Wash. Rev. Code » Title 81 · Chapter 81.80
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.
(1) "Common carrier" means any person who undertakes to transport property for the general public by motor vehicle for compensation, whether over regular or irregular routes, or regular or irregular schedules, including motor vehicle operations of other carriers by rail or water and of express or forwarding companies. "Common carrier" does not include a personal delivery device or a personal delivery device operator as those terms are defined in RCW 46.75.010.
(2) "Contract carrier" includes all motor vehicle operators not included under the terms "common carrier" and "private carrier" as defined in this section, and further includes any person who under special and individual contracts or agreements transports property by motor vehicle for compensation.
(3) "Common carrier" and "contract carrier" includes persons engaged in the business of providing, contracting for, or undertaking to provide transportation of property for compensation over the public highways of the state of Washington as brokers or forwarders.
(4) "Exempt carrier" means any person operating a vehicle exempted under RCW 81.80.040.
(5) "Household goods carrier" means a person who transports for compensation, by motor vehicle within this state, or who advertises, solicits, offers, or enters into an agreement to transport household goods as defined by the commission.
(6) "Motor carrier" includes "common carrier," "contract carrier," "private carrier," and "exempt carrier" as defined in this section.
(7) "Motor vehicle" means any truck, trailer, semitrailer, tractor, dump truck which uses a hydraulic or mechanical device to dump or discharge its load, or any self-propelled or motor-driven vehicle used upon any public highway of this state for the purpose of transporting property, but not including baggage, mail, and express transported on the vehicles of auto transportation companies carrying passengers.
(8) "Person" includes an individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company, or association or their lessees, trustees, or receivers.
(9) A "private carrier" is a person who transports by his or her own motor vehicle, with or without compensation, property which is owned or is being bought or sold by the person, or property where the person is the seller, purchaser, lessee, or bailee and the transportation is incidental to and in furtherance of some other primary business conducted by the person in good faith.
(10) "Public highway" means every street, road, or highway in this state.
(11) "Vehicle" means every device capable of being moved upon a public highway and in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a public highway, except devices moved by human or animal power or used exclusively upon stationary rail or tracks.
[ 2019 c 214 s 20. Prior: 2009 c 94 s 1; 2007 c 234 s 68; 1989 c 60 s 1; 1988 c 31 s 1; 1982 c 71 s 1; 1967 c 69 s 1; 1961 c 14 s 81.80.010; prior: 1937 c 166 s 2; 1935 c 184 s 2; RRS s 6382-2.]

Notes:

Effective date—2019 c 214: See note following RCW 46.75.010.
Severability—1982 c 71: "If any provision of this 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." [ 1982 c 71 s 5.]
Severability—1967 c 69: "If any provision of this 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." [ 1967 c 69 s 4.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases, 1973–2020 · leading case: Inland Empire Distrib. Sys., Inc. v. Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 770 P.2d 624 (Wash. 1989).
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Inland Empire Distrib. Sys., Inc. v. Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 770 P.2d 624 (Wash. 1989). · cites it 9× “Idaho 1969), the administrative law judge ruled the transportation for which Inland requested authority was not private carriage under RCW 81.80.010(6) and denied the application for a common carrier permit pursuant to RCW 81.”
Farm Supply Distributors, Inc. v. Washington Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 518 P.2d 1237 (Wash. 1974). · cites it 6× “1 RCW 81.80.010(4) “ ‘Common carrier’ means any person who undertakes to transport property for the general public by motor vehicles for compensation, whether over regular or irregular routes, or regular or irregular schedules, including- motor vehicle operations of other…”
Weyerhaeuser Co. v. Dep't of Revenue, 723 P.2d 1141 (Wash. 1986). · cites it 3× “In addition to arguing that Weyerhaeuser is not a private carrier based on the "business" and "for hire" requirements of WAC 458-20-175, the Department contended that RCW 81.80.010, not WAC 458-20-175, should determine the definition of "private carrier".”
