California vs Washington: Local Ordinance Comparison (2026)

ADU Rules

Government Code sections 66310 through 66342, the recodified ADU law formerly at 65852.2, establish statewide ministerial approval, size minimums, and parking caps for accessory dwelling units, overriding most local rules.

Washington HB 1337 (RCW 36.70A.681) requires cities and counties to allow two ADUs per lot in urban growth areas, preempting restrictive local rules.

Garage Conversions

California ADU law, Government Code 66310 et seq. (formerly 65852.2), expressly authorizes converting an existing garage into an ADU, with no replacement parking allowed and ministerial approval required.

Tiny Homes

Washington allows tiny houses on permanent foundations under IRC Appendix Q (adopted in the state building code) for dwellings 400 square feet or less. RCW 35.21.686 governs tiny houses with wheels and tiny house communities.

Chickens & Livestock

California Food and Agricultural Code section 16902 forbids any owner from willfully or negligently letting livestock stray onto, or stand unattended on, a public highway that is fenced or built up on both sides.

Washington bars owners from willfully or negligently letting livestock run at large in any stock restricted area under RCW 16.24.065. Owners are liable for trespass damage, and neighboring landowners need not fence animals out to recover.

Structure Height Limits

Washington adopts the International Building Code statewide through chapter 51-50 WAC, setting maximum heights and stories tied to construction type and occupancy classifications.

Juvenile Curfew

Washington does not impose a statewide juvenile curfew; cities may enact local curfews under general police powers, subject to constitutional limits.

Commercial Drones

Commercial drone operations in Washington are governed by FAA Part 107, with state law adding criminal liability for invasive uses and limited authority over state-owned land.

Minimum Wage Preemption

California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher minimums; many cities exceed the state rate substantially.

Washington RCW 49.46 sets a statewide minimum wage adjusted annually for inflation; as of 2026 it is $17.13 per hour. Washington does not preempt local minimum wages, so several cities set higher rates.

Paid Leave Preemption

California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours or five days annually effective January 2024, applying universally.

Washington RCW 49.46.200 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees, and RCW 50A.04 provides paid family and medical leave funded by payroll premiums.

Coastal Development

The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal Commission appeal jurisdiction over local decisions.

Washington's Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58) requires Shoreline Substantial Development Permits for most construction within 200 feet of marine and freshwater shorelines statewide.

Erosion Control

California requires anyone clearing, grading, or disturbing one acre or more of land to obtain coverage under the State Water Board's Construction General Permit, file a Notice of Intent through SMARTS, and implement erosion and sediment controls before ground disturbance begins.

Washington makes it unlawful under RCW 90.48.080 to discharge sediment or other polluting matter into state waters, and the Department of Ecology requires an NPDES Construction Stormwater General Permit with an erosion-control SWPPP for sites disturbing one or more acres.

Stormwater Management

California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all municipal stormwater dischargers uniformly.

Washington Department of Ecology administers federally-required NPDES stormwater permits statewide, setting minimum standards for municipal, construction, and industrial stormwater that all jurisdictions must implement.

Neighbor Fence Rules

California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit and equal cost responsibility for boundary fences, applying statewide regardless of city ordinance.

Washington's partition fence law requires adjoining landowners using a boundary fence for livestock to share construction and maintenance costs equitably under RCW 16.60.

Brush Clearance

California requires property owners in fire hazard zones to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures, applying uniformly across State and Local Responsibility Areas.

Outdoor Burning

California requires permits for most outdoor burning, with statewide CAL FIRE and Air Resources Board rules that uniformly apply alongside local air district restrictions.

Washington's Clean Air Act (RCW 70A.15) bans outdoor burning in urban growth areas and most cities. The Department of Ecology and clean air agencies enforce statewide standards regardless of local rules.

Propane Storage

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

Washington adopts the International Fire Code statewide under RCW 19.27.031, including NFPA 58 standards for liquefied petroleum gas (propane). These rules govern container placement, capacity, and installation regardless of city.

Wildfire Zones

California uniformly classifies and maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones statewide, with mandatory building, disclosure, and defensible space rules tied to zone designations.

Washington adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code statewide under RCW 19.27.560, effective July 1, 2023. New construction in designated WUI areas must meet ignition-resistant building, defensible space, and water supply requirements.

Concealed Carry

California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant standards, preempting local variations on issuance criteria and qualifications.

Washington issues concealed pistol licenses under RCW 9.41.070 on a shall-issue basis to qualified applicants, with statewide preemption preventing local concealed carry rules.

