WA Rev Code § 46.25.010 (2021)
2021 Revised Code of Washington|Title 46 - Motor Vehicles|Chapter 46.25 - Uniform Commercial Driver's License Act.|46.25.010 - Definitions (as amended by 2019 c 44).

RCW 46.25.010 Definitions (as amended by 2019 c 44).The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Alcohol" means any substance containing any form of alcohol, including but not limited to ethanol, methanol, propanol, and isopropanol.(2) "Alcohol concentration" means:(a) The number of grams of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of blood; or(b) The number of grams of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of breath.(3) "Commercial driver's license" (CDL) means a license issued to an individual under chapter 46.20 RCW that has been endorsed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter to authorize the individual to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle.(4) The "commercial driver's license information system" (CDLIS) is the information system established pursuant to 49 U.S.C. Sec. 31309 to serve as a clearinghouse for locating information related to the licensing and identification of commercial motor vehicle drivers.(5) "Commercial learner's permit" (CLP) means a permit issued under RCW 46.25.052 for the purposes of behind-the-wheel training.(6) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:(a) Has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, inclusive of any towed unit or units with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds ((or more))), whichever is greater; or(b) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or(c) Is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver; or(d) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section; or(e) Is a school bus regardless of weight or size.(7) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or by an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the payment of a fine or court cost, entry into a deferred prosecution program under chapter 10.05 RCW, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.(8) "Disqualification" means a prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle.(9) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle in any place open to the general public for purposes of vehicular traffic. For purposes of RCW 46.25.100, 46.25.110, and 46.25.120, "drive" includes operation or physical control of a motor vehicle anywhere in the state.(10) "Drugs" are those substances as defined by RCW 69.04.009, including, but not limited to, those substances defined by 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.3.(11) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle.(12) "Gross vehicle weight rating" (GVWR) means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single vehicle. The GVWR of a combination or articulated vehicle, commonly referred to as the "gross combined weight rating" or GCWR, is the GVWR of the power unit plus the GVWR of the towed unit or units. If the GVWR of any unit cannot be determined, the actual gross weight will be used. If a vehicle with a GVWR of less than 11,794 kilograms (26,001 pounds or less) has been structurally modified to carry a heavier load, then the actual gross weight capacity of the modified vehicle, as determined by RCW 46.44.041 and 46.44.042, will be used as the GVWR.(13) "Hazardous materials" means any material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 C.F.R. Part 172 or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 C.F.R. Part 73.(14) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power used on highways, or any other vehicle required to be registered under the laws of this state, but does not include a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer operated exclusively on a rail.(15)(a) "Nondomiciled CLP or CDL" means a permit or license, respectively, issued under RCW 46.25.054 to a person who meets one of the following criteria:(i) Is domiciled in a foreign country as provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.23(b)(1) as it existed on October 1, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section; or(ii) Is domiciled in another state as provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.23(b)(2) as it existed on October 1, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section.(b) The definition in this subsection (15) applies exclusively to the use of the term in this chapter and is not to be applied in any other chapter of the Revised Code of Washington.(16) "Out-of-service order" means a declaration by an authorized enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local jurisdiction that a driver, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out-of-service pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Secs. 386.72, 392.5, 395.13, 396.9, or compatible laws, or the North American uniform out-of-service criteria.(17) "Positive alcohol confirmation test" means an alcohol confirmation test that:(a) Has been conducted by a breath alcohol technician under 49 C.F.R. Part 40; and(b) Indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.A report that a person has refused an alcohol test, under circumstances that constitute the refusal of an alcohol test under 49 C.F.R. Part 40, will be considered equivalent to a report of a positive alcohol confirmation test for the purposes of this chapter.(18) "School bus" means a commercial motor vehicle used to transport preprimary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events. School bus does not include a bus used as a common carrier.