Washington Administrative Code › Title 204 - State Patrol (Equipment) (See also Titles 212, 446 and 448) › Chapter 204-91A - Towing businesses › Section 204-91A-030 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
The following definitions will apply throughout this
				chapter:
(1) "Chief" means the chief
			 of the Washington state patrol.
(2)
			 "Department" means the Washington state department of licensing.
(3) "Designee" means a person designated by
			 the chief of the Washington state patrol.
(4) "Director" means the director of the
			 department of licensing.
(5)
			 "District commander" means the commanding officer or designee of a geographical
			 area established by the Washington state patrol.
(6) "Emergent move" or "emergent movement"
			 means a law enforcement directed movement of any vehicle by a tow truck,
			 utilizing any safe means, for the purposes of clearing the roadway in the
			 interest of safety and/or for the reduction of congestion.
(7) "Highway" has the same meaning as
			 provided in chapter 46.04 RCW.
(8)
			 "Initial tow" means services provided including, but not limited to,
			 collisions, incidents, disableds, and impound requests, as a result of an
			 original call, on a particular vehicle, that the tow operator receives from the
			 patrol using a copy of a current rotational call list for the particular
			 zone.
(9) "Inspection certificate"
			 means an inspection report and a tow inspection summary report completed by an
			 inspector.
(10) "Inspector" means a
			 commissioned officer of the Washington state patrol who has been designated as
			 a tow truck inspector by the patrol.
(11) "Letter of appointment" means a document
			 issued by the Washington state patrol and signed by the patrol and registered
			 tow truck operator that authorizes the tow operator to tow and store vehicles
			 for the patrol on a rotational or contractual basis in a specified area. The
			 letter of appointment contains a rotational tow rate cap agreement that
			 specifies the maximum tow rates that may be charged for services provided as a
			 result of patrol originated calls.
(12) "Owner/operator" means an owner of a
			 towing business who is active in the general management of the
			 business.
(13) "Patrol" means the
			 Washington state patrol as defined in
			 RCW
			    43.43.010.
(14) "Place of business" means a building
			 located in an assigned tow zone that the registered tow truck operator
			 occupies, either continuously or at regular times, where tow business books and
			 records are kept and tow business is transacted.
(15) "Registered tow truck operator" or "tow
			 operator" means a person who engages in the impounding, transporting, or
			 storage of unauthorized vehicles, or in the disposal of abandoned
			 vehicles.
(16) "Secondary tow"
			 means towing services from a tow operator's storage facility or place of
			 business to another location designated by the owner/agent of a vehicle, when
			 the initial towing services were the result of a call from the
			 patrol.
(17) "Section" means the
			 section designated by the chief of the Washington state patrol to coordinate
			 the tow truck inspection program, maintain tow truck files, and issue letters
			 of appointment.
(18) "Section
			 commander" means the commanding officer or designee of the section.
(19) "Special event" means any event that
			 causes an unusually large number of impounded vehicles and/or tow calls in a
			 short period of time and which is declared as such by the district commander or
			 designee.
(20) "Special event
			 storage area" means an area used for temporarily storing vehicles
			 impounded/towed from special events. Approval for such areas must be obtained
			 from the department, the patrol, and appropriate city and county
			 jurisdictions.
(21) "State
			 recognized holiday" means a legal holiday as outlined under
			 RCW
			    1.16.050.
(22) "Storage area" means the approved yard
			 and buildings (primary and secondary) where stored vehicles are kept. The
			 storage areas and fencing must comply with the requirements established by the
			 department and local zoning rules and regulations. Both primary and secondary
			 storage areas must be physically located within the tow zone assigned to the
			 tow operator under a letter of appointment.
(23) "Tow truck" has the same meaning as
			 provided in RCW 46.55.-010.
(24)
			 "Tow truck number" has the same meaning as provided in
			 RCW
			    46.55.010.
(25) "Tow truck permit" has the same meaning
			 as provided in
			 RCW
			    46.55.010.
(26) "Tow truck service" means the towing,
			 moving, transporting, or impounding of vehicles, together with personal effects
			 and cargo, by a registered tow truck operator utilizing equipment approved by
			 the patrol.
(27) "Tow zone" means
			 that specific geographical area designated by the district commander for the
			 removal of vehicles as defined in Title 46 RCW and this chapter.
Statutory Authority:
				  RCW
				     46.37.005,
				  46.55.050, and
				  46.55.115. 09-09-118, §
				  204-91A-030, filed 4/21/09, effective 5/22/09. Statutory Authority:
				  RCW
				     46.37.005. 04-20-021, § 204-91A-030,
				  filed 9/28/04, effective 10/29/04. Statutory Authority:
				  RCW
				     46.37.005,
				  46.55.050, and
				  46.55.115. 02-07-056, §
				  204-91A-030, filed 3/15/02, effective 4/15/02. Statutory Authority:
				  RCW
				     46.37.005 and
				  46.55.050. 94-18-083, §
				  204-91A-030, filed 9/2/94, effective 10/3/94. Statutory Authority: RCW
				  46.61.567. 89-21-044, § 204-91A-030, filed 10/13/89, effective 11/13/89.
				  Statutory Authority: RCW 46.35.005 [46.37.005]. 89-14-015 (Order 89-04-ESR),
				  § 204-91A-030, filed 6/23/89.