(1) The chief of the Washington state
patrol may operate, maintain, or designate, throughout the state
of Washington, stations for the inspection of commercial motor
vehicles, school buses, and private carrier buses, with respect
to vehicle equipment, drivers' qualifications, and hours of
service and to set reasonable times when inspection of vehicles
shall be performed.
(2) The state patrol may inspect a commercial motor vehicle
while the vehicle is operating on the public highways of this
state with respect to vehicle equipment, hours of service, and
driver qualifications.
(3) It is unlawful for any vehicle required to be inspected
to be operated over the public highways of this state unless and
until it has been approved periodically as to equipment.
(4) Inspections shall be performed by a responsible employee
of the chief of the Washington state patrol, who shall be duly
authorized and who shall have authority to secure and withhold,
with written notice to the director of licensing, the certificate
of license registration and license plates of any vehicle found
to be defective in equipment so as to be unsafe or unfit to be
operated upon the highways of this state, and it shall be
unlawful for any person to operate a vehicle placed out of
service by an officer unless and until it has been placed in a
condition satisfactory to pass a subsequent equipment inspection.
The officer in charge of such vehicle equipment inspection shall
grant to the operator of such defective vehicle the privilege to
move such vehicle to a place for repair under such restrictions
as may be reasonably necessary.
(5) In the event any insignia, sticker, or other marker is
adopted to be displayed upon vehicles in connection with the
inspection of vehicle equipment, it shall be displayed as
required by the rules of the chief of the Washington state
patrol, and it is a traffic infraction for any person to
mutilate, destroy, remove, or otherwise interfere with the
display thereof.
(6) It is a traffic infraction for any person to refuse to
have his motor vehicle examined as required by the chief of the
Washington state patrol, or, after having had it examined, to
refuse to place an insignia, sticker, or other marker, if issued,
upon the vehicle, or fraudulently to obtain any such insignia,
sticker, or other marker, or to refuse to place his motor vehicle
in proper condition after having had it examined, or in any
manner, to fail to conform to the provisions of this chapter.
(7) It is a traffic infraction for any person to perform
false or improvised repairs, or repairs in any manner not in
accordance with acceptable and customary repair practices, upon a
motor vehicle.
[2007 c 419 § 7; 1993 c 403 § 2; 1986 c 123 § 1; 1979 ex.s. c 136 § 67; 1979 c 158 § 156; 1967 c 32 § 48; 1961 c 12 § 46.32.010. Prior: 1947 c 267 § 1; 1945 c 44 § 1; 1937 c 189 § 7; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 6360-7.]
NOTES:
Findings -- Short title -- Application -- 2007 c 419: See notes following RCW 46.16.004.
Effective date -- Severability -- 1979 ex.s. c 136: See notes following RCW 46.63.010.