WA HB1512

Peace officers may only stop vehicles as a primary offense for criminal violations, moving violations, safety belt violations, missing/mismatched license plates, registrations expired over 12 months, or equipment violations posing serious safety risks; nonmoving violations become secondary offenses only

Officers must immediately inform drivers of the reason for the stop, may only question within that scope unless new evidence creates reasonable suspicion, and must obtain written consent in English and Spanish (or local prevalent language) before conducting consent searches for gross misdemeanor or felony stops

Evidence recovered during stops or searches that violate these requirements is inadmissible in criminal proceedings

Establishes a grant program administered by the Department of Transportation to fund nonpunitive intervention programs for low-income road users, including helmet vouchers, registration fee offsets, fix-it tickets, and repair vouchers; eligible applicants include cities, counties, tribal entities, law enforcement, community colleges, and nonprofits

Beginning January 1, 2026, officers must report detailed data on each traffic stop including reason, location, duration, perceived race/ethnicity of driver, consent search requests, property seized, and outcome; allows officers to mail warnings for nonmoving violations without stopping the vehicle