MY EDMONDS NEWS
Posted: May 11, 2021
Jesse Salomon
A bill that removes non-payment of moving violation-based traffic infractions from a list of actions that can lead to criminal enforcement of license suspensions was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday.
SB 5226, sponsored by 32nd District State Sen. Jesse Salomon, removes criminal penalties for an inability to pay traffic fines.
Under current law, a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if they drive while their driver’s license is suspended or revoked in the third degree. The penalty can be up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. There are a number of ways one can fall into this license suspension status under current law. SB 5226 removes failure to pay an infraction from this list and instead makes any financial collections a civil matter.