Washington pilot car regulations
Certification: required. Escort drivers need a Washington pilot/escort certification card (8-hour course, written test at 80% or better), renewed every 3 years with a 4-hour course. Carry the card while escorting.
From Washington's own rules and pages, checked 2026-10-24. Rules change: the state's page is the last word.
- Certification program
- WSDOT pilot/escort vehicle operator certification (training by Evergreen Safety Council or USPilotCar)Source
- Other states' cards
- Washington accepts certifications from Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia.
- Escort vehicle
- A passenger car, passenger van or two-axle truck, 16,000 lb or less, 60 to 102 inches wide, with mirrors on both sides. No towing a trailer while escorting.Source
- Sign
- "OVERSIZE LOAD" in black letters at least 8 inches high, 1-inch brush stroke, on yellow; sign at least 5 feet wide and 10 inches high, mounted over the roof; removed, retracted or covered when not escorting.
- Lights
- At least one flashing or rotating amber light or strobe above the roof line, visible 360 degrees from at least 500 feet; light bars allowed. Headlights on while escorting.
- Height pole
- Required on the front of the lead vehicle when the load is over 14 feet 6 inches high (unless the permit says otherwise); nonconductive, flexible top, set 3 to 6 inches above the load's maximum height.
- Other equipment
- 18-inch STOP/SLOW paddle, three reflective triangles, 5 lb B,C fire extinguisher, ANSI Class 2/3 high-visibility garment, high-visibility hard hat, first-aid supplies, flashlight with red cone and spare batteries, two-way radio, height pole when required.
- Insurance
- For-hire operators: $100,000 bodily injury or death of one person, $300,000 for two or more persons, $50,000 property damage, per accident; carry proof.Source