Firearms in Vehicles

California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or the vehicle's locked trunk; long guns must be unloaded but need not be locked.

Washington RCW 9.41.050 governs carrying firearms in vehicles statewide, requiring a concealed pistol license to carry a loaded handgun in a motor vehicle.

Local Firearms Preemption

California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However, local governments retain limited authority over discharge, sensitive places, and zoning of gun businesses.

Washington RCW 9.41.290 broadly preempts local firearm regulation, reserving authority over firearm laws to the state legislature with very limited exceptions.

Food Truck Permits

California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.

Washington WAC 246-215 enforced under RCW 43.20 establishes the statewide retail food code requiring mobile food units including food trucks to obtain permits from local health jurisdictions and meet uniform sanitation standards.

Vending Zones

California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.

Card Room Licensing

California's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after January 1, 1984, one already in effect before January 1, 1984, or one a local majority approves later. The Bureau of Gambling Control and Gambling Control Commission still license every operator statewide on top of that.

Washington's Gambling Commission is the only licensing authority for commercial card rooms statewide. RCW 9.46.070(2) lets the commission issue one-year licenses to food-and-drink businesses to run social card games, including house-banked games, as a commercial stimulant. RCW 9.46.0282 caps every licensed room at fifteen tables. Critically, RCW 9.46.295 hands every city and county the power to ban card rooms outright inside its own borders, license or no license.

Social Gambling Rules

California law exempts private home card games from gambling regulation entirely. Penal Code § 337j(e)(2)(D) excludes any card game played in a private home or residence from the definition of a "controlled game," so long as no one profits from operating it except as a player. Add a house rake or entry fee and the same game becomes an unlicensed "controlled game," a crime carrying up to a year in jail.

Washington law defines a "player" under RCW 9.46.0265 as someone who gambles on equal terms with no profit beyond personal winnings. A private card game among friends is legal without a state gambling license as long as the host takes no fee, rake, or cut: merely inviting players, hosting at home, or supplying cards doesn't turn a friendly game into unlicensed gambling.

Assessment & Dues

California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State law (Civil Code sections 5650-5740) caps fees and interest and imposes strict notice steps and a delinquency threshold before any foreclosure may proceed.

Washington has two regimes. Communities created on or after July 1, 2018 fall under WUCIOA (RCW 64.90), whose lien carries a 6-month super-priority over first mortgages and can be foreclosed like a mortgage. Older associations use the Homeowners' Associations Act (RCW 64.38), whose lien may be foreclosed only after strict notice and dollar thresholds.

Board Procedures

California's Davis-Stirling Act gives every HOA member the right to inspect and copy association records under Civil Code § 5205. Boards must produce current-year records within 10 business days and records from the prior two fiscal years within 30 calendar days. Associations may charge only actual copying costs, plus up to $10 an hour, capped at $200, to redact enhanced records like invoices and bank statements.

Washington requires HOA board meetings to be open to owners and gives owners broad record-access rights. WUCIOA communities follow RCW 64.90.445 (open meetings) and RCW 64.90.495 (records); older associations follow RCW 64.38.035 and 64.38.045. As of January 1, 2026, the WUCIOA open-meetings rule (RCW 64.90.445) applies to all Washington community associations.

CC&R Enforcement

California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag displays, drought-tolerant landscaping, EV charging stations, and most noncommercial signs, even where local city rules are silent.

Washington HOAs may adopt and enforce rules and architectural standards and enforce the recorded declaration. Under WUCIOA, RCW 64.90.405 authorizes rule adoption and enforcement, while RCW 64.90.510 fixes outer limits the rules cannot cross (flags, solar, signs). Older HOAs draw the same rulemaking power from RCW 64.38.020.

Clotheslines & Energy Devices

California voids any HOA governing-document clause that effectively bans or unreasonably restricts a clothesline or drying rack in an owner's exclusive-use backyard. Civil Code Section 4753 lets an association still impose rules, but only ones that do not significantly raise the cost of drying laundry outdoors.

Rental Restriction Limits

Civil Code § 4741 bars every California homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a rule that prohibits, or unreasonably restricts, renting out a separate interest, and sets a statewide floor requiring associations to permit at least 25 percent of units to be rented, while still allowing bans on stays of 30 days or less.

