Impounding of Vehicles (Chapter 46.55 RCW)
Contents
- About Vehicle Impound
- Statutes and Regulations
- General Impound Ordinances
- Impoundment of Vehicles - Drivers with Suspended or Revoked Licenses
- Related MRSC Pages
About Vehicle Impound
Law enforcement officers are authorized to impound vehicles under circumstances set out in state law. Some jurisdictions adopt the provisions of chapter 46.55 RCW by reference or have adopted the Model Traffic Ordinance (MTO), which includes those provisions. Others basically restate the provisions in local ordinances and often include detailed provisions, such as those of RCW 46.55.113(g) with a list of parking restrictions subject to towing . Under RCW 46.55.240, a city, town, or county may, by ordinance, authorize other impound situations that may arise locally upon the public right-of-way or other publicly owned or controlled property. A few jurisdictions have added a provision to impound vehicles for unpaid parking fines. Most jurisdictions have adopted the MTO. Cities, towns, and counties should carefully review the MTO before adopting or amending supplemental vehicle impoundment provisions.
Statutes and Regulations
- Laws of 2011, Ch. 167 - Driving Under the Influence--Vehicle Impoundment
- Ch. 46.55 RCW - Towing and Impoundment
- RCW 46.55.113 (Amended by Laws of 2011, Ch. 167) - Removal by Police Officer
- RCW 46.55.230 - Junk vehicles - Removal, disposal, sale - Penalties - Cleanup, restitution payment
- RCW 46.55.240 - Local Ordinances - Requirements - Scroll down for provisions effective July 1, 2011
- Ch. 308-61 WAC - Unauthorized and Abandoned Vehicles
- WAC 308-330-406 (Model Traffic Ordinance) - RCW sections adopted -- Abandoned, unauthorized, and junk vehicle tow truck operators
General Impound Ordinances
The following ordinances provide examples of general local impound regulations; these examples, however, may not have been amended since passage of ch. 161, Laws of 2011 and thus may not reflect all current statutory requirements governing the impound of vehicles by police officers set out by RCW 46.55.113.
- Bainbridge Island Municipal Code Ch. 10.32 - Vehicle Impound
- Fife Municipal Code Sec. 10.04.090 through 10.04.320 - Administration and Enforcement - Impoundment
- Lewis County Code Ch. 10.30 - Vehicle Impoundment and Redemption
- Mercer Island Municipal Code Ch. 10.22 - Impounding
- Seattle Municipal Code Ch. 11.30 - Impounding
- Seattle Consumer Affairs Police Impound Towing Agreements
Impoundment of Vehicles - Drivers with Suspended or Revoked Licenses (RCW 46.55.113)
The following ordinances provide examples of local impound regulations under RCW 46.66.113. These examples, however, may not have been amended since passage of ch. 161, Laws of 2011 and thus may not reflect all current statutory requirements governing the impound of vehicles by police officers set out by RCW 46.55.113.
- Bellevue Ordinance No. 5109
- Island County Code Sec. 10.06.060 - Impoundment of Vehicles Driven by Suspended/Revoked Drivers
- Marysville Code Sec. 11.04.100 - Impoundment of vehicle where driver is arrested for violation of RCW 46.20.005, 46.20.015, 46.20.342, 46.20.420, 46.61.502, 46.61.504 – Period of impoundment
- Seattle
- Seattle Ordinance No. 119180 - Before being amended by Ordinance 121483 in 2004
- Seattle Ordinance No. 121483 - Relating to the impoundment of vehicles, amending Secs. 11.30.105 and 11.30.120 of the Seattle Municipal Code
- Urban Politics #180, by Councilmember Nick Licata, 5/20/2004 - History and proposed amendment to Seattle's impound law
- Council Committee Votes to Eliminate Vehicle Impounds for DWLS-3, News Release, 05/18/2004
- Skamania County Code Ch. 10.54 - Impoundment of Vehicles Driven by Suspended/Revoked Drivers
- Yelm Ordinance No. 646, 12/98