WAC 204-10-022
Body requirements. (1) Defroster and
defogging devices: Every enclosed motor vehicle must be
equipped with a device capable of defogging and defrosting the
windshield area. Vehicles or exact replicas of vehicles
manufactured prior to January 1938 are exempt from this
requirement.
(2) Door latches: Every enclosed motor vehicle equipped
with side doors leading directly into a compartment that
contains one or more seating accommodations must be equipped
with door latches which firmly and automatically secure the
door when pushed closed and which allow each door to be opened
both from the inside and outside.
(3) Hoodlatches: A front opening hood must be equipped
with a primary and a secondary latching system to hold the
hood in a closed position.
Hoods are optional equipment on vehicles defined as
street rods and kit vehicles by the Washington state patrol
vehicle inspectors.
(4) Enclosed passenger compartment: A motor vehicle with
an enclosed passenger compartment and powered by an internal
combustion engine must be constructed to prevent the entry of
exhaust fumes into the passenger compartment.
(5) Floor pan: A motor vehicle must be equipped with a
floor pan under the entire passenger compartment capable of
supporting the weight of the number of occupants that the
vehicle is designed to carry.
(6) Bumpers: A motor vehicle must be equipped with a
bumper on both the front and rear of the vehicle with the
exception of motor vehicles where the original or predominant
body configuration, provided by a recognized manufacturer, did
not include such bumper or bumpers in the design of the
vehicle. For the relevant model year, bumpers must
accommodate recognized manufacturer impact absorption systems
pursuant to applicable SAE Bumper Standards or equivalent
standards.
Bumpers are optional equipment on vehicles defined as
street rods and kit vehicles by the Washington state patrol
vehicle inspectors.
(a) Be at least four and one-half inches in vertical
height.
(b) Be centered on the vehicle's centerline.
(c) Extend no less than the width of the respective wheel
track distances.
(d) Be attached to the vehicle in a manner equivalent to
the original manufacturer's installation.
(e) Be horizontal load bearing and attach to the vehicle
frame to effectively transfer energy when impacted.
(f) Be mounted at a maximum height based on the original
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle, measured
from a level surface to the highest point on the bottom of the
bumper. For vehicles exempted from the bumper requirement for
the reasons stated above, a maximum frame elevation
measurement must be made to the bottom of the frame rail.
Maximum heights are as follows:
Front
Back
Passenger Vehicles
22 Inches
22 Inches
4,500 lbs. and under
GVWR
24 Inches
26 Inches
4,501 lbs. to 7,500 lbs.
GVWR
27 Inches
29 Inches
7,501 lbs. and over
GVWR
28 Inches
30 Inches
A blocker beam or additional bumper may not be used to
meet the above requirements.
(g) If an existing bumper from a recognized manufacturer
is not used and a special bumper is fabricated, it must be
certified as meeting the bumper standards set under 49 CFR
581.
(7) Fenders: All wheels of a motor vehicle must be
equipped with fenders designed to cover the entire tire tread
width that comes in contact with the road surface. Coverage
of the tire tread circumference must be from at least fifteen
degrees in front and to at least seventy-five degrees to the
rear of the vertical centerline at each wheel measured from
the center of the wheel rotation. At no time can the tire
come in contact with the body, fender, chassis, or suspension
of the vehicle. Street rods and kit vehicles which are more
than forty years old and are owned and operated primarily as a
collector's item need not be equipped with fenders when the
vehicle is used and driven during fair weather on
well-maintained, hard-surfaced roads.
(8) Frame: A motor vehicle must be equipped with a
frame. If an existing frame from a recognized manufacturer is
not used and a special frame is fabricated, it must be
constructed of wall box or continuous section tubing, wall
channel, or unitized construction capable of supporting the
vehicle, its load, and the torque produced by the power source
under all conditions of operation. The structural strength of
the frame must be certified by the builder as meeting the
applicable standards set under 49 CFR 571 Parts 201, 214, 216,
and 220 through 224, and the SAE Standards. Such
certification must be made by either:
(a) Certification provided on the vehicle in the form of
a label which has been affixed in accordance with FMVSS
outlining the portions of the FMVSS which have been met; or
(b) A notarized letter from the builder of the frame
outlining the portions of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards (FMVSS) which have been met; or
(c) If the vehicle is a kit vehicle, as outlined in RCW 46.12.440, documentation from the manufacturer of the vehicle
frame that informs the owner that the frame has not been
certified as meeting the applicable federal motor vehicle
safety standard set under 49 CFR 571 Parts 201, 214, 216, and
220 through 224, and the applicable SAE Standards.