Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1981 NO. 2 >

(1) Under RCW 46.10.110, a board of county commissioners (as the responsible governing body in the case of county roads) may open to snowmobiles a county road which is also open to conventional vehicles.(2) Neither the provisions of chapter 46.16 RCW nor those of chapter 46.37 RCW apply to snowmobiles, even when operated on a public highway or roadway which is also open to conventional vehicles.(3) A county may not establish equipment standards or impose age qualifications for the operation of snowmobiles which are inconsistent with RCW 46.10.090 or RCW 46.10.120, respectively.

AGO 1972 NO. 3 >

The Washington public service commission has the authority to adopt and enforce rules and regulations relating to the safety of operations of motor freight carriers and auto transportation companies including the regulation of vehicle equipment and driver qualifications if such regulations are not in conflict with those of the state commission on equipment or the provisions of chapter 46.37 RCW.

AGLO 1978 NO. 4 >

A person need not have been issued a Washington state motor vehicle operator's license in order to operate a railroad train within the state.

AGLO 1975 NO. 4 >

Although additional gross weight permits may be purchased at any time during a calendar year under RCW 46.44.095, this statute, as amended by § 3, chapter 150, Laws of 1973, 1st Ex. Sess., does not permit such permits to be purchased for single or multiple monthly periods not necessarily extending for the balance of the calendar year in which the permit is obtained.

AGO 1972 NO. 7 >

The contents of political advertising as regulated by statute; the placement of campaign signs to be used in partisan political races; and participation by state or local governmental employees in both partisan and nonpartisan political campaigns, including the holding of political party offices.

AGO 1959 NO. 7 >

The state cannot enter into a lease to private parties of air rights over the Tacoma-Seattle‑Everett Freeway in the absence of adequate enabling legislation.

AGO 1967 NO. 12 >

Since state law prohibits the erection or maintenance, without approval of the state highway commission, of any traffic control device on a city street which has been designated as a part of the state highway system, a city of the third class, operating under the commission form of government, may not construct "speed control bumps" (consisting of raised portions of asphaltic paving) on any of its streets which have been so designated without prior approval from the highway commission; in the case of city streets which are not a part of the state highway system, a third class city operating under the commission form of government may install such "speed control bumps" if, under all circumstances, they constitute a reasonable means of controlling the speed of traffic and do not pose an unreasonable danger or hazard to such traffic.

AGO 1978 NO. 16 >

(1) The Urban Arterial Board (UAB) may allocate urban arterial trust account moneys for construction projects on city arterials which form a part of the state highway system, but only if such moneys are requested by a city and the project otherwise meets all requirements for urban arterial projects.   (2) The Urban Arterial Board is not permitted or required to allocate urban arterial trust account moneys for the construction of state highways outside of incorporated cities or towns.

AGO 1975 NO. 17 >

(1) A county ordinance adopted under Article XI, § 11 of the state constitution may not require the owner of land abutting a county road intersection, without compensation, to remove preexisting trees and other vegetation or structures from within a prescribed distance of the intersection in order to provide an unobstructed view across the owner's land for vehicles approaching the intersection.  (2) A county may, however, secure the removal of such sight obstructions at an intersection by exercising its constitutional powers of eminent domain.