RCW

RCW stands for Revised Code of Washington, the codified statutory law of the U.S. state of Washington. It comprises the laws enacted by the Washington State Legislature and organized into a systematic, consultable code. The RCW is the primary source for legislative statutes in Washington and is used by courts, lawyers, public officials, and citizens to identify the current law on a given topic.

The RCW is organized into titles, chapters, and sections, covering broad areas such as criminal procedure, civil law, education, health, transportation, and environment. Each title groups related statutes, and within titles, chapters and sections provide specific provisions. The RCW is updated to reflect changes enacted by each legislative session.

Consolidation and maintenance are handled by the Office of the Code Reviser under the Washington State Legislature. The official RCW text is published and maintained by the Code Reviser and is available on the Legislature’s website; updates occur through session laws that codify new or amended statutes. There is also an annotated version widely used by practitioners, which includes notes and cross-references from legal commentators.

The RCW should be distinguished from the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), which contains administrative regulations created by state agencies to implement statutes. Together, the RCW and WAC form the core of Washington state law and provide the framework for how statutory provisions are applied in government, business, and daily life.