Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1953 NO. 10 >

County commissioners have no authority to impose additional license requirements upon "peddlers."  They may, however, impose reasonable conditions upon the issuance of auctioneers' licenses.

AGO 2005 NO. 18 >

1.  A properly tagged off-road vehicle (ORV) is not permitted to be operated along a public highway. 2.  A county, city, or public subdivision of the state lacks authority to permit off-road vehicles (ORVs) to be operated within its boundaries, except on roads which meet the statutory definition of “nonhighway roads” in RCW 46.09.020(7).

AGO 1994 NO. 22 >

1.  The employees of a firearms dealer are required to undergo fingerprinting and a background check before they can sell firearms, in addition to the requirement that they be eligible to possess a firearm and obtain a concealed weapons permit.  2.  Firearms dealers who permit employees to sell firearms who do not meet the qualifications set forth in RCW 9.41.110(5)(b) are subject to license revocation, as well as to possible criminal penalties as outlined in RCW 9.41.810.  3.  An employee of a firearms dealer does not have to obtain his or her own dealer's license in order to sell firearms, if the employee does not own, control, or profit from the business and otherwise meets the requirements contained in RCW 9.41.110 for an employee of a dealer.  4.  A person who is engaged in the business of selling ammunition in the state of Washington, but is not engaged in the business of manufacturing or importing ammunition or of selling firearms, does not have to obtain a state license, nor are the employees of such a person subject to a licensing requirement.

AGO 1988 NO. 22 >

1.One must be a licensed electrical contractor or be certified as an electrician to contract with a homeowner to install the electrical service lines on the homeowner's property, even when ownership of the service lines will revert to a utility for operation and maintenance.2.Contracts to install electrical service lines on homeowner property are subject to the permit and inspection requirements of the Department of Labor and Industries.

AGO 1968 NO. 25 >

(1) A tractor designed for agricultural use, when towing a trailer which is carrying farm produce from one farm to another, is required to have either a vehicle license under RCW 46.16.010, or, in the alternative, a "farm vehicle" decal under § 3, chapter 202, Laws of 1967 (RCW 46.16.025).  (2) Such a tractor when towing a trailer carrying farm produce to a processing plant or place of storage, is required both to have a vehicle license under RCW 46.16.010 and to pay the statutory gross weight fees related to its cargo in order to operate on a public highway.  (3) A trailer having a "farm vehicle" decal under § 3, chapter 202, Laws of 1967 (RCW 46.16.025), may be operated upon a public highway by a person other than its owner, such as another farmer to whom the trailer has been loaned by its owner. (4) The 15-mile radius limitation contained in § 2, chapter 202, Laws of 1967 (RCW 46.16.010, as amended) applies to the operation of a "farm vehicle" regardless of whether it is being operated by its owner or some other person. (5) A "farm vehicle" when being operated on a public highway under authority of chapter 202, Laws of 1967, is not thereby excused from compliance with the motor vehicle lighting and equipment requirements of chapter 46.37 RCW; instead such a vehicle continues to be governed by the exemption provisions of RCW 46.37.010 (3). (6) A "farm vehicle" when being operated on a public highway under authority of chapter 202, Laws of 1967, must be operated by a person having a valid operator's vehicle license under chapter 46.20 RCW, unless such person is exempt under RCW 46.20.025.

AGO 1953 NO. 63 >

The Director of Licenses may issue licenses to Seattle transit buses in excess of the legal width and length requirements.

AGO 1966 NO. 119 >

The exemption from the motor vehicle licensing requirement of RCW 46.16.010 of farm tractors, certain farm implements, and certain trailers used exclusively to transport farm implements, does not extend to any of the following: (1) A self-propelled motor vehicle owned by a farmer and used solely for the purpose of transporting gasoline, diesel oil, grease and motor oil which the farmer uses for maintenance of his farm equipment;  (2) A trailer owned by a farmer and used exclusively for hauling gasoline, diesel oil, grease and motor oil in the maintenance of his farm equipment; or  (3) A weed-burning device mounted on a trailer owned by a propane gas company used by a farmer the majority of the time for the purpose of burning weeds and stubble.

AGO 1953 NO. 126 >

Where a hospital operates a nursing home separately and independently from its operation of a hospital, the facilities so operated may be licensed by the Department of Health as a nursing home.

AGO 1956 NO. 349 >

Any vehicle, eligible to be operated on the public highways, whether or not it may be a motor vehicle, may be licensed, but it must meet the statutory requirements applicable to the use and operation of such vehicles while on the highways, not as a requirement for licensing but as a requirement for operation.