It may sound ridiculous, but it could happen to you easier than you think. In fact, it may have already happened and you don’t even know it. However, as a citizen the law presumes that each and every person knows the law and ignorance is no excuse. As a result of the Department of Licensing becoming increasingly more involved in the lives of citizens, especially in the everyday lives of those either charged or convicted of DUI or other alcohol related crimes, the Department has a new law in it’s already huge arsenal.

The title of the law is: Providing False Evidence Of Financial Responsibility. It is found in RCW 46.30.040. This newly amended law states that: “any person who knowingly provides false evidence of financial responsibility to a law enforcement officer or to a court, including an expired or canceled insurance policy, bond, or certificate of deposit is guilty of a misdemeanor.

This means that every person who drives a vehicle and insures it could be charged and found guilty if you have insurance, but don’t have the proof in the vehicle.

If you have ever been stopped by an officer and needed to show proof of insurance and when you looked realize that the new card is at home and the old one is in the car and you show the old one as proof of the policy, you violated this law. Previously, before the statutory amendment, a violation of the statute under the above circumstances was not so easily proven, but like so many new laws that are collateral to DUI charges, this one has become more harsh.

Any person who has faced a DUI arrest knows that SR22 insurance is a possible requirement due to the charge. As a result SR22 holders who show an expired proof are also in violation of this law. If you do the same with a SR22 insurance certificate, you are likewise in violation under this statute due to its broad definition.

This new statute is yet another example of why focused and special knowledge of all the laws collateral to the main DUI statute is a must. While many attorneys are competent and capable with respect to the charge of DUI and the fact that there are Department of Licensing hearings as a result, only those DUI lawyers who focus their practice exclusively on DUI, or other alcohol related crimes have the most recent and important statutory and case law knowledge necessary to properly advise and foresee all the possible pitfalls of a potential course of action that are typically presented as a charged person navigates the complexities of a DUI charge.

At Fox Bowman Duarte, each and every attorney not only has the expertise needed to foresee the future ramifications that will be presented that we share with our clients, but each and every attorney is called upon on a regular basis to present educational seminars and educate other lawyers around the state, as we do for our clients.

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