Washington No Chase Law
Statewide conditions
Does Washington have a no-chase law? Partly — Washington sets statewide conditions on police pursuits, but it is not a blanket "no-chase" jurisdiction.
What governs pursuits in Washington
RCW 10.116.060
Washington's RCW 10.116.060 (originally enacted 2021, restricting pursuits to probable cause of violent/sex offenses) was significantly loosened by Initiative 2113, adopted by the Legislature March 4, 2024, effective June 6, 2024. The current law lets officers pursue based on reasonable suspicion a person violated the law, provided the risk of not pursuing is judged greater than the risk of pursuing and the fleeing person is a threat to others' safety; a supervisor authorization requirement remains.
Will police chase a motorcycle in Washington?
No Washington statute singles out motorcycles; RCW 10.116.060's reasonable-suspicion/threat-balancing test applies to any fleeing vehicle, and individual agency policies (e.g., WSP) commonly impose extra caution or break-off criteria for motorcycle pursuits due to elevated crash risk, not a blanket no-chase rule.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in Washington regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Sources
- app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=10.116.060
- ballotpedia.org/Washington_Initiative_2113,_Remove_Certain_Restrictions_on_Polic
- mynorthwest.com/local/new-washington-police-pursuit-law-in-effect/3962257
- ofm.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/default/files/public/publications/VehicularP
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.