Establishing a driver work zone and first responder safety course requirement.
House Bill 1822 establishes a new requirement for certain driver's license applicants in Washington state. It mandates that individuals under the age of 26 applying for their first driver's license must successfully complete an online course focused on driver safety in work zones and around first responders. The Department of Licensing is tasked with contracting for and providing this online course at no cost for Washington residents between 15 and 25 years old. This safety course also becomes a necessary step for obtaining an intermediate driver's license.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 12, 2026
Last action Jan 12, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Bill
→
Substitute Bill
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to move the requirement for a free online driver safety course from a standalone section into the main licensing requirements, clarifying that the Department of Licensing must contract with a provider to offer it at no cost to residents aged 15-25. The amendment also added a new subsection to the intermediate license rules, explicitly stating that applicants must meet the safety course requirement to qualify for the license.
Scope change
The scope of the safety course requirement was clarified by embedding it directly into the list of conditions for obtaining an intermediate license, ensuring it is treated as a mandatory eligibility criterion rather than a separate standalone mandate.
REQUIREMENT
The requirement to pass an online driver work zone and first responder safety course was moved from a separate section into the specific list of conditions an applicant must meet to get an intermediate license.
A new subsection was added to the safety course section, mandating that the Department of Licensing contract with a provider to host the course at no cost for Washington residents between the ages of 15 and 25.
TECHNICAL
The standalone 'New Section' structure for the safety course was removed and integrated into the existing text of Section 1.
Floor votes · House Mar 12, 2025
How they voted
96–3
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 100
Mar 12, 2025
D
Democratic61
98% Yea
R
Republican39
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
15
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Jan 12, 2026
Introduced
By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
lower
Mar 12, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (96-3-1)
house
Feb 21, 2025
Committee
Referred to Rules 2 Review.
lower
Feb 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive action taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
lower
Feb 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Executive session scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 4:00 PM.
lower
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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