Washington
Washington certifies peace and corrections officers through the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), which by statute keeps a public database of certification actions and reports decertifications to the National Decertification Index. Since 2023 the State has brought limited authority officers into certification, banned hog-tying, loosened vehicle pursuit limits, barred officers from wearing face coverings with the public, and set eligibility and certification rules for sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals.
At a glance
- Certifying body
- Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) (RCW 43.101.020, 43.101.095)
- Statute
- RCW 43.101: certification and background investigations in 43.101.095; denial, suspension, and revocation in 43.101.105; reinstatement in 43.101.115; hearings in 43.101.380; records and the public database in 43.101.400; basic training in 43.101.200. Related: RCW 10.93 (hiring; duty to intervene in 10.93.190), 10.120 (use-of-force standard), 10.116 (tactics, pursuits, face coverings), and 43.102 (Office of Independent Investigations). Rules in WAC 139-03, -05, -06, -07, -11, and -12.
- Minimum standards
- No statewide minimum age for officers was found in RCW 43.101 or WAC 139; civil service law says only “an age suitable for the position” (RCW 41.12.070). Peace officers may be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or DACA recipients; corrections officers may be citizens or anyone legally authorized to work (RCW 10.93.165; 43.101.095(2)(b)(v)). Hiring requires a background investigation completed within the prior 6 months. It covers criminal history, “any national decertification index,” CJTC records, prior disciplinary records, prosecutor impeachment-list inquiries, extremist affiliations, social media, a psychological exam, and a polygraph or similar test (43.101.095(2)). General authority officers must start the basic academy within 6 months of hire, limited authority officers within 12 (RCW 43.101.200; WAC 139-05-200). CJTC’s academy page gives 720 academy hours; the figure is not in RCW or WAC (CJTC). Sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals must be U.S. citizens, at least 25, and high school graduates, with 5 years of full-time law enforcement employment, no felony or unvacated gross misdemeanor conviction, and no conduct meeting the mandatory revocation criteria, and must be certified within 9 months of taking office (RCW 35.21.333; 36.28.025). Those in office on April 30, 2026 are exempt from the age and 5-year rules unless they seek a different office.
- Decertification
- Mandatory: CJTC “must deny or revoke” certification for certain criminal convictions, including felonies; for termination or separation after unlawful force causing death or serious injury, after failing to intervene in or report excessive force, or after dishonesty such as perjury, false reports, or hiding evidence, or where a court found that conduct; and for a weapons prohibition, which since March 18, 2026 cannot rest solely on immigration status (43.101.105(2)). Discretionary: CJTC “may deny, suspend, or revoke ... or require remedial training” for training failures, falsified applications, interfering with investigations, unlawful or out-of-policy force likely to injure, sexual harassment, and other grounds (43.101.105(3)). Since April 30, 2026, an officer required to be certified whose certification was denied, revoked, or surrendered and not reinstated in any state “may not serve in any role” as an officer (43.101.115(4)). Hearings go to an administrative law judge and a 5-member panel, under a preponderance of the evidence standard.
- Public decertification list
- Yes, by statute. CJTC “shall maintain a database that is publicly searchable, machine readable, and exportable,” covering officers, employing agencies, conduct investigated, agency notices including reasons for separation, decertification and suspension actions, and final dispositions, kept at least 30 years (43.101.400(4)). CJTC links the database from its site.
- National Decertification Index
- Reporting required by statute. “Any decertification must be reported to the national decertification index” (43.101.400(4)), and background investigations must check “any national decertification index” (43.101.095(2)(b)(i)).
- Continuing training
- 24 hours of in-service training every year for every certified officer, including CJTC’s annual online crisis intervention course (WAC 139-05-300). Since January 1, 2026 this covers certified limited authority and corrections officers too.
Changes, 2023 to 2026
De-escalation training and independent investigation rules updated
WSR 26-19-053 updates WAC 139-11 on de-escalation training under the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act (LETCSA). WSR 26-19-054 rewrites WAC 139-12, the LETCSA criteria for independent investigations, into new sections 139-12-040 to -120. The rule text was not compared line by line for this page.
For officers: Independent investigations under LETCSA now follow the rewritten WAC 139-12.
Hearing rules aligned with the revocation statute
Updates the CJTC rule on service of documents (WAC 139-06-080) and conforms WAC 139-06-150 to RCW 43.101.105.
For officers: No change to your obligations.
Independent investigations cover any death after police force; files confidential until referral
The Office of Independent Investigations now has jurisdiction over deadly force and over “any death that occurs during or after any other use of force by an involved officer if the use of force may have caused or contributed” to the death. Covered agencies now include jails and detention facilities, and notice rules are revised. The office’s investigative records are confidential and exempt from the Public Records Act until referral to a prosecutor for a charging decision, and noninvestigative records that implicate privacy are exempt.
For officers: A death after any use of force, not only deadly force, can bring an independent investigation.
Sheriffs, chiefs, and marshals must be certified; decertified anywhere means barred
Certification is now a condition of employment “or of holding office,” and the option of an exemption is struck (43.101.095(1)). Sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals must be at least 25, have 5 years of full-time law enforcement employment, have no conduct meeting the mandatory revocation criteria, and be certified within 9 months of taking office (RCW 35.21.333; 36.28.025). For chiefs and marshals, the age rule is new and the experience rule rises from 2 years. For sheriffs, the old rule required only basic training within 12 months of taking office. Sheriff candidates need a State Patrol background check, and CJTC posts whether each passed. A sheriff’s office, or any elected law enforcement office, becomes vacant if the incumbent does not keep certification or is decertified by a final CJTC decision (RCW 36.28.210; 42.12.010(9)). For all hires, background investigations must be completed within the prior 6 months, and agencies that employed the person or received an application must keep and disclose application records within 30 days. CJTC “shall” (was “may”) set background standards. Background files are confidential, but whether a background was passed or failed is public (43.101.095(8)). An officer whose certification was denied, revoked, or surrendered and not reinstated “in this state or any other state may not serve in any role” as an officer (43.101.115(4)).