(19) "Serious traffic violation" means:(a) Excessive speeding, defined as fifteen miles per hour or more in excess of the posted limit;(b) Reckless driving, as defined under state or local law;(c) Driving while using a personal electronic device, defined as a violation of RCW 46.61.672, which includes in the activities it prohibits driving while holding a personal electronic device in either or both hands and using a hand or finger for texting, or an equivalent administrative rule or local law, ordinance, rule, or resolution;(d) A violation of a state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with an accident or collision resulting in death to any person;(e) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without obtaining a commercial driver's license;(f) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without a commercial driver's license in the driver's possession; however, any individual who provides proof to the court by the date the individual must appear in court or pay any fine for such a violation, that the individual held a valid CDL on the date the citation was issued, is not guilty of a "serious traffic violation";(g) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without the proper class of commercial driver's license endorsement or endorsements for the specific vehicle group being operated or for the passenger or type of cargo being transported; and(h) Any other violation of a state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, that the department determines by rule to be serious.(20) "State" means a state of the United States and the District of Columbia.(21) "Substance abuse professional" means an alcohol and drug specialist meeting the credentials, knowledge, training, and continuing education requirements of 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.281.(22) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank or tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than one hundred nineteen gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of one thousand gallons or more that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis. A commercial motor vehicle transporting an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of one thousand gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer is not considered a tank vehicle.(23) "Type of driving" means one of the following:(a) "Nonexcepted interstate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, is both subject to and meets the qualification requirements under 49 C.F.R. Part 391 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section;(b) "Excepted interstate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted under 49 C.F.R. Secs. 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3, as they existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, from all or parts of the qualification requirements of 49 C.F.R. Part 391 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate in accordance with procedures provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section;(c) "Nonexcepted intrastate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates only in intrastate commerce and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate in accordance with procedures provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section; or(d) "Excepted intrastate," which means the CDL or CLP holder wishes to maintain a CDL or CLP but not operate a commercial motor vehicle without changing his or her self-certification type.(24) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia.(25) "Verified positive drug test" means a drug test result or validity testing result from a laboratory certified under the authority of the federal department of health and human services that:(a) Indicates a drug concentration at or above the cutoff concentration established under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.87; and(b) Has undergone review and final determination by a medical review officer.A report that a person has refused a drug test, under circumstances that constitute the refusal of a federal department of transportation drug test under 49 C.F.R. Part 40, will be considered equivalent to a report of a verified positive drug test for the purposes of this chapter.[ 2019 c 44 § 3; 2019 c 44 § 2; 2018 c 49 § 4. Prior: 2017 c 334 § 4; 2017 c 194 § 1; 2013 c 224 § 3; 2013 c 224 § 2; 2011 c 227 § 1; 2009 c 181 § 2; prior: 2006 c 327 § 2; 2006 c 50 § 1; 2005 c 325 § 2; 2004 c 187 § 2; 1996 c 30 § 1; 1989 c 178 § 3.]RCW 46.25.010Definitions (as amended by 2019 c 195).The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Alcohol" means any substance containing any form of alcohol, including but not limited to ethanol, methanol, propanol, and isopropanol.(2) "Alcohol concentration" means:(a) The number of grams of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of blood; or(b) The number of grams of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of breath.(3) "Commercial driver's license" (CDL) means a license issued to an individual under chapter 46.20 RCW that has been endorsed in accordance with the requirements of this chapter to authorize the individual to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle.(4) The "commercial driver's license information system" (CDLIS) is the information system established pursuant to 49 U.S.C. Sec. 31309 to serve as a clearinghouse for locating information related to the licensing and identification of commercial motor vehicle drivers.(5) "Commercial learner's permit" (CLP) means a permit issued under RCW 46.25.052 for the purposes of behind-the-wheel training.(6) "Commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:(a) Has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater, inclusive of any towed unit or units with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or(b) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), whichever is greater; or(c) Is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver; or(d) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section; or(e) Is a school bus regardless of weight or size.