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Washington

WA

Telecom Compliance Reference — Updated January 2023

Mini-TCPA State — High Risk

Calling Hours

8:00 AM–9:00 PM

Min Penalty

$1,000

Registration

Required

OverviewCalling HoursConsentRegistrationDNCEnforcementCase LawLegislation

Solar Sales Telemarketing Compliance in Washington

Solar and energy telemarketing compliance in Washington

Guide last reviewed: January 2025

⚠

Mini-TCPA State — RCW 80.36 (Automatic Dialing & Announcing Devices); RCW 19.190 (CEMA)

Washington imposes stricter consent and calling requirements than federal TCPA.Solar Sales companies operating here face $1,000 per-violation penalties.

Washington Solar Sales Overview

Solar telemarketing in Washington faces the same multi-layered risk as REI: CEMA for texts, ADAD for auto-dialers, two-party consent for recordings, and an aggressive AG office enforcing the CPA. Washington is also a major solar market (strong incentive programs, environmentally conscious consumer base), which means high lead volume AND high enforcement attention. The AG office has specifically targeted solar companies for deceptive claims about government incentives. Manual dialing with honest representations is the viable path. Automated outreach requires first-party consent that is bulletproof.

Penalty/Violation

$1,000

Willful

$2,000

Calling Hours

8:00 AM–9:00 PM

Private Suit

Allowed

Compliance Checklist

✓Register with Washington Department of Agriculture as commercial telephone solicitor ($55 + $10,000 bond),Obtain prior consent before ANY automated text or voice outreach to WA consumers,CEMA compliance: no unsolicited commercial texts without express consent ($500/message minimum damages),Two-party consent: disclose and get consent before recording any call (RCW 9.73.030),Scrub federal National DNC Registry before every campaign,Identify yourself, your company, and purpose at start of every call,Do not misrepresent government incentives, utility affiliations, or rebate availability — WA AG actively targets deceptive solar practices,Do not imply government endorsement or utility company partnership without written authorization,AI voice agents must identify as AI at call start — FTC impersonation rules + WA CPA deceptive practices,Calling hours: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Pacific time,Honor opt-out requests immediately,Maintain records of consent, call logs, and marketing materials for compliance audits

What Gets Companies Sued

✗Top violations for solar companies in Washington: (1) Automated text campaigns to WA consumers without consent — CEMA makes this extremely expensive; (2) Misrepresenting IRA tax credits, state incentives, or utility savings — WA AG has targeted solar companies for deceptive practices; (3) Recording sales calls without two-party consent; (4) Using spoofed local area codes for outbound solar prospecting; (5) AI voice agents failing to identify as automated — WA CPA deceptive practices liability.

Special Exemptions

No meaningful solar-specific exemptions in Washington. EBR provides limited coverage for existing installation customers regarding maintenance/service calls. B2B exemption may apply when calling commercial property owners/managers in their business capacity. Residential solar calls to homeowners are fully consumer-regulated.

Key State Rules

Mini-TCPAYes
RegistrationRequired
Class ActionsAllowed
Consent Requirements→Registration Details→DNC List→

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Catalyst Partners specializes in telecom compliance for Solar Sales companies operating in Washington and across the country. We build the systems, you make the calls.

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This is a compliance reference tool, not legal advice. Data compiled from public statutes, LegiScan, CourtListener, state AG offices, and AI-assisted analysis. Verify all information with qualified counsel before relying on it. Full terms & data sources →