RCW 46.52.020: Washington Hit and Run Duties, Penalties, and Revocation

Under RCW 46.52.020, any driver involved in a Washington collision that injures or kills someone, or damages an attended vehicle or other property, must stop at the scene, share identifying and insurance information, and give reasonable aid to anyone hurt. Failing to do any of those things is a crime. Depending on what happened in the crash, the charge runs from a gross misdemeanor to a Class B felony, and a conviction costs you your driver’s license.

What You Must Do at the Scene

Stop immediately. The statute requires you to stop your vehicle at the scene or as close to it as you can without blocking traffic more than necessary, and to remain there until you have met every duty listed below.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties It doesn’t matter who caused the crash or how minor the damage looks.

Then share your information with anyone you struck or injured and with the driver or occupants of any other vehicle involved:

Give reasonable aid to anyone hurt. In practice that means arranging transportation to a doctor or hospital when it is obvious a person needs medical care, or when the injured person asks for help.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties Calling 911 satisfies this in most situations. The duty applies even if the other driver is at fault.

If the people who should receive your information are unconscious or otherwise unable to take it in, and no officer is on scene, you must go directly to the nearest police authority and report the accident with all of the identifying details listed above.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties That is the only circumstance in which the statute lets you leave, and only after you have rendered aid.

Penalties by Outcome of the Crash

Fatal Crash — Class B Felony

Leaving the scene of a collision that kills someone, or failing to provide information or aid, is a Class B felony.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties The statutory maximum is ten years in a state correctional facility and a fine of up to $20,000, or both.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984, and After The actual sentence turns on your criminal history and the circumstances of the case.

Injury Crash — Class C Felony

When someone is injured but no one dies, failing to stop is a Class C felony.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties The maximum is five years of confinement and a $10,000 fine, or both.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984, and After

Attended Vehicle or Property Damage — Gross Misdemeanor

If no one is hurt but you damage an occupied vehicle or other property and leave without fulfilling your duties, the charge is a gross misdemeanor.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties Conviction carries up to 364 days in county jail and a fine of up to $5,000, or both.2Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.20.021 – Maximum Sentences for Crimes Committed July 1, 1984, and After

Mandatory License Revocation

A conviction under RCW 46.52.020 requires the Department of Licensing to revoke your driver’s license or permit.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties The revocation is mandatory. The judge has no discretion to waive it.

Driving on a license revoked because of a hit-and-run conviction is a separate offense. Under RCW 46.20.342, it counts as driving while suspended in the second degree, itself a gross misdemeanor, and the Department of Licensing tacks on another full year before you can apply for reinstatement.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.20.342 – Driving While License Suspended or Revoked

The Narrow Exception for Incapacitated Drivers

The statute carves out one exception. If you are injured or incapacitated in the crash to the point of being physically unable to comply, the gross misdemeanor penalty for property-damage-only hit-and-run does not apply.1Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.020 – Duty in Case of Personal Injury or Death or Damage to Attended Vehicle or Other Property – Penalties It is not a general defense to the injury or fatality tiers, and the burden is on you to show your condition genuinely prevented you from stopping or sharing information.

Related Duties Under Other Statutes

RCW 46.52.020 covers crashes involving people or attended vehicles and property. If instead you hit an unattended vehicle or unattended property, RCW 46.52.010 controls, and it requires you to leave written notice with your identifying information and report the incident to police.

Separately, RCW 46.52.030 requires a written accident report within four days of any crash that causes injury, death, or property damage above a minimum dollar amount.4Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.52.030 – Accident Reports The property damage threshold is $1,000, set by the chief of the Washington State Patrol.5Washington State Legislature. WAC 446-85-010 – Accident Reporting Threshold The report goes to the chief of police for a crash inside an incorporated city or town, or to the county sheriff or Washington State Patrol for one outside city limits. Any accident with injury or death must be reported regardless of dollar amount, and if a law enforcement officer files a report, that satisfies the requirement on your behalf.