This bill amends existing Washington statutes (RCW 46.30.020, 46.04.199, 46.18.255, and 46.18.220) to change rules for horseless carriage and collector vehicle license plates and to clarify proof-of-insurance procedures. It defines a horseless carriage plate for vehicles manufactured or built before January 1, 1916 and retains that collector vehicles are motor vehicles or travel trailers at least 30 years old operated primarily as collector vehicles. For collector vehicle plates, the bill adds new documentation requirements effective January 15, 2026: applicants must provide proof of ownership and a current registration for a second vehicle used for daily driving, show a current collector vehicle insurance policy with liability limits at least those specified in RCW 46.29.090, purchase required registration, and pay the special plate fee. The department may make limited exceptions to the second-vehicle proof requirement and must adopt rules to define “collector vehicle insurance.” Collector and horseless carriage plates are made valid for the life of the vehicle, must be displayed on the rear, and are subject to nontransferability or limited-transfer rules as specified. The bill also clarifies procedures for presenting proof of financial responsibility on a portable electronic device: an officer may view only the proof and not other device contents, and the device presenter assumes liability for any device damage. If a person cited for failure to provide proof of insurance shows written evidence of compliance, the citation is dismissed and the court or violations bureau may assess a $25 administrative cost. The bill creates a penalty for false or facsimile plates as a traffic infraction with a fine equal to the penalty set in RCW 46.16A.200(7)(b) plus payment for the collector plate cost per RCW 46.17.220(5) unless already paid. Affected entities include the Department of Licensing, county auditors and their agents, law enforcement, courts and violations bureaus, registered owners, and insurance providers. The extracted text omits numeric values and fee amounts referenced in other RCWs and does not include the department’s forthcoming definition of “collector vehicle insurance,” so those specific amounts and definitions are not available here.

Starting January 15, 2026, people registering a vehicle as a collector must provide more paperwork and buy a specific collector vehicle insurance policy that meets state liability minimums, plus pay the special plate fee. Collector and horseless carriage plates will be lifetime plates that don’t need renewal, must be displayed on the rear, and have limited transferability; trying to use false or copied plates can trigger a traffic infraction fine plus the collector plate cost. These changes will raise upfront costs and paperwork for hobbyists who drive older cars and may change insurance choices or premiums because insurers will need to offer or price “collector” policies to meet the new requirement. The Department of Licensing, county auditors and their agents will need to implement and enforce the new proof and second-vehicle checks, and the department must write rules defining “collector vehicle insurance,” creating additional administrative work. Law enforcement can view proof of insurance shown on a phone but not other phone content, and the phone owner bears the risk if the device is damaged; courts or violations bureaus that dismiss a failure-to-provide-insurance citation can impose a $25 administrative fee. Important specifics such as the exact liability limits and the numeric plate fee are referenced in other laws and are not included here, and the final cost and coverage details will depend on the department’s forthcoming rule definition.