Washington state traffic laws set the speed limits, lane rules, phone restrictions, impairment thresholds, seat belt and child seat requirements, insurance minimums, and pedestrian protections that every driver on state roads has to follow. Some of the rules are stricter than in neighboring states, and a few have changed recently. Here’s what you need to know before you drive.
Speed Limits
Unless a sign says otherwise, Washington’s default maximum speeds are 25 mph on city and town streets, 50 mph on county roads, and 60 mph on state highways.1Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.400 – Basic Rule and Maximum Limits Some state highway corridors are posted up to 75 mph under a separate provision.2MRSC. Speed Limits and Traffic Calming These are ceilings, not targets. Fog, rain, ice, or heavy traffic means you’re expected to slow down whatever the sign says.
School zones drop to 20 mph. The limit applies when you pass a marked school or playground crosswalk with proper signage, and the zone extends 300 feet in each direction from the crosswalk. Local governments can also create 20 mph zones along highways that border school or playground property, up to 300 feet from the property line.3Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.440 – Maximum Speed Limit When Passing School or Playground Crosswalk
Certain stretches of Interstate 5 near Seattle use variable electronic signs that adjust with congestion and weather. Those posted numbers are legally binding, the same as any fixed sign.
Keep Right and Move Over
On any road with two or more lanes going the same direction, you’re required to stay in the right lane unless you’re passing, going faster than the flow of traffic, making room for merging vehicles, or preparing for a left turn. Cruising in the left lane while other drivers pile up behind you is a traffic infraction.4Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.100 – Keep Right Except When Passing
When you approach a stopped emergency or work vehicle with flashing lights, you must move over into a non-adjacent lane if it’s safe. On roads where a lane change isn’t possible, pass at a safe distance to the left. If neither works, slow to at least 10 mph below the posted limit. When the posted limit is above 60 mph, you must slow to no more than 50 mph. The rule covers police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, and highway maintenance vehicles.5Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.212 – Emergency or Work Zones, Approaching, Penalty
Right-of-Way
At a stop sign, yield to any vehicle that has the right-of-way before you go. At an uncontrolled intersection where two cars arrive together, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Left-turning drivers yield to oncoming traffic.6Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.180 – Vehicle Approaching Intersection
Drivers must stop for pedestrians in both marked and unmarked crosswalks at intersections. Extra care is owed to pedestrians using a white cane, a service animal, or a wheelchair; drivers must take all necessary precautions and always yield to them in crosswalks.7Washington State Department of Transportation. Pedestrian Laws and Safety
Phones and Distracted Driving
Washington bans holding a personal electronic device while driving, and “driving” here includes sitting at a red light or in stopped traffic. Just having a phone in your hand is enough for a citation, whether you’re texting, scrolling, watching something, or doing nothing at all with it. The definition covers phones, tablets, laptops, and electronic games; it excludes two-way radios and amateur radio equipment.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.672 – Using a Personal Electronic Device While Driving
There are narrow exceptions for calling 911 or other emergency services, transit workers using time-sensitive dispatch, commercial drivers within federal rules, and authorized emergency vehicle operators. A second or later offense doubles the penalty.8Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.672 – Using a Personal Electronic Device While Driving
A separate “dangerously distracted driving” rule covers non-electronic distractions like eating, grooming, or reaching into the back seat. The base fine is $30, and officers can only cite you for it after pulling you over for something else.9Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.673 – Dangerously Distracted Driving
DUI Thresholds and Penalties
You’re legally impaired if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 or higher, or your blood THC concentration is 5.00 nanograms per milliliter or higher, within two hours of driving. Even below those numbers, you can be charged if alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, or any combination is affecting your driving.10Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.502 – Driving Under the Influence
Drivers under 21 face a much lower ceiling: 0.02 BAC or any detectable THC.11Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.503 – Driver Under Twenty-One Consuming Alcohol or Marijuana Commercial drivers are held to a federal 0.04 standard.
