Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

RCW 46.20.500

Special endorsement—Penalties—Exceptions.

Applied in 4 court decisions — leading case Kappelman v. Lutz (2009)

Most recently applied in Kappelman v. Lutz (September 2009)

2019 c 170 s 4; 2019 c 65 s 4; 2018 c 60 s 4; 2013 c 174 s 2; 2009 c 275 s 4

How often courts cite this section

198719902000200920
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(1) No person may drive either a two-wheeled or a three-wheeled motorcycle, or a motor-driven cycle unless such person has a valid driver's license specially endorsed by the director to enable the holder to drive such vehicles. A person who violates this section commits a traffic infraction and is subject to: (a) The base penalty provided under RCW 46.63.110; and (b) an additional monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars, which must be deposited in the motorcycle safety education account under RCW 46.68.065.

(2) However, a person sixteen years of age or older, holding a valid driver's license of any class issued by the state of the person's residence, may operate a moped without taking any special examination for the operation of a moped.

(3) No driver's license is required for operation of an electric-assisted bicycle. Persons under sixteen years of age may not operate a class 3 electric-assisted bicycle.

(4) No driver's license is required to operate an electric personal assistive mobility device or a power wheelchair.

(5) No driver's license is required to operate a motorized foot scooter. Motorized foot scooters may not be operated at any time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise without reflectors of a type approved by the state patrol. Persons under sixteen years of age may not operate a motorized foot scooter unless provided otherwise by a local jurisdiction. A motorized foot scooter may be operated at a speed of up to fifteen miles per hour on a roadway or bicycle lane, and may be operated on a sidewalk or on pedestrian or bicycle trails if authorized by a local jurisdiction, which shall specify the maximum speed of such sidewalk operation.

(6) A person holding a valid driver's license may operate a motorcycle as defined under RCW 46.04.330(2) without a motorcycle endorsement.

(7) A person operating a motorcycle with a stabilizing conversion kit must have a valid driver's license specially endorsed by the director for a three-wheeled motorcycle to enable the holder to operate such a motorcycle.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.