These rules have been adapted to those used by the BMW Seattle Classic Rally.

A Copy of Rally Rules are provided to each team.  The Rules Provided may have specific amendments to what you see here to accommodate an individual rally.  The rules provided with the rally take precedence over those on this page.

I. Eligibility: Sporting motorcars of 25 years or older are eligible to participate in the 'Classic' class while newer than 25 years will participate in the 'Sponsored' class. Both Classic and Sponsored divisions will run the same route but will compete for separate awards. Both classes may be combined into one, if fewer than 10 teams are signed up in either class. Cars must be in road-worthy condition and pass inspection, particularly focused on brakes, suspension, steering and safety equipment. At registration, each driver must confirm that they have a valid driver's license, vehicle registration and valid proof of liability insurance. Cars must be licensed for road use in their country of registration. All participants must sign liability waiver forms.
Other competition classes may be introduced if numbers warrant.

II. Equipment: Teams are restricted to the use of the car's original equipment odometer or any mechanically driven vintage odometer appropriate to the period. Printed rally tables and slide rules (straight or circular) are allowed, as are non-programmable electronic or mechanical calculators. Programmable calculators or computers of any kind are not allowed and their appearance in the possession of a rally participant at any time during the event will result in immediate assessment of five minutes penalty applied to each previously completed rally section. Contemporary division cars with stock on-board computers are not allowed to use these devices during the rally and must tape-over the display.

III. General Procedures: Cars will be started at whole minute intervals. Cars may be started in other sections at a reasonable spacing by the organizers. All starting and restarting times will be based on the stated starting and restarting times for theoretical Car "0".

IV. Checkpoint Procedures: The event is run under a "perfect time" format: cars will not stop at the timing controls, though they may be required to stop at clearly marked information controls, passage controls, end of section controls, main time controls, and so on, procedures for which will be clearly provided in the route instructions.

V. Off-Course Controls: "Off-Course controls" may be located in areas most likely to be visited by "lost" competitors. These controls are plainly marked and teams reading a held "O.C." sign, legible from the direction of travel, are required to stop to receive instructions on how to regain the route. An Off Course visit will gain you five penalty points. Turning around or reversing thus not stopping at the control will also gain you five penalty points. A vehicle will be considered Off Course once its front wheels have left the boundary of the intersection in which the navigation error was made.

VI. On-Course Controls: "On-Course controls" have been located to ensure that you do not take short-cuts. These controls are plainly marked and teams reading a held "O.C." sign, legible from the direction of travel, are required to stop.  Stopping at an On-Course control is zero penalty points. Not stopping at an On-Course control is five penalty points. You may not know if you are stopping at an On-Course or an Off-Course until you stop, but knowing which you are is necessary to getting back or staying on course.

VII. Scoring (timing to the nearest minute using "whole minute" points): Penalty points at timing controls will be assessed at one point per minute outside the checkpoint time. The first penalty point is incurred at 30 seconds. A car will be considered to "zero" the timing control (checkpoint) if it passes within 30 seconds before or after the checkpoint time. Checkpoints may be located at any time. The maximum penalty at any timing control will be five points. The maximum penalty for missing the timing control altogether will also be five points or 300 second points. Controls will be open at least five minutes after the last car is due. Cars will be timed to the second at all checkpoints should this be required for a tie-breaker. Entering a checkpoint from the wrong direction will not be counted. This will cost the team 5 points. Stopping within sight prior of a checkpoint for the purpose of 'killing time' will result in the car being accessed penalty points based on which is greater: the point which the car stops; or the point which the car crosses the checkpoint. Route instruction times are expressed in minutes and seconds. Creeping up to a checkpoint is allowed.

Example: Checkpoint time is 1:03:15 for your car.
 

The calculation formula used to determine these points by the Rally Master is:
Absolute Value (Fixed Checkpoint time - ((Time team passes Checkpoint - Team number 'in minutes') - Any approved time declaration))
This returns a value in seconds.
Penalty points are determined by value >30 = 1 point; >90 = 2 points; >150 = 3 points; >210 = 4 points; >270=5 points

VIII. Spelling errors: There are no intentional spelling errors in the route instructions.

IX. Tie breaking to determine overall positions: The first procedure when breaking a tie will be to award the higher place to the car with the greater number of zeros. Then if necessary, ones, twos, etc., will be compared.

