Title 26, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

(1) This chapter applies to an adjudication or determination of parentage. (2) This chapter does not create, affect, enlarge, or diminish parental rights or duties under law of this state other than this chapter. [ 2018 c 6 s 103.]

The superior courts of this state may adjudicate parentage under this chapter. [ 2018 c 6 s 104.]

The court shall apply the law of this state to adjudicate parentage. The applicable law does not depend on: (1) The place of birth of the child; or (2) The past or present residence of the child. [ 2018 c 6 s 105.]

A proceeding under this chapter is subject to law of this state other than this chapter which governs the health, safety, privacy, and liberty of a child or other individual who could be affected by disclosure of information that could identify the child or other individual, incl…

To the extent practicable, a provision of this chapter applicable to a father-child relationship applies to a mother-child relationship and a provision of this chapter applicable to a mother-child relationship applies to a father-child relationship. [ 2018 c 6 s 107.]

(1) Effective January 1, 2020, a party shall not file any pleading with the clerk of the court in an action commenced under this chapter unless on forms approved by the administrator for the courts. (2) The administrative office of the courts shall develop and approve standard co…

A parent-child relationship is established between an individual and a child if: (1) The individual gives birth to the child, except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.700 through 26.26A.785; (2) There is a presumption under RCW 26.26A.115 of the individual's parentage of the ch…

A parent-child relationship extends equally to every child and parent, regardless of the marital status of the parent. [ 2018 c 6 s 202.]

Unless parental rights are terminated, a parent-child relationship established under this chapter applies for all purposes, except as otherwise provided by law of this state other than this chapter. [ 2018 c 6 s 203.]

(1) An individual is presumed to be a parent of a child if: (a) Except as otherwise provided under RCW 26.26A.700 through 26.26A.785, or law of this state other than this chapter: (i) The individual and the woman who gave birth to the child are married to or in a state registered…

The secretary of the department of health may adopt rules under the state administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW, to implement RCW 26.26A.115. [ 2018 c 6 s 205.]

The secretary of the department of health may charge a fee for filing an assertion of parentage. [ 2018 c 6 s 206.]

A woman who gave birth to a child and an alleged genetic father of the child, intended parent under RCW 26.26A.600 through 26.26A.635, or presumed parent may sign an acknowledgment of parentage to establish the parentage of the child. [ 2018 c 6 s 301.]

(1) An acknowledgment of parentage under RCW 26.26A.200 must: (a) Be in a record signed by the woman who gave birth to the child and by the individual seeking to establish a parent-child relationship, and the signatures must be attested by a notarial officer or witnessed; (b) Sta…

A presumed parent or alleged genetic parent may sign a denial of parentage in a record. The denial of parentage is valid only if: (1) An acknowledgment of parentage by another individual is filed under RCW 26.26A.220; (2) The signature of the presumed parent or alleged genetic pa…

(1) An acknowledgment of parentage and a denial of parentage may be contained in a single document or may be in counterparts and may be filed with the state registrar of vital statistics separately or simultaneously. If filing of the acknowledgment and denial both are required un…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.235 and 26.26A.240, an acknowledgment of parentage that complies with RCW 26.26A.200 through 26.26A.265 and is filed with the state registrar of vital statistics is equivalent to an adjudication of parentage of the child and confers …

The secretary of the department of health may charge a fee for filing an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage, or for filing a rescission of an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage. [ 2018 c 6 s 306.]

A court conducting a judicial proceeding or an administrative agency conducting an administrative proceeding is not required or permitted to ratify an unchallenged acknowledgment of parentage. [ 2018 c 6 s 307.]

(1) A signatory may rescind an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage by filing with the state registrar of vital statistics a rescission in a signed record which is attested by a notarial officer or witnessed, before the earlier of: (a) Sixty days after the effective…

(1) After the period for rescission under RCW 26.26A.235 expires, but not later than four years after the effective date under RCW 26.26A.215 of an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage, a signatory of the acknowledgment or denial may commence a proceeding to challen…

(1) Every signatory to an acknowledgment of parentage and any related denial of parentage must be made a party to a proceeding to challenge the acknowledgment or denial. (2) By signing an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage, a signatory submits to personal jurisdic…

The court shall give full faith and credit to an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage effective in another state if the acknowledgment or denial was in a signed record and otherwise complies with law of the other state. [ 2018 c 6 s 311.]

