Title 42 — Title 42 PUBLIC OFFICERS AND AGENCIES
20 chapters · 471 sections in this title.
RCW 42.56.001 Finding, purpose.
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The legislature finds that *chapter 42.17 RCW contains laws relating to several discrete subjects. Therefore, the purpose of chapter 274, Laws of 2005 is to recodify some of those laws and create a new chapter in the Revised Code of Washington that contains laws pertaining to pub…
RCW 42.56.010 Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Agency" includes all state agencies and all local agencies. "State agency" includes every state office, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or other state…
RCW 42.56.020 Short title.
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This chapter may be known and cited as the public records act.[ 2005 c 274 s 102.]
RCW 42.56.030 Construction.
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The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on rema…
RCW 42.56.040 Duty to publish procedures.
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(1) Each state agency shall separately state and currently publish in the Washington Administrative Code and each local agency shall prominently display and make available for inspection and copying at the central office of such local agency, for guidance of the public:(a) Descri…
RCW 42.56.050 Invasion of privacy, when.
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A person's "right to privacy," "right of privacy," "privacy," or "personal privacy," as these terms are used in this chapter, is invaded or violated only if disclosure of information about the person: (1) Would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, and (2) is not of legitim…
RCW 42.56.060 Disclaimer of public liability.
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No public agency, public official, public employee, or custodian shall be liable, nor shall a cause of action exist, for any loss or damage based upon the release of a public record if the public agency, public official, public employee, or custodian acted in good faith in attemp…
RCW 42.56.070 Documents and indexes to be made public—Statement of costs.
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(1) Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of subsection (8) of this section, this chapter, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disc…
RCW 42.56.080 Identifiable records—Facilities for copying—Availability of public records.
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(1)(a) A public records request must be for identifiable records. A request for all or substantially all records prepared, owned, used, or retained by an agency is not a valid request for identifiable records under this chapter, provided that a request for all records regarding a…
RCW 42.56.090 Times for inspection and copying—Posting on website.
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Public records shall be available for inspection and copying during the customary office hours of the agency, the office of the secretary of the senate, and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives for a minimum of thirty hours per week, except weeks that inc…
RCW 42.56.100 Protection of public records—Public access.
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Agencies shall adopt and enforce reasonable rules and regulations, and the office of the secretary of the senate and the office of the chief clerk of the house of representatives shall adopt reasonable procedures allowing for the time, resource, and personnel constraints associat…
RCW 42.56.110 Destruction of information relating to employee misconduct.
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Nothing in this chapter prevents an agency from destroying information relating to employee misconduct or alleged misconduct, in accordance with RCW 41.06.450, to the extent necessary to ensure fairness to the employee.[ 1982 c 208 s 13. Formerly RCW 42.17.295.]
RCW 42.56.120 Charges for copying.
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(1) No fee shall be charged for the inspection of public records or locating public documents and making them available for copying, except as provided in RCW 42.56.240(14) and subsection (3) of this section. A reasonable charge may be imposed for providing copies of public recor…
RCW 42.56.130 Other provisions not superseded.
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The provisions of RCW * 42.56.070 (7) and (8) and 42.56.120 that establish or allow agencies to establish the costs charged for photocopies or electronically produced copies of public records do not supersede other statutory provisions, other than in this chapter, authorizing or …
RCW 42.56.140 Public records exemptions accountability committee.
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(1)(a) The public records exemptions accountability committee is created to review exemptions from public disclosure, with thirteen members as provided in this subsection.(i) The governor shall appoint two members, one of whom represents the governor and one of whom represents lo…
RCW 42.56.141 Public records exemptions accountability committee—Wolf depredation information exemption.
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By December 1, 2021, the public records exemptions accountability committee, in addition to its duties in RCW 42.56.140, must prepare and submit a report to the legislature that includes recommendations on whether the exemptions created in section 1, chapter 246, Laws of 2017 sho…
RCW 42.56.150 Training—Local elected and statewide elected officials.
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(1) Each local elected official and statewide elected official, and each person appointed to fill a vacancy in a local or statewide office, must complete a training course regarding the provisions of this chapter, and also chapter 40.14 RCW for records retention.(2) Officials req…
RCW 42.56.152 Training—Public records officers.