(7) "Conviction" means an unvacated adjudication of guilt, or a determination that a person has violated or failed to comply with the law in a court of original jurisdiction or by an authorized administrative tribunal, an unvacated forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the person's appearance in court, a plea of guilty or nolo contendere accepted by the court, the payment of a fine or court cost, entry into a deferred prosecution program under chapter 10.05 RCW, or violation of a condition of release without bail, regardless of whether or not the penalty is rebated, suspended, or probated.(8) "Disqualification" means a prohibition against driving a commercial motor vehicle.(9) "Drive" means to drive, operate, or be in physical control of a motor vehicle in any place open to the general public for purposes of vehicular traffic. For purposes of RCW 46.25.100, 46.25.110, and 46.25.120, "drive" includes operation or physical control of a motor vehicle anywhere in the state.(10) "Drugs" are those substances as defined by RCW 69.04.009, including, but not limited to, those substances defined by 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.3.(11) "Employer" means any person, including the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle, or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle.(12) "Gross vehicle weight rating" (GVWR) means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single vehicle. The GVWR of a combination or articulated vehicle, commonly referred to as the "gross combined weight rating" or GCWR, is the GVWR of the power unit plus the GVWR of the towed unit or units. If the GVWR of any unit cannot be determined, the actual gross weight will be used. If a vehicle with a GVWR of less than 11,794 kilograms (26,001 pounds or less) has been structurally modified to carry a heavier load, then the actual gross weight capacity of the modified vehicle, as determined by RCW 46.44.041 and 46.44.042, will be used as the GVWR.(13) "Hazardous materials" means any material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. Sec. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 C.F.R. Part 172 or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 C.F.R. Part 73.(14) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power used on highways, or any other vehicle required to be registered under the laws of this state, but does not include a vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer operated exclusively on a rail.(15)(a) "Nondomiciled CLP or CDL" means a permit or license, respectively, issued under RCW 46.25.054 to a person who meets one of the following criteria:(i) Is domiciled in a foreign country as provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.23(b)(1) as it existed on October 1, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section; or(ii) Is domiciled in another state as provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 383.23(b)(2) as it existed on October 1, 2017, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section.(b) The definition in this subsection (15) applies exclusively to the use of the term in this chapter and is not to be applied in any other chapter of the Revised Code of Washington.(16) "Out-of-service order" means a declaration by an authorized enforcement officer of a federal, state, Canadian, Mexican, or local jurisdiction that a driver, a commercial motor vehicle, or a motor carrier operation is out-of-service pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Secs. 386.72, 392.5, 395.13, 396.9, or compatible laws, or the North American uniform out-of-service criteria.(17) "Positive alcohol confirmation test" means an alcohol confirmation test that:(a) Has been conducted by a breath alcohol technician under 49 C.F.R. Part 40; and(b) Indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.A report that a person has refused an alcohol test, under circumstances that constitute the refusal of an alcohol test under 49 C.F.R. Part 40, will be considered equivalent to a report of a positive alcohol confirmation test for the purposes of this chapter.(18) "School bus" means a commercial motor vehicle used to transport preprimary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events. School bus does not include a bus used as a common carrier.(19) "Serious traffic violation" means:(a) Excessive speeding, defined as fifteen miles per hour or more in excess of the posted limit;(b) Reckless driving, as defined under state or local law;(c) Driving while using a personal electronic device, defined as a violation of RCW 46.61.672, which includes in the activities it prohibits driving while holding a personal electronic device in either or both hands and using a hand or finger for texting, or an equivalent administrative rule or local law, ordinance, rule, or resolution;(d) A violation of a state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, arising in connection with an accident or collision resulting in death to any person;(e) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without obtaining a commercial driver's license;(f) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without a commercial driver's license in the driver's possession; however, any individual who provides proof to the court by the date the individual must appear in court or pay any fine for such a violation, that the individual held a valid CDL on the date the citation was issued, is not guilty of a "serious traffic violation";(g) Driving a commercial motor vehicle without the proper class of commercial driver's license endorsement or endorsements for the specific vehicle group being operated or for the passenger or type of cargo being transported; and(h) Any other violation of a state or local law relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, that the department determines by rule to be serious.