Is three years old or older;

(b) Is extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: A broken window or windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;

(d) Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the approximate value of the scrap in it.

(6) "Master log" means the document or an electronic facsimile prescribed by the department and the Washington state patrol in which an operator records transactions involving impounded vehicles.

(7) "Registered tow truck operator" or "operator" means any person who engages in the impounding, transporting, or storage of unauthorized vehicles or the disposal of abandoned vehicles.

(8) "Residential property" means property that has no more than four living units located on it.

(9) "Suspended license impound" means an impound ordered under RCW 46.55.113 because the operator was arrested for a violation of RCW 46.20.342 or 46.20.345.

(10) "Tow truck" means a motor vehicle that is equipped for and used in the business of towing vehicles with equipment as approved by the state patrol.

(11) "Tow truck number" means the number issued by the department to tow trucks used by a registered tow truck operator in the state of Washington.

(12) "Tow truck permit" means the permit issued annually by the department that has the classification of service the tow truck may provide stamped upon it.

(13) "Tow truck service" means the transporting upon the public streets and highways of this state of vehicles, together with personal effects and cargo, by a tow truck of a registered operator.

(14) "Unauthorized vehicle" means a vehicle that is subject to impoundment after being left unattended in one of the following public or private locations for the indicated period of time:

Subject to removal after:
(a)	Public locations:
(i)	Constituting an accident or a traffic hazard as defined in RCW 46.55.113 . . . . Immediately
(ii)	On a highway and tagged as described in RCW 46.55.085 . . . . 24 hours
(iii)	In a publicly owned or controlled parking facility, properly posted under RCW 46.55.070 . . . . Immediately
(iv)	Within the right-of-way used by a regional transit authority for high capacity transportation where the vehicle constitutes an obstruction to the operation of high capacity transportation vehicles or jeopardizes public safety. . . . Immediately
(b)	Private locations:
(i)	On residential property . . . . Immediately
(ii)	On private, nonresidential property, properly posted under RCW 46.55.070 . . . . Immediately
(iii)	On private, nonresidential property, not posted . . . . 24 hours

[ 2023 c 326 s 1; 2022 c 186 s 708; 2005 c 88 s 2; 1999 c 398 s 2; 1998 c 203 s 8; 1994 c 176 s 1; 1991 c 292 s 1; 1989 c 111 s 1. Prior: 1987 c 330 s 739; 1987 c 311 s 1; 1985 c 377 s 1.]

Notes:

Reviser's note: The definitions in this section have been alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k).

Effective date—2022 c 186: See note following RCW 47.01.071.

Finding—1998 c 203: See note following RCW 46.55.105.

Construction—Application of rules—Severability—1987 c 330: See notes following RCW 28B.12.050.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 2003–2019 · leading case: Indep. Towers of Washington v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925 (9th Cir. 2003).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Indep. Towers of Washington v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925 (9th Cir. 2003). · cites it 3× “” RCW § 46.55.010(3)(a). Private impounds are those made “at the direction of a person having control or possession of the private property upon which the vehicle was located.”

Tillison v. Gregoire, 424 F.3d 1093 (9th Cir. 2005). · cites it 2× “See Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010 (1999) amended by 2005 Wash.”

First Class Cartage, Ltd. v. Fife Serv. & Towing, Inc., 121 Wash. App. 257 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 3× “See RCW 46.55.010(1). Under British Columbia vehicle regulations, only one address need be provided.”

Jefferson Cnty. v. Michael Anderson (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 4× “51500-8-II The County then supervised a massive clean-up of the property to remove 77 tons of solid waste from the property included numerous “junk vehicles” as defined in RCW 46.55.010(5).2 CP at 78. Approximately 221 vehicles or vehicle hulks were removed along with an…”

First Class Cartage, Ltd. v. Fife Serv. & Towing, Inc., 89 P.3d 226 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004). · cites it 3× “See RCW 46.55.010(1). [2] Under British Columbian vehicle regulations, only one address need be provided.”

State of Washington v. Justin D. Tonies (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “RCW 46.55.070(l)(a). There is no evidence that the Prescott pool parking lot was posted in this manner.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(1) — 2 cases

First Class Cartage, Ltd. v. Fife Serv. & Towing, Inc., 121 Wash. App. 257 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004). “See RCW 46.55.010(1). Under British Columbia vehicle regulations, only one address need be provided.”

First Class Cartage, Ltd. v. Fife Serv. & Towing, Inc., 89 P.3d 226 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004). “See RCW 46.55.010(1). [2] Under British Columbian vehicle regulations, only one address need be provided.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(13) — 2 cases

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(14) — 1 case

State of Washington v. Justin D. Tonies (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “RCW 46.55.070(l)(a). There is no evidence that the Prescott pool parking lot was posted in this manner.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(3) — 1 case

Tillison v. Gregoire, 424 F.3d 1093 (9th Cir. 2005). “See Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010 (1999) amended by 2005 Wash.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(3)(a) — 1 case

Indep. Towers of Washington v. Washington, 350 F.3d 925 (9th Cir. 2003). “” RCW § 46.55.010(3)(a). Private impounds are those made “at the direction of a person having control or possession of the private property upon which the vehicle was located.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(3)(b) — 1 case

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(5) — 1 case

Jefferson Cnty. v. Michael Anderson (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). “51500-8-II The County then supervised a massive clean-up of the property to remove 77 tons of solid waste from the property included numerous “junk vehicles” as defined in RCW 46.55.010(5).2 CP at 78. Approximately 221 vehicles or vehicle hulks were removed along with an…”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.55.010(6) — 1 case

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.