A first DUI conviction with a BAC below 0.15 carries at least 24 consecutive hours in jail and a fine between $350 and $5,000. If the BAC was 0.15 or higher, or you refused the test, the minimum jumps to 48 consecutive hours in jail and a fine of at least $500. Courts can sometimes swap the jail time for electronic home monitoring or a 24/7 sobriety program. Repeat offenses bring longer mandatory jail time, larger fines, and an ignition interlock requirement.12Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.5055 – Alcohol and Drug Violators, Penalty Schedule
Washington also has an implied consent law. By driving on state roads, you’ve already agreed to submit to a breath or blood test if arrested for DUI. Refusing means automatic license revocation for at least a year, and the officer must warn you of that before you decide.13Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.20.308 – Implied Consent, Test Refusal, Procedures
Seat Belts and Child Seats
Everyone 16 and older must wear a seat belt. Drivers are responsible for making sure passengers under 16 are either belted or in a proper child restraint. A seat belt violation goes on your driving record but isn’t available to insurers or employers.14Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.688 – Safety Belts, Use Required, Penalties, Exemptions
Child restraint requirements are tied to age and size, and the transition points depend on the manufacturer’s limits for each seat, not fixed ages above the minimums:15Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.687 – Child Restraint System Required, Conditions
- Children under 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the seat’s height or weight limit.
- Children under 4 who have outgrown rear-facing must use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they outgrow it.
- Children under 4 feet 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.
- Children under 13 must ride in the back seat when practical.
The booster requirement doesn’t apply in seating positions with only a lap belt.
Insurance and Proof of Coverage
Every driver must carry liability insurance with at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people, and $10,000 for property damage. You have to keep proof of insurance with you and show it when law enforcement asks.16Washington State Department of Licensing. Mandatory Insurance
Failing to show proof is a traffic infraction. If you can later prove you actually had coverage at the time, the citation can be dismissed, though the court may charge a $25 administrative fee. Knowingly presenting false proof of coverage is a misdemeanor, meaning a criminal charge rather than a ticket.17Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.30.020 – Liability Insurance or Other Financial Responsibility
Cyclists and Pedestrians
On the road, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as motor vehicle drivers: signals, right-of-way, traffic control devices, all of it.18City of Bellingham. Bicycle Traffic Laws for Washington State Cyclists traveling slower than the flow of traffic must ride as near to the right side of the right lane as is safe, with exceptions for turning, passing another cyclist, or avoiding hazards.19Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.770 – Riding on Roadways and Bicycle Paths At night, bicycles need a white front light visible from at least 500 feet and a red rear reflector visible from 600 feet, with an optional red rear light in addition to the reflector.20City of Centralia. Bicycle, E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety
Pedestrians have the right-of-way at marked and unmarked crosswalks, though they can’t step into traffic so suddenly a driver can’t stop.7Washington State Department of Transportation. Pedestrian Laws and Safety Under the vulnerable road user law, a driver who negligently causes substantial bodily harm to a pedestrian, cyclist, or other vulnerable road user faces up to a $5,000 fine (minimum $1,000) and a 90-day license suspension. Attending traffic school and completing community service within one year can reduce the monetary penalty to $250; miss that window and the full penalty applies.21Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.526 – Negligent Driving With a Vulnerable User Victim
Headlights
Headlights must be on from a half hour after sunset until a half hour before sunrise. The same rule applies anytime visibility drops enough that people and vehicles aren’t clearly visible at 1,000 feet, so fog, heavy rain, and snow all count.22Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.37.020 – When Lighted Lamps and Signaling Devices Are Required Officers do enforce this, especially in low-visibility weather.
Tickets, Cameras, and Contesting
State troopers, county sheriffs, and local police all enforce traffic laws in Washington. Most violations are traffic infractions you can resolve by paying the fine. Serious offenses are criminal. Reckless driving, for example, carries up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.23Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 46.61.500 – Reckless Driving, Penalty
Automated cameras operate at some intersections, school zones, and other high-risk locations. The legislature replaced the old camera program in 2024 with a new framework.24MRSC. Automated Traffic Safety Cameras Camera-generated tickets go to the registered vehicle owner rather than whoever was actually behind the wheel.
If you want to fight a ticket, you can request a contested hearing in traffic court and argue you didn’t commit the violation. A mitigation hearing is different: you admit the violation but explain the circumstances to try to reduce the fine, and the infraction still stays on your record. Ignoring the citation is the worst option, since unpaid tickets can pile on additional penalties and eventually cost you your license.