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Wash. State Dep't of Labor & Indus., 442 P.3d 637 (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “RCW 81.80.010(1). RCW 81.80.010(7) (emphasis added).”
Farm Supply Distributors, Inc. v. Washington Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 506 P.2d 1306 (Wash. Ct. App. 1973). · cites it 3× “Did the trial court err in holding that the respondent met the statutory definition of a contract carrier? To differentiate between common carrier and contract carrier we must consider the following statutes: RCW 81.80.010 (4) provides: “Common carrier” means any person who…”
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Washington State Dept. Of Labor & Indus. (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “28 RCW 81.80.010(1). - 12- No. 78796-9-1/13 vehicle used upon any public highway of this state for the purpose of transporting property, but not including baggage.”
Dolly, Inc. v. State Utils. & Transp. Comm'n (Wash. Ct. App. 2020). “is a ‘household goods carrier’ as that term is defined in RCW 81.80.010(5) because it has continuously since 2015 advertised, solicited, offered, or entered into agreements to transport household goods.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010(1) — 2 cases
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Wash. State Dep't of Labor & Indus., 442 P.3d 637 (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). “RCW 81.80.010(1). RCW 81.80.010(7) (emphasis added).”
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Washington State Dept. Of Labor & Indus. (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). “28 RCW 81.80.010(1). - 12- No. 78796-9-1/13 vehicle used upon any public highway of this state for the purpose of transporting property, but not including baggage.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010(4) — 1 case
Farm Supply Distributors, Inc. v. Washington Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 518 P.2d 1237 (Wash. 1974). “1 RCW 81.80.010(4) “ ‘Common carrier’ means any person who undertakes to transport property for the general public by motor vehicles for compensation, whether over regular or irregular routes, or regular or irregular schedules, including- motor vehicle operations of other…”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010(5) — 2 cases
Farm Supply Distributors, Inc. v. Washington Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 518 P.2d 1237 (Wash. 1974). “1 RCW 81.80.010(4) “ ‘Common carrier’ means any person who undertakes to transport property for the general public by motor vehicles for compensation, whether over regular or irregular routes, or regular or irregular schedules, including- motor vehicle operations of other…”
Dolly, Inc. v. State Utils. & Transp. Comm'n (Wash. Ct. App. 2020). “is a ‘household goods carrier’ as that term is defined in RCW 81.80.010(5) because it has continuously since 2015 advertised, solicited, offered, or entered into agreements to transport household goods.”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010(6) — 3 cases
Inland Empire Distrib. Sys., Inc. v. Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 770 P.2d 624 (Wash. 1989). “Idaho 1969), the administrative law judge ruled the transportation for which Inland requested authority was not private carriage under RCW 81.80.010(6) and denied the application for a common carrier permit pursuant to RCW 81.”
Farm Supply Distributors, Inc. v. Washington Utils. & Transp. Comm'n, 518 P.2d 1237 (Wash. 1974). “1 RCW 81.80.010(4) “ ‘Common carrier’ means any person who undertakes to transport property for the general public by motor vehicles for compensation, whether over regular or irregular routes, or regular or irregular schedules, including- motor vehicle operations of other…”
Weyerhaeuser Co. v. Dep't of Revenue, 723 P.2d 1141 (Wash. 1986). “In addition to arguing that Weyerhaeuser is not a private carrier based on the "business" and "for hire" requirements of WAC 458-20-175, the Department contended that RCW 81.80.010, not WAC 458-20-175, should determine the definition of "private carrier".”
— Wash. Rev. Code § 81.80.010(7) — 2 cases
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Wash. State Dep't of Labor & Indus., 442 P.3d 637 (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). “RCW 81.80.010(1). RCW 81.80.010(7) (emphasis added).”
Delivery Express, Inc. v. Washington State Dept. Of Labor & Indus. (Wash. Ct. App. 2019). “28 RCW 81.80.010(1). - 12- No. 78796-9-1/13 vehicle used upon any public highway of this state for the purpose of transporting property, but not including baggage.”
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