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Driving in Washington

The rules foreign visitors most often get wrong — with the official source for every fact. Always verify directly before you drive.

Key rules

Max rural interstate speed
70 mph [1]

Statutory; designated rural segments may allow up to 75 under RCW 46.61.410

Right turn on red
Permitted after full stop (unless signed otherwise) [1]
Seatbelt enforcement (front)
Primary enforcement [2] (as of 2002-01-13)
Handheld phone
Banned for all drivers [3]
Texting while driving
Banned [3]
Min liability — bodily injury per person
$25,000 [4]
Min liability — bodily injury per accident
$50,000 [4]
Min liability — property damage
$10,000 [4]
Motorcycle helmet
Required for all riders [5]
Move-over law
Yes — required to move over / slow for emergency vehicles [6]
Studded tires
Allowed seasonally (see notes) [7]

RCW §46.37.420 — Nov 1 – Apr 1

Marijuana in vehicle
Open container / consumption in vehicle illegal [8]

Transport in trunk or sealed container; consumption in vehicle illegal per RCW 46.61.745

Primary resources for Washington

Sources

Every claim above links to its numbered source here. If a link is broken, or you believe a fact is outdated, please let us know.

  1. [1] RCW §46.61.400 — Basic Rule and Max Limits (70 mph statutory) — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [2] RCW §46.61.688 — Seatbelts (primary enforcement) — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [3] RCW §46.61.672 — E-DUI (all drivers handheld ban) — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  4. [4] WA OIC — Mandatory Auto/Motorcycle Insurance Law — WA OIC · accessed 2026-04-23
  5. [5] RCW §46.37.530 — Motorcycle Helmet (all riders) — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  6. [6] NHTSA — Move Over, It's the Law — NHTSA · accessed 2026-04-23
  7. [7] RCW §46.37.420 — Studded Tires (Nov 1–Apr 1) — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23
  8. [8] RCW §46.61.745 — Open Container: Marijuana — WA Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23