Washington TCPA and telemarketing law
Washington has its own telemarketing statute with a private right of action. Its consent standard is stricter than the current federal one.
| Statute | RCW 80.36.390; RCW 80.36.400; RCW 19.190.060 | ↗ |
| Consent standard | No state-specific consent standard | ↗ |
| Stricter than federal | Yes | ↗ |
| Private right of action | Yes | ↗ |
| Statutory damages | $1,000 / violation | ↗ |
| Covers text messages | Yes | ↗ |
| Cure period | Not yet verified |
Washington regulates telephone solicitation in two sections of its utilities code. RCW 80.36.390 covers live and recorded sales and donation calls: callers must identify themselves and the purpose within 30 seconds, call only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., honor stop requests for at least a year, and may not call numbers on the federal Do Not Call registry. RCW 80.36.400 bans using an automatic dialing and announcing device for unsolicited commercial solicitation, including messages that go straight to voicemail, and since 2023 reaches anyone who knowingly assists.
A person who is injured, or aggrieved by repeated violations, can sue in superior court for at least $1,000 per violation, and the Attorney General can enforce fines of up to $1,000 each. Commercial texts fall under a separate law, RCW 19.190, which requires clear advance consent; for suits filed on or after June 11, 2026, recipient damages are $100 or actual damages.