Court contact
and other infomation is available from the Washington Courts Web page at
http://www.courts.wa.gov/
How do I
file a complaint about a traffic ticket?
Once the ticket
is issued, you will need to take the matter up with the court. Please
refer to the back side of the ticket for instructions on contesting
the ticket through the court system.
How
do I serve a subpoena on an officer?
Court rules require
a subpoena to be personally served on the person the subpoena is for.
You can also leave the subpoena at the person's home. However, for
officer safety reasons, we will not release where our officers live
or their duty hours.
For your convenience,
we will accept the subpoena for the officer during regular business
hours, if there is at least seven days of advance notice, at the office
in which that officer works. We cannot accept a subpoena for an officer
who works out of a different office. As our people can transfer between
offices, please call (360) 658-2588 to verify which office the officer
works out of before attempting to serve the subpoena.
Additionally,
you cannot serve your own subpoena. You must have another person who
is over the age of 18, a citizen of the United States, and not a party
to the case, serve the subpoena.
If you have any
questions regarding this process, please call (360) 658-2588.
If
my driver's license is suspended or revoked in another state, can
I get a Washington driver's license?
No.
Is
it legal for someone to ride in the back of a pickup truck?
Yes, as long
as they are seated inside the bed and all of the seats in front are
in use.
Is
it legal to ride in a camper/canopy?
Yes.
Is
it legal to ride in a trailer?
No. RCW
46.61.625
.
What
can you tell me about the new intermediate driver's licenses?
Please refer
to the Department of Licensing
Web site or the Washington Traffic
Safety Commission site.
My
vehicle was impounded for 30 (or 60 or 90) days. Can I get it out
early?
If you are the
spouse of the suspended or revoked driver and can prove economic or
personal hardship, you can request a review of your circumstances.
If your vehicle was impounded in Snohomish, Skagit, Island, or Whatcom
Counties, please contact one of our district or detachment offices
for the Hardship Request forms. Please be prepared to provide
copies of the following information:
- Valid proof
of insurance
- Valid driver's
license
- Authorization
to Tow Impound and Inventory Record (the driver of the vehicle that
was impounded will receive a copy of this form from the arresting
officer)
- Marriage certificate
- Any other
information you feel would be beneficial to the reviewer.
Each hardship
request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. However, be aware
that the suspended or revoked driver must first clear his/her financial
obligations with the courts and obtain a valid driver's license before
the reviewer will consider the request. The reviewer will also take
into consideration public safety factors, including the suspended/revoked
driver's criminal history and driving record.
The laws are
very specific on when a vehicle can be released early on a hardship.
RCW
46.55.120(1)(a)
states, in part, "An agency may issue a written
order to release pursuant to a provision of an applicable state agency
rule or local ordinance authorizing release on the basis of economic
or personal hardship to the spouse of the operator, taking
into consideration public safety factors, including the operator's
criminal history and driving record." (Emphasis added.)
Effective September
19, 2000, WAC
204-96-010
was amended to read, in part, "A vehicle may
be released prior to the mandated hold period if the employer
or spouse of the arrested driver establishes significant
economic or personal hardship with the district commander
of the district in which the vehicle was impounded. In making a hardship
determination, the district commander shall consider public safety
factors, including the driver's criminal history and driving record.
All hardship release requests shall be in writing. Any denial or approval
of a hardship release shall be in writing and shall include factors
considered by the district commander in reaching the decision."
(Emphasis added.)
Should your circumstances
not conform with the language of the RCW or WAC as stated above, you
have the right to request a hearing before a judge in the district
or municipal court in the jurisdiction where the vehicle was impounded
to contest the validity of the impoundment. You may obtain the form
to request a hearing from the registered tow operator who handled
the impound. Per
RCW 46.55.120(2)(b)
, the court must receive the completed form
within ten (10) days of the date the tow operator provided you the
form. If the court does not receive the request within the ten-day
period, the right to a hearing is waived.
I
have contested the validity of the impound and the court ruled in
my favor. How do I get reimbursed for the tow charges?
You will need
to pay the tow company all fees due in order to get your vehicle released.
To get reimbursed, call the Office
of Financial Management, Division of Risk Management, at (360)
902-7311. They will send you the proper paperwork so you can be reimbursed.
How
do I get a copy of a collision report?
Please refer
to the Washington State Patrol
Collision Reports page. This page will also give you directions on how to
request copies of any other records involving a collision or traffic incident.
District
7 Frequently Asked Questions