Washington condominium and HOA boards cannot cap or ban unit leasing by ordinary board rule. RCW 64.90.510(10)(c) lets a board restrict leasing only to the extent the rule mirrors institutional lenders' underwriting requirements, the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac-style owner-occupancy test used to keep a project warrantable. Any broader rental cap, waitlist, minimum lease term, or ban has to be written into the recorded declaration and approved by owners holding at least 67 percent of the association's votes.

Home Kitchen Operations

California lets home cooks sell meals from their own kitchen under a microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) permit, capped at 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and $100,000 in annual sales. Health and Safety Code Section 113825 sets the rules, but a city or county must first opt in by ordinance or resolution before anyone there can get a permit.

Washington has no microenterprise home kitchen permit. WAC 246-215-08300 bars operating a food establishment without a permit from the local health jurisdiction, and the one permit exemption you can apply for, WAC 246-215-08305, expressly requires "not using any food prepared in a residential kitchen or other nonapproved facility" and limits you to ten listed foods such as popcorn, corn on the cob and cotton candy. Cooked meals from a home kitchen are lawful only where the operation falls outside the definition of "food establishment" in WAC 246-215-01115(50)(c), which carves out nonprofit bake sales, licensed family day care and adult family home kitchens, private events, potlucks, a youth beverage stand, and a two-bedroom owner-occupied bed and breakfast serving breakfast only.

Zoning & Home Occupation Permits

While most home occupation rules are local, state law guarantees certain residential uses statewide, including accessory dwelling units under Government Code 66310 et seq., family daycare homes, and cottage food operations.

Stop & Identify Laws

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held unconstitutionally vague in Kolender v. Lawson (1983), and subdivision (e) today punishes unlawful lodging instead. Two genuine identification duties survive: Vehicle Code § 12951 requires a driver to carry a valid license and present it on a peace officer’s demand, and Penal Code § 853.5 lets an officer who arrests you for an infraction require your license or other satisfactory evidence of identity, with custody as the consequence if you have none and refuse the statutory alternative.

Washington has no general stop-and-identify statute. Someone stopped on a sidewalk in Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma and asked who they are has no statutory duty to answer, and staying silent is not by itself an offense. The duty appears only once a vehicle is in the picture: RCW 46.61.021(3) requires anyone questioned during a traffic infraction investigation to identify themselves and give a current address, and RCW 46.61.020 makes it a misdemeanor for the driver or the person in charge of a vehicle to withhold a name and address or to supply a false one.

Vehicle Search & Consent

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters have done instead is strip away specific justifications and add procedural duties. Health and Safety Code § 11362.1(c), enacted by Proposition 64, provides that cannabis involved in conduct the section makes lawful is not contraband, is not subject to seizure, and that no conduct deemed lawful by the section shall constitute the basis for detention, search, or arrest. Penal Code § 1546.1 separately requires a warrant or your specific consent as the authorized possessor before a government entity reads anything on your phone, and since January 1, 2024 Vehicle Code § 2806.5 has required the officer to state the reason for the stop before any investigative questioning begins.

Washington has no statute telling an adult driver what happens when an officer asks to search the car, and there is no logging or written-consent requirement of the kind Texas and Illinois adopted. It does have one hard statutory rule that no other part of the Revised Code of Washington matches: under RCW 13.40.740, a driver under 18 must be given access to an attorney before consenting to a search of a vehicle under their control, that consultation cannot be waived, and statements that follow a defective consultation are inadmissible in juvenile or adult criminal court. For adults the only statutory limit on a traffic stop is the closed list of things RCW 46.61.021(2) authorizes an officer to do while writing the ticket, and searching is not on it.

Artificial Turf

Since SB 676 took effect in 2024, Government Code 53087.7 protects only drought-tolerant living landscaping from local bans, so cities may again prohibit artificial turf. Civil Code 4735 still voids HOA bans on artificial turf.

Native Plants

AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions statewide.

Rainwater Harvesting

The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local barriers.

Washington law expressly permits rooftop rainwater collection for onsite use without a water right permit, preempting any municipal prohibition on basic harvesting.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

Washington's Forest Practices Act (RCW 76.09) governs commercial timber harvest on forestlands statewide through Department of Natural Resources permits. Cities cannot regulate qualifying forest practices that follow state class IV applications.

Water Restrictions

California's State Water Resources Control Board issues statewide drought emergency regulations and waste prohibitions that apply to every household, overriding more lenient local rules.

Washington Department of Ecology administers water rights and may issue drought emergency orders that override local outdoor watering practices statewide.

