Is it legal to pull into an intersection while waiting to turn left in Washington State?

A common frustration among drivers is being stuck behind another driver at the same intersection for multiple cycles, but they can’t turn left because of oncoming traffic.

You might find yourself honking at the person ahead of you hoping they’ll inch forward to make the turn.

But is it legal for drivers to pull into the intersection while waiting to make a left turn at a light?

Is it legal to wait in an intersection to turn left?

Simply put, it is not legal for a driver to enter an intersection while waiting to turn left. Here’s why.

Washington state law states that drivers are not allowed to enter an intersection or a marked crosswalk unless there is enough space on the other side of the intersection or crosswalk “to accommodate the vehicle he or she is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles, pedestrians, or railroad trains notwithstanding any traffic control signal indications to proceed.”

Washington State Trooper John Dattilo said in an email that although the state law is mainly concerned with vehicles that are turning or driving through an intersection without enough space to fully exit, the violation of “obstructing the passage of other vehicles and pedestrians” still applies in this situation where a driver is waiting in the middle of an intersection to turn left.

“Pulling into an intersection and waiting to turn would likely block either the crosswalk or at least one lane of intersecting traffic,” Dattilo stated in an email. “Whether or not any pedestrians or vehicles are legally allowed to proceed due to traffic signals has no effect on whether or not a vehicle waiting to turn is “obstructing passage.”

Doug Dahl, the previous director of communications for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, previously stated in a McClatchy News article that the Department of Licensing interprets that law in the Driver Guide: “Drivers must not enter an intersection unless they can get through it without having to stop.”

According to Dahl, a person who enters the intersection and then has to wait for an opportunity to complete a turn in a safe manner has violated Washington state law.

Any person found to have violated this Washington State law can face a fine of $136, according to the Washington State Bail Schedule.