(1) The state registrar of vital statistics shall prescribe forms for an acknowledgment of parentage and denial of parentage. (2) A valid acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage is not affected by a later modification of the form under subsection (1) of this section. […

The state registrar of vital statistics may release information relating to an acknowledgment of parentage or denial of parentage to a signatory of the acknowledgment or denial, a court, a federal agency, an agency operating a child welfare program under Title IV-E of the social …

The secretary of the department of health may adopt rules under the state administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW, to implement RCW 26.26A.200 through 26.26A.265. [ 2018 c 6 s 314.]

The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355 unless the context clearly requires otherwise. (1) "Combined relationship index" means the product of all tested relationship indices. (2) "Ethnic or racial group" means, for the purpose of genetic…

(1) This subchapter, RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355, governs genetic testing of an individual in a proceeding to adjudicate parentage, whether the individual: (a) Voluntarily submits to testing; or (b) Is tested under an order of the court or a child support agency. (2) Geneti…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355 or 26.26A.400 through 26.26A.515, in a proceeding under this chapter to determine parentage, the court shall order the child and any other individual to submit to genetic testing if a request for testing is sup…

(1) Genetic testing must be of a type reasonably relied on by experts in the field of genetic testing and performed in a testing laboratory accredited by: (a) The AABB, formerly known as the American association of blood banks, or a successor to its functions; or (b) An accrediti…

(1) A report of genetic testing must be in a record and signed under penalty of perjury by a designee of the testing laboratory. A report complying with the requirements of RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355 is self-authenticating. (2) Documentation from a testing laboratory of th…

(1) Subject to a challenge under subsection (2) of this section, an individual is identified under this chapter as a genetic parent of a child if genetic testing complies with RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355 and the results of the testing disclose: (a) The individual has at lea…

(1) Subject to assessment of fees under RCW 26.26A.400 through 26.26A.515, payment of the cost of initial genetic testing must be made in advance: (a) By a child support agency in a proceeding in which the child support agency is providing services; (b) By the individual who made…

The court or child support agency shall order additional genetic testing on request of an individual who contests the result of the initial testing under RCW 26.26A.325. If initial genetic testing under RCW 26.26A.325 identified an individual as a genetic parent of the child, the…

(1) Subject to subsection (2) of this section, if a genetic testing specimen is not available from an alleged genetic parent of a child, an individual seeking genetic testing demonstrates good cause, and the court finds that the circumstances are just, the court may order any of …

If an individual seeking genetic testing demonstrates good cause, the court may order genetic testing of a deceased individual. [ 2018 c 6 s 410.]

(1) If the court finds there is reason to believe that an alleged genetic parent has an identical sibling and evidence that the sibling may be a genetic parent of the child, the court may order genetic testing of the sibling. (2) If more than one sibling is identified under RCW 2…

(1) Release of a report of genetic testing for parentage is controlled by chapter 70.02 RCW. (2) An individual who intentionally releases an identifiable specimen of another individual collected for genetic testing under RCW 26.26A.300 through 26.26A.355, for a purpose not releva…

(1) A proceeding may be commenced to adjudicate the parentage of a child. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the proceeding is governed by the rules of civil procedure. (2) A proceeding to adjudicate the parentage of a child born under a surrogacy agreement is governed…

Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.200 through 26.26A.265 and 26.26A.435 through 26.26A.450, a proceeding to adjudicate parentage may be maintained by: (1) The child; (2) The woman who gave birth to the child, unless a court has adjudicated that she is not a parent; (3) A…

(1) The petitioner shall give notice of a proceeding to adjudicate parentage to the following individuals: (a) The woman who gave birth to the child, unless a court has adjudicated that she is not a parent; (b) An individual who is a parent of the child under this chapter; (c) A …

(1) The court may adjudicate an individual's parentage of a child only if the court has personal jurisdiction over the individual. (2) A court of this state with jurisdiction to adjudicate parentage may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident individual, or the guardian…

Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.730, venue for a proceeding to adjudicate parentage is in the county of this state in which: (1) The child resides or is located; (2) If the child does not reside in this state, the respondent resides or is located; or (3) A proceeding h…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in RCW 26.26A.305(2), the court shall admit a report of genetic testing ordered by the court under RCW 26.26A.310 as evidence of the truth of the facts asserted in the report. (2) A party may object to the admission of a report described in subsec…

(1) A proceeding to determine whether an alleged genetic parent who is not a presumed parent is a parent of a child may be commenced: (a) Before the child becomes an adult; or (b) After the child becomes an adult, but only if the child initiates the proceeding. (2) Except as othe…