Weed Ordinances

RCW 17.10.140 makes every Washington landowner eradicate all Class A noxious weeds and control the spread of Class B and C weeds designated for their region. County noxious weed control boards enforce it: a certified-mail notice under RCW 17.10.170 gives at least ten days to act before the board can control the weeds itself, lien the property, and issue a civil infraction.

Construction Hours

Washington's noise code exempts temporary construction sounds during daytime hours from EDNA limits, while night construction still must comply with strict nighttime sound levels.

Decibel Limits

Industrial sources in Washington must comply with EDNA limits set by WAC 173-60, with the receiving residential zone limited to 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime.

Abandoned Vehicles

California Vehicle Code sections 22651 and 22669 set uniform rules allowing peace officers and authorized agents to remove abandoned vehicles from public and private property after defined waiting periods, with statewide notice and lien procedures.

Washington's RCW 46.55 governs how abandoned vehicles are impounded, noticed, redeemed, and auctioned, providing a uniform statewide framework that local jurisdictions must follow.

Towing & Impound Rights

California doesn't ban private-property towing, but Vehicle Code Section 22658 controls how it happens. A posted sign at least 17 by 22 inches must warn drivers before a tow company can remove a car under an owner's general authorization. If you return before the vehicle leaves the lot, the drop fee is capped at half the regular tow charge, and refusing an unconditional release is a separate crime.

Washington caps what a private-property tow can cost. Under RCW 46.55.118, a class A, D or E tow truck operator's filed hourly towing rate cannot exceed 135 percent of the State Patrol's negotiated class A rate, daily storage cannot exceed 135 percent of the negotiated storage rate, and the after-hours release fee cannot exceed 100 percent of the negotiated fee. Every registered operator is bound, with a letter of appointment or not.

Eviction Notice & Process

California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and holidays), and lease violations require a 3-day notice to cure or quit. No-fault terminations of covered tenancies require 30, 60, or 90 days. Self-help lockouts are illegal.

For nonpayment of rent, a Washington landlord must serve a 14-day pay-or-vacate notice in the form set by RCW 59.18.057 before filing an unlawful detainer under RCW 59.12.030. Lease-violation terminations require a 10-day cure notice, and waste, nuisance, or unlawful activity requires only 3 days. Most evictions also require just cause under RCW 59.18.650.

Just Cause Eviction

Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.

Washington RCW 59.18.650 requires landlords to have one of 16 enumerated lawful causes to terminate most residential tenancies statewide.

Landlord Entry & Notice

California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written notice (24 hours is presumed reasonable) and may enter only during normal business hours, for specific permitted reasons such as repairs, inspections, or showings.

RCW 59.18.150 requires a Washington landlord to give at least two days' written notice before entering to inspect, repair, or maintain the unit, and at least one day's notice to show it to prospective tenants or buyers. Entry must be at reasonable times; no advance notice is required only in a genuine emergency.

Late Fees & Grace Periods

California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is valid only if it reasonably estimates the landlord's actual loss from late payment; arbitrary penalty fees are unenforceable.

Under RCW 59.18.170, a Washington landlord may not charge any late fee on rent paid within five days of its due date; a fee may begin only once rent is more than five days past due. The statute sets no specific dollar cap, though some cities and counties impose stricter local limits.

Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate

To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more, under Civ. Code § 1946.1. AB 1482 requires just cause after 12 months; military and DV tenants may exit early.

Under RCW 59.18.200, a Washington tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with at least 20 days' written notice. A landlord, however, cannot end a periodic tenancy at will: RCW 59.18.650 requires 'just cause,' and most landlord-driven reasons (owner move-in, sale, demolition) demand 60 to 120 days' written notice.

Rent Increase Notice

California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10% need 90 days' notice. AB 1482 separately caps yearly increases on covered units.

Under RCW 59.18.140, a Washington landlord must give at least 90 days' prior written notice before raising rent (30 days for income-based subsidized housing). The 2025 Rent Stabilization Act (HB 1217) also caps annual increases statewide and bars any increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy.

Repairs & Habitability

California landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat, water, electricity, and sanitation. If repairs fail after notice, a tenant may repair and deduct up to one month's rent under § 1942 or withhold rent.

RCW 59.18.060 requires Washington landlords to keep rentals 'fit for human habitation': structurally sound, weathertight, with working plumbing, heat, hot water, electrical systems, pest control, and reasonable locks. After written notice, RCW 59.18.070 sets repair deadlines: 24 hours for lost heat, water, or electricity, 72 hours for major fixtures, 10 days otherwise.

Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession

California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A squatter or trespasser who has not paid taxes gains no ownership and can be removed by unlawful detainer, ejectment, or a police trespass action.

Washington's general adverse possession period is 10 years under RCW 4.16.020, requiring possession that is actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous. A shorter 7-year period applies under RCW 7.28.070 when the occupant holds under good-faith color of title and pays all taxes legally assessed on the land for those seven years.

Agricultural Zoning Protection

The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use for ten-year minimum terms in exchange for reduced property tax assessment based on farming income.

Washington's Growth Management Act under RCW 36.70A.170 requires counties and cities to designate and protect agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance through zoning.

Farm Nuisance Protection

The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The law applies statewide and limits both private and local government nuisance actions.

Taxes & Fees

Washington imposes statewide sales tax and lodging taxes on short-term rental stays under 30 days. Operators must register with the Department of Revenue, collect applicable taxes, and remit them regardless of local jurisdiction.

Political Signs

California Civil Code Section 4710 universally prohibits homeowner associations from banning noncommercial political signs on owner-occupied separate interest property, overriding any local HOA covenant.

Panel Permits

California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.

Washington RCW 64.38.055 and RCW 64.90.510 bar HOAs and condominium associations from prohibiting solar panels. State policy under RCW 64.04.140 encourages solar energy and authorizes solar easements. Cities may still require building and electrical permits.

Fencing & Safety Requirements

California Health and Safety Code sections 115920-115929 (Swimming Pool Safety Act) impose statewide minimum fencing and drowning-prevention standards for new and remodeled residential pools.

Washington WAC 246-260 regulates public spas and hot tubs at hotels, apartments, gyms, and HOAs, requiring permits, water testing, temperature limits, and posted bather safety warnings under RCW 70.90 statewide.

Tobacco Age Restrictions

California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard applies uniformly across all California jurisdictions.

Washington RCW 26.28.080 sets the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and vapor products at 21, aligning with federal Tobacco 21 standards statewide.

Recycling Requirements

Washington requires curbside recycling availability in urban areas under RCW 70A.205 and mandates organics collection for businesses under RCW 70A.205.545. Counties and cities must implement state-mandated waste reduction plans.

Heritage & Protected Trees

California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.

Plate Covers & Obstruction

California does not let you put a cover over your license plate. Vehicle Code section 5201(c) allows exactly two things: a full car cover on a lawfully parked vehicle, and a license plate security cover that sits over the top of the registration tabs alone, obscures nothing else, and has no portion resting over the plate number. Subdivision (d) separately bans any casing, shield, frame, border, shade, tint or other device that impairs a law enforcement plate reader, a toll-facility reader or a remote emission sensor. In its current form, amended effective January 1, 2026, the section applies to temporary license plates as well as permanent ones.

Washington bans license plate covers outright. RCW 46.16A.200(7)(c)(i) makes it unlawful to use license plate holders, frames, covers, or other materials that conceal, obstruct, distort, change, alter, or make a plate illegible, and subsection (5)(a)(iii) separately requires every plate to be kept clean and uncovered and plainly readable at all times. A frame is the one accessory the statute permits, and only if it does not obscure the tabs or the identifying letters and numbers. Washington does allow a named list of racks and hitches to temporarily block one of two plates, an exception most states do not have, but that permission never extends to a cover.

Radar Detector Rules

No section of the California Vehicle Code makes it an offense for a private motorist to own, carry or use a radar detector. The prohibition in Vehicle Code section 28150 reaches only devices that jam, scramble, neutralize, disable or otherwise interfere with police speed measuring equipment, and possessing four or more of those turns the infraction into a misdemeanor. The real constraint on a detector is where it sits: section 26708 bars anything affixed to the windshield or applied in the vehicle that obstructs the driver clear view, and the exemption list in section 26708(b) does not name radar detectors.

Nothing in Washington law restricts a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. Chapter 46.37 RCW, the vehicle equipment chapter that fixes fog lamp mounting heights to the inch and tint reflectance to the percentage point, contains no reference to radar detectors, nor does chapter 46.61 RCW, the rules of the road, and RCW 46.37.010(3) affirmatively preserves the use of additional accessories that are not inconsistent with the chapter or with State Patrol rules. The real prohibition is for commercial motor vehicles. WAC 446-65-010(1)(s) adopts 49 C.F.R. Part 392 in its entirety for motor carriers operating in intrastate or interstate commerce, and 49 C.F.R. 392.71 bans a radar detector from being used in, or even contained in, a commercial motor vehicle.