(20) "State" means a state of the United States and the District of Columbia.(21) "Substance abuse professional" means an alcohol and drug specialist meeting the credentials, knowledge, training, and continuing education requirements of 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.281.(22) "Tank vehicle" means any commercial motor vehicle that is designed to transport any liquid or gaseous materials within a tank or tanks having an individual rated capacity of more than one hundred nineteen gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of one thousand gallons or more that is either permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle or the chassis. A commercial motor vehicle transporting an empty storage container tank, not designed for transportation, with a rated capacity of one thousand gallons or more that is temporarily attached to a flatbed trailer is not considered a tank vehicle.(23) "Type of driving" means one of the following:(a) "Nonexcepted interstate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, is both subject to and meets the qualification requirements under 49 C.F.R. Part 391 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section;(b) "Excepted interstate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted under 49 C.F.R. Secs. 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3, as they existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, from all or parts of the qualification requirements of 49 C.F.R. Part 391 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate in accordance with procedures provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section;(c) "Nonexcepted intrastate," which means the CDL or CLP holder or applicant operates only in intrastate commerce and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate in accordance with procedures provided in 49 C.F.R. Sec. 391.45 as it existed on April 30, 2019, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section; or(d) "Excepted intrastate," which means the CDL or CLP holder wishes to maintain a CDL or CLP but not operate a commercial motor vehicle without changing his or her self-certification type.(24) "United States" means the fifty states and the District of Columbia.(25) "Verified positive drug test" means a drug test result or validity testing result from a laboratory certified under the authority of the federal department of health and human services that:(a) Indicates a drug concentration at or above the cutoff concentration established under 49 C.F.R. Sec. 40.87; and(b) Has undergone review and final determination by a medical review officer.A report that a person has refused a drug test, under circumstances that constitute the refusal of a federal department of transportation drug test under 49 C.F.R. Part 40, will be considered equivalent to a report of a verified positive drug test for the purposes of this chapter.(26) "Collector truck" means a vehicle that:(a) Has current registration;(b) Is older than thirty years old;(c) Is a vehicle that meets the weight criteria of subsection (6) of this section;(d) Is capable of safely operating on the highway;(e) Is used for occasional use to and from truck conventions, auto shows, circuses, parades, displays, special excursions, and antique vehicle club meetings;(f) Is used for the pleasure of others without compensation; and(g) Is not used in the operations of a common or contract motor carrier and not used for commercial purposes.(27) "Collector truck operator" means an operator of a noncommercial vehicle that is being exclusively owned and operated as a collector truck.[ 2019 c 195 § 1; 2018 c 49 § 4. Prior: 2017 c 334 § 4; 2017 c 194 § 1; 2013 c 224 § 3; 2013 c 224 § 2; 2011 c 227 § 1; 2009 c 181 § 2; prior: 2006 c 327 § 2; 2006 c 50 § 1; 2005 c 325 § 2; 2004 c 187 § 2; 1996 c 30 § 1; 1989 c 178 § 3.]NOTES:Reviser's note: (1) This section amended 2018 c 49 s 4, which takes effect June 1, 2020.(2) RCW 46.25.010 was amended three times during the 2019 legislative session, without reference to one another. For rule of construction concerning sections amended more than once during the same legislative session, see RCW 1.12.025.Effective date—2019 c 195: "This act takes effect October 1, 2019." [ 2019 c 195 § 3.]Effective date—2018 c 49: See note following RCW 46.25.055.Effective date—2017 c 194: See note following RCW 46.25.054.Effective date—2013 c 224: See note following RCW 46.01.130.Effective date—2011 c 227 §§ 1-3: See note following RCW 46.25.075.Intent—2005 c 325: "It is the intent of the legislature to promote the safety of drivers and passengers on Washington roads and public transportation systems. To this end, Washington has established a reporting requirement for employers of commercial drivers who test positive for unlawful substances. The legislature recognizes that transit operators and their employers are an asset to the public transportation system and continuously strive to provide a safe and efficient mode of travel. In light of this, the legislature further intends that the inclusion of transit employers in the reporting requirements serve only to enhance the current efforts of these dedicated employers and employees as they continue to provide a safe public transportation system to the citizens of Washington." [ 2005 c 325 § 1.]Effective date—1996 c 30: "This act takes effect October 1, 1996." [ 1996 c 30 § 5.]