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Click on your state to view detailed FOIA guidance
Click on your state to view detailed FOIA guidance
Each state page includes: response deadlines, fee structures, special rights, exemptions, enforcement options, and success strategies
- Statute
- Chapter 42.56 RCW
- Year Enacted
- 1970 (amended 2024)
- Response Deadline
- 5 business days
- Who Can Request
- Anyone
- Fees
- Yes
- Attorney Fees
- Recoverable if you win
- Enforcement
- Multiple mechanisms
Last verified: February 18, 2026
Use Washington FOIA TemplateDefinition of Public Record
Washington law defines records as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.” A recent Supreme Court ruling has said that accident reports are also public records.
Exemptions to Public Records
There are 46 exemptions. Most exemptions are versions of what can be found in many other state FOIA laws. These cover subjects such as the discovery exemption, law enforcement investigatory documents are exempt, as are deliberative process records.
🔍 Search Common Exemptions
Exemption database for WA is being compiled. Check back soon!
Who Can Make a Request?
Anyone
Response Timeframe
5 days.
📅 Calculate Your Response Deadline
Information on Fees
Search fees may not be charged, and the standard rate for photocopies are fifteen cents per page.
Enforcement Mechanisms
The Public Records Act is generally enforced through private litigation. Any person who has been refused to allow inspection or copying of public records may demand judicial review through a civil lawsuit. RCW 42.56.550. Likewise, any person who believes that an agency has not provided a reasonable estimate of time that the agency requires to respond to a public records request may seek judicial review.
Attorney Fees
Yes, you can win them. # 59 Goldwater Institute OPEN MY GOVERNMENT
🚀 Ready to Request Records?
Choose how you want to proceed with your WA public records request:
💡 Both options provide comprehensive, well-formatted requests based on WA transparency law.