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(1) Public records officers designated under RCW 42.56.580 and records officers designated under RCW 40.14.040 must complete a training course regarding the provisions of this chapter, and also chapter 40.14 RCW for records retention.(2) Public records officers must:(a) Complete …
RCW 42.56.155 Assistance by attorney general.
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The attorney general's office may provide information, technical assistance, and training on the provisions of this chapter.[ 2014 c 66 s 5.]Notes:Findings—Short title—Effective date—2014 c 66: See notes following RCW 42.56.150.
RCW 42.56.210 Certain personal and other records exempt.
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(1) Except for information described in *RCW 42.56.230(3)(a) and confidential income data exempted from public inspection pursuant to RCW 84.40.020, the exemptions of this chapter are inapplicable to the extent that information, the disclosure of which would violate personal priv…
RCW 42.56.230 Personal information.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6106.SL) ****** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6081-S.SL) ***The following personal information is exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:(1) Personal information in any files maintained for students in public schools, patients or client…
RCW 42.56.235 Religious affiliation exemption.
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All records that relate to or contain personally identifying information about an individual's religious beliefs, practices, or affiliation are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2018 c 303 s 7.]
RCW 42.56.240 Investigative, law enforcement, and crime victims.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2508-S.SL) ***The following investigative, law enforcement, and crime victim information is exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:(1) Specific intelligence information and specific investigative records compiled by investigative,…
RCW 42.56.250 Employment and licensing.
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(1) The following employment and licensing information is exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:(a) Test questions, scoring keys, and other examination data used to administer a license, employment, or academic examination;(b) All applications for public em…
RCW 42.56.260 Real estate transactions.
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(1) Subject to the time limitations in subsection (2) of this section, the following documents relating to an agency's real estate transactions are exempt from public inspection and copying under this chapter:(a) Except as provided by chapter 8.26 RCW, the contents of real estate…
RCW 42.56.270 Financial, commercial, and proprietary information.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2325-S2.SL) ***The following financial, commercial, and proprietary information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Valuable formulae, designs, drawings, computer source code or object code, and research data obtained by any agency within …
RCW 42.56.280 Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, intra-agency memorandums.
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Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, and intra-agency memorandums in which opinions are expressed or policies formulated or recommended are exempt under this chapter, except that a specific record is not exempt when publicly cited by an agency in connection with any agency…
RCW 42.56.290 Agency party to controversy.
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Records that are relevant to a controversy to which an agency is a party but which records would not be available to another party under the rules of pretrial discovery for causes pending in the superior courts are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 409.]
RCW 42.56.300 Archaeological sites.
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(1) Records, maps, or other information identifying the location of archaeological sites in order to avoid the looting or depredation of such sites are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.(2) Records, maps, and other information, acquired during watershed analysis pursuant …
RCW 42.56.310 Library records.
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Any library record, the primary purpose of which is to maintain control of library materials, or to gain access to information, that discloses or could be used to disclose the identity of a library user is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 411.]
RCW 42.56.315 Certain student information.
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Information received by a school district superintendent, a designee of the superintendent, or a principal pursuant to RCW 28A.225.330, 9A.44.138, 13.04.155, 13.40.215, or 72.09.730 is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2020 c 167 s 10.]
RCW 42.56.320 Educational information.
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The following educational information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Financial disclosures filed by private vocational schools under chapters 28B.85 and 28C.10 RCW;(2) Financial and commercial information supplied by or on behalf of a person, firm, corporation, …
RCW 42.56.325 Statewide electronic repository for school meals.
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Household income information received by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, school district employees, or designees of either in accordance with the electronic repository established under RCW 28A.235.285 is exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2022 c …
RCW 42.56.330 Public utilities and transportation.
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The following information relating to public utilities and transportation is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records filed with the utilities and transportation commission or attorney general under RCW 80.04.095 or 81.77.210 that a court has determined are confident…
RCW 42.56.335 Public utility districts and municipally owned electrical utilities—Restrictions on access by law enforcement authorities.
