If a Washington court has ordered you to attend a DUI Victim Impact Panel in Snohomish County, here’s what you need to know right now: as of November 2025, the panel must be completed in person. Two locations are currently approved: the Everett Train/Bus Station (Saturdays at 10:00 AM, generally twice a month) and Skagit Station in Mount Vernon (Thursdays at 6:00 PM, once a month). Neither requires pre-registration, you sign in at the door, and the fee is $65, cash only. Online attendance is no longer an option unless a judge has specifically approved it in advance.
Continue reading for more information about what a DUI Victim Impact Panel is, exact location details, deferred prosecution deadlines, and what counts as compliance.
What a DUI Victim Impact Panel Is
It helps to understand what the panel actually is before getting into the logistics of attending one. We covered this in detail in a Q&A video with the Executive Director at Assessment and Treatment Associates. A Victim Impact Panel is a session where people whose lives were affected by an impaired driving crash speak directly to defendants about what that experience actually cost them. It isn't designed to shame anyone. It's meant to make the consequences of impaired driving concrete in a way a courtroom or a fine never quite manages to.
Washington law backs this purpose with actual requirements, not just good intentions. Under RCW 46.61.5152, a court may order a person convicted of a nonfelony violation, or a person entering a deferred prosecution program, to attend a program "focusing on the emotional, physical, and financial suffering of victims who were injured by persons convicted of driving while under the influence of intoxicants." RCW 10.01.230 sets the minimum standards a panel has to meet to count toward that order, including a minimum session length, a minimum number of speakers, and a requirement that victims present their own stories in person rather than through a recording or a written account.
That last detail, in-person presentation, is also where the biggest change for Snohomish County defendants in 2025 and 2026 comes in.
Snohomish County Now Requires In-Person Attendance
As of November 2025, Snohomish County District Court requires individuals ordered to attend the DUI Victim Impact Panel to complete it in person. The same requirement applies to the Alcohol and Drug Information School (ADIS) and several other probation-ordered programs, across all four court divisions: Cascade, Everett, Evergreen, and South.
Online participation is permitted only in rare circumstances, and it requires a judicial officer's approval before you attend, not just registration for a virtual session. If your order doesn't include that authorization, plan on attending in person.
The Victim Impact Panel is a separate requirement from ADIS. Many DUI cases in Snohomish County require completing both. They serve different purposes, they're offered by different providers on different schedules, and finishing one doesn't credit you for the other.
Where & When to Attend
Two in-person locations are currently listed on Snohomish County District Court's approved provider schedule for 2026. Neither requires pre-registration. You sign in at the door on the day of the panel, and once the doors close at the posted start time, late admission isn't permitted.
- Everett Train/Bus Station - 3201 Smith Ave, Everett: Saturdays at 10:00 AM, generally twice a month. This is the most accessible option for most defendants in the county, given the central location and regular scheduling.
- Skagit Station - 105 E Kincaid St, Mount Vernon: Thursdays at 6:00 PM, once a month. This session may work better for defendants in the northern part of the county or those with weekend scheduling conflicts.
The panel fee is $65, payable in cash only at the door.
Deferred Prosecution Deadlines
If your case involved a deferred prosecution, your court order will specify a deadline for completing the Victim Impact Panel. These deadlines vary by order, so confirm the exact date on your paperwork rather than assuming a standard timeline. Missing that deadline can put your deferred prosecution at risk before it's had a chance to run its course.
Attendance Rules
Anyone suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or with an odor of alcohol or marijuana, will be refused admission. Showing up under the influence means losing that session date and potentially missing your deadline.
Other Court-Approved Providers
Snohomish County District Court's approved provider list includes several additional options that may fit your schedule or language needs better than the two primary locations:
- Assessment and Treatment Associates: $60 per session, with locations in Bellevue, Bellingham, and Mountlake Terrace.
- La Esperanza: Spanish-language panels, with sessions in Lynnwood, Mount Vernon, and Burien, the only approved provider currently offering a non-English option.
- The Original DUI Victim Panel: Based in Mountlake Terrace, $60 per session, with earbud translation available and a contact listed for possible financial assistance.
- Northwest Resources II: $50 per session, located in Olympia, though the distance makes this impractical for most Snohomish County defendants.
Before attending any of these, confirm the provider is still on the court's current approved list. The list is subject to change without notice, and completing a session with a provider that's no longer approved won't satisfy your order.
Making Sure Your Attendance Actually Counts
The Victim Impact Panel is one piece of a larger set of sentencing conditions that, depending on your case, can include ADIS, ignition interlock device requirements, Department of Licensing hearings, and probation check-ins. An outdated certificate from an unapproved or virtual session isn't a minor paperwork issue. It's a probation violation waiting to surface at your next check-in. Confirm your provider's current status, confirm the format matches the in-person requirement, and complete the panel before your deadline.
DUIHeroes practices DUI defense exclusively across Washington State, including throughout Snohomish County. Founding attorney Jonathan Dichter serves as the Washington State Delegate for the National College for DUI Defense and teaches as a member of its faculty. If you have questions about your panel deadline or any other condition of your DUI order, reach out to us any time at (425) 296-9358.