X. Tie breaking (whole minute penalty point scoring): If the tie cannot be broken by comparing whole minute points, then it will be broken by comparing total seconds, early or late, from the perfect time at every timing control for every stage as if competitors had been running to the second. Off course or missed on course penalties will be considered equal to 300 seconds.  In the rare case that seconds are equal the Rally Master will decide the tie based on the conditions & work done by each team.

XI. Speeds: Average speeds are assigned as appropriately as possible to the section of the rally. Every attempt has been made to keep the average speed AT OR BELOW THE LEGAL SPEED LIMIT. The passage time allowed for Monte Carlo and transit sections allows an overall average speed no greater than the cumulative speeds required to traverse the section in a legal manner. In most cases, far more time than necessary is allowed due to twisty roads and limited passing opportunity. We ask you to drive with common sense and caution, especially if you find yourself falling behind. Courteous driving is the expected standard of every competitor; driving in any flagrantly irresponsible manner is grounds for exclusion from the event.

XII. Mileage conversions: Mileage measurements are computed at 1.609344 of the Kilometer then rounded to the appropriate decimal place.

XIII. Time Allowances: Time allowances for circumstances over which you have no control, such as trains, accidents, breakdowns, construction delays or Rally Master error will generally be approved. The written request must be presented to the Rally Master at the first opportunity. The request must state car number and reason for the delay. Time allowances must be documented as to what mileage they occurred.  The Rally Master will only apply the time delay declaration to the current stage.  If a team is still behind before the start of the next stage they must submit a declaration for the beginning of that stage. When there is a pause between stages, teams that have outstanding declarations are expected to decrease or eliminate their lost time. A team that is catching up will only be given a maximum of 1 minute between stages to prepare for the next stage.  Any time declarations that exceed this will be reduced to comply. Teams that are submitting a time declaration are encouraged to aim for an adjusted time that is off the time of the other rally cars so that they do not interfere with the progress of other teams. If a team is delayed so that they are passing checkpoints after the course workers have left; they will be assessed full penalties. Checkpoints are generally closed at 5 minutes after the last car due time.  I.E. It would be pointless for the last car to submit a 6 minute time declaration. Time declarations are only good for TSD stages.  Time Declarations will not be allowed into or during Monte Carlo Stages.

XIV. Route instruction continuity: All possible care has been taken to ensure that your route instructions have been accurately printed and assembled. However, it is the responsibility of the navigator to check the instructions as soon as possible after issue and before their car's start. Protests due to missing or misprinted pages after each day's start will not be entertained.

XV. Uniform descending order of precedence ("forced turn" or "main road" rules): When teams encounter an intersection for which there is no given specific instruction in the route instructions, the following descending order of priorities for proceeding should be applied:

Competitors are to proceed via:

1. The road they have been directed ONTO, TOWARD or directed to follow by name, route number, or other specific road identification. Teams are NOT to take roads that are signed as no through routes (Dead End, Cul-de-sac, No exit, etc.) unless specifically instructed to IGNORE sign.  AT instructions cancel any previous ONTO.

2. The most protected route (i.e., the through road, as defined by stop signs, yield signs, etc.)

3. The route indicated by highway arrows

4. The route indicated by the painted centerline

5. The paved route (There are no gravel roads on this rally.)

6. The straightest route

The teams finding themselves with a choice of routes on any level should descend to the next level until only one route remains.
 

XVI. Monte Carlo: In this type of stage, teams are given a destination point (Standoff) to which they travel to view a Timing Line.  The Standoff MUST be approached from the correct direction.  The Timing Line is a check point at which the competitors MUST cross from the correct direction at a given time from the beginning of the stage.  Waiting at the Standoff is allowed, however once the Standoff is left, teams are NOT allowed to stop before they reach the Timing Line.  Maps are provided and it is the responsibility of the team to find their own way to the Standoff.  Approaching the Standoff or Timing Line from a direction other than that specified in the Rally instructions or stopping prior to the Timing Line after leaving the Standoff will result in forfeiting the stage.  Monte Carlo Stages are for bonus points.  If you cross the Timing Line within 4.99 seconds fast or slow you gain 2 Bonus points. (Bonus points reduce penalty points gathered during the rally.)  If you cross from 5 - 9.99 seconds fast or slow you gain 1 Bonus point.  Outside of that no points good or bad are awarded.