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A law enforcement authority may not request inspection or copying of records of any person who belongs to a public utility district or a municipally owned electrical utility unless the authority provides the public utility district or municipally owned electrical utility with a w…
RCW 42.56.350 Health professionals.
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(1) The federal social security number of individuals governed under chapter 18.130 RCW maintained in the files of the department of health is exempt from disclosure under this chapter. The exemption in this section does not apply to requests made directly to the department from …
RCW 42.56.355 Interstate medical licensure compact.
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(1) Information distributed to any Washington health profession board or commission by an interstate health professions licensure compact or member boards as described in RCW 18.71B.080(6) of the interstate medical licensure compact is exempt from disclosure under this chapter. T…
RCW 42.56.357 Interstate physician assistant licensure compact.
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(1) Information in documents distributed to the Washington medical commission by the interstate physician assistant licensure compact as described in RCW 18.71C.070(2), including identifying information, licensure data, adverse actions against a license or compact privilege, or l…
RCW 42.56.360 Health care.
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*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2192-S.SL) ***(1) The following health care information is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(a) Information obtained by the pharmacy quality assurance commission as provided in RCW 69.45.090;(b) Information obtained by the pharmacy quality ass…
RCW 42.56.365 Vital records.
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All or part of any vital records, reports, supporting documentation, vital statistics, data, or information contained therein under chapter 70.58A RCW are not subject to public inspection and copying under this chapter.[ 2019 c 148 s 39.]Notes:Effective date—Rule-making authority…
RCW 42.56.370 Client records of domestic violence programs, or community sexual assault programs or services for underserved populations.
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Client records maintained by an agency that is a domestic violence program as defined in RCW 70.123.020 or 70.123.075 or a community sexual assault program or services for underserved populations as defined in RCW 70.125.030 are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2012 c …
RCW 42.56.375 Sexual misconduct—Postsecondary educational institutions—Personal information of witnesses and victims.
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(1) For the purposes of RCW 28B.112.040 through 28B.112.080 regarding postsecondary educational institutions, personal identifying information in an employee personnel file, student file, investigation file, settlement agreement, or other files held by a postsecondary educational…
RCW 42.56.380 Agriculture and livestock.
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The following information relating to agriculture and livestock is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Business-related information under RCW 15.86.110;(2) Information provided under RCW 15.54.362;(3) Production or sales records required to determine assessment levels a…
RCW 42.56.390 Emergency or transitional housing.
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Names of individuals residing in emergency or transitional housing that are furnished to the department of revenue or a county assessor in order to substantiate a claim for property tax exemption under RCW 84.36.043 are exempt from disclosure under this chapter.[ 2005 c 274 s 419…
RCW 42.56.395 Affordable housing occupants and tenants.
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Information obtained by the department of commerce under chapter 43.185A RCW during monitoring activities or contract administration that reveals the name or other personal information of occupants or prospective tenants of affordable housing, or the street address of the residen…
RCW 42.56.400 Insurance and financial institutions.
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The following information relating to insurance and financial institutions is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records maintained by the board of industrial insurance appeals that are related to appeals of crime victims' compensation claims filed with the board under…
RCW 42.56.403 Property and casualty insurance statements of actuarial opinion.
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Documents, materials, and information obtained by the insurance commissioner under RCW 48.05.385(2) are confidential and privileged and not subject to public disclosure under this chapter.[ 2006 c 25 s 3.]Notes:Short title—2006 c 25 ss 1-3: See note following RCW 48.05.383.Effect…
RCW 42.56.410 Employment security department records, certain purposes.
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The following information related to employment security is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Records maintained by the employment security department and subject to chapter 50.13 or 50A.25 RCW if provided to another individual or organization for operational, researc…
RCW 42.56.420 Security.
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The following information relating to security is exempt from disclosure under this chapter:(1) Those portions of records assembled, prepared, or maintained to prevent, mitigate, or respond to criminal terrorist acts, which are acts that significantly disrupt the conduct of gover…
RCW 42.56.422 Office of cybersecurity—Reports and information.
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The reports and information compiled pursuant to RCW 43.105.450 and section 7, chapter 291, Laws of 2021 are confidential and may not be disclosed under this chapter.[ 2021 c 291 s 8.]