For officers: A revocation or surrender in another state that has not been reinstated now bars you from any officer role in Washington; check the new rules before seeking a sheriff, chief, or marshal post.
Officers may not wear face coverings with the public
A law enforcement officer “shall not wear a facial covering while interacting with the public in the performance of the officer’s duties.” Officers include peace officers and federal employees or agents who can carry firearms, make warrantless arrests, and enforce criminal, customs, or immigration laws. Exceptions: undercover operatives in an active operation, SWAT protective gear, and protective equipment required or authorized under workplace safety law. Clear face shields, medical masks, respirators, and religious coverings are not facial coverings. Consistent with RCW 10.116.050, peace officers must be reasonably identifiable by a displayed name or other uniform information. A person detained in violation may sue the officer in the officer’s official capacity for damages and other relief, but an officer who was reasonably identifiable at the time is not liable. Challenges to the law’s coverage of federal officers were not checked for this page.
For officers: Do not wear an opaque mask with the public unless an exception applies, and keep your name or ID visible.
Work-authorized corrections officers; immigration status alone not a revocation ground
For jail and prison custody positions, agencies may consider citizens or people “legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law” (RCW 10.93.165(2)). Peace officers must still be citizens, lawful permanent residents, or DACA recipients. The mandatory weapons-prohibition ground in 43.101.105(2)(e) no longer allows denial or revocation “based solely on” a federal prohibition tied only to immigration status, where the officer could lawfully possess weapons under 18 U.S.C. 925(a)(1). Sections 2, 4, and 6 apply retroactively to individuals employed on and after March 18, 2026.
For officers: A federal firearms bar based only on immigration status no longer requires revocation if you can lawfully carry on duty.
Hearing rules conformed to SB 5224
Conforms the CJTC hearing rules to SB 5224 (2025): the administrative law judge no longer issues a proposed recommendation.
For officers: In a certification hearing, the panel decides without a proposed recommendation from the judge.
Part-time service prevents lapse; lateral moves trigger background checks
Defines “certified” and “commissioned.” Background investigations apply to applicants moving between Washington agencies and between peace officer and corrections roles. Certification lapses after a break of more than 24 months in law enforcement service; the word “full-time” is struck, so part-time service now counts (43.101.125, .126). In hearings the administrative law judge presides and rules but no longer issues a proposed recommendation; the 5-member panel decides (43.101.380(2)).
For officers: Part-time service now counts toward keeping your certification from lapsing.
Hiring certification must rule out mandatory revocation conduct
The hiring agency’s background certification must confirm that the applicant has no conduct “meeting the criteria requiring denial or revocation ... set forth in RCW 43.101.105(2).”
For officers: Your new employer must certify that your background shows no conduct that would require revocation.
Model polygraph question requirement removed
Removes the requirement that CJTC adopt model polygraph questions for background investigations.
For officers: No change to your obligations.
Hog-tying banned and treated as excessive force
“A peace officer is prohibited from: (a) Hog-tying a person; or (b) Assisting in putting a person into a hog-tie.” “Hog-tying shall constitute the use of excessive force for the purposes of RCW 10.93.190,” the duty to intervene. Alternative restraints that reduce the risk of positional asphyxia are allowed.
For officers: Hog-tying is excessive force; if you see it, the duty to intervene applies.
Permanent residents and DACA recipients may serve as peace officers
New RCW 10.93.165 lets agencies consider applications from citizens or lawful permanent residents. SSB 6157 adds DACA recipients to civil service eligibility (41.08.070, 41.12.070, 41.14.100) and to the status check in 43.101.095, and lets DACA peace and corrections officers possess firearms for duty (9.41.060, 9.41.171). WAC 139-07-020(1)(h) still lists only citizens and permanent residents; it has not been updated to match.
For officers: Permanent residents and DACA recipients can now apply for peace officer jobs.
Office of Independent Investigations gets wider access
The Office of Independent Investigations gets access to 911 center data and copies of records “as soon as possible.” The involved agency may learn about an ongoing investigation only through limited briefings, information essential to safety, or information that will not impede it. The deadline for its plan on non-law-enforcement investigators moves to December 1, 2025.
For officers: Your agency’s access to an ongoing independent investigation is limited.
Initiative 2113 loosens pursuit limits again
An initiative to the Legislature, passed without the Governor’s signature. Officers may pursue on “reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law,” and the danger test changed from “serious risk of harm to” to “threat to the safety of” others (RCW 10.116.060). The restriction on firing at moving vehicles in 10.116.060(4), which allows it only to protect against an imminent threat of serious physical harm from an occupant’s use of a deadly weapon, did not change.
For officers: Check your agency’s pursuit policy; the statute now allows pursuit on reasonable suspicion of any violation, subject to the safety test.
Commission bears the burden of proof; annual training rule widened
WAC 139-03-070 and 139-06-070 now say “The burden of proof for the final administrative decision of the commission rests with the commission,” under a preponderance of the evidence standard, and the appellant bears it on appeal. Before, the appealing party had the burden. WAC 139-05-300 applies the 24-hour annual in-service rule to all certified officers, with limited authority and corrections officers covered from January 1, 2026.
For officers: In a certification case, CJTC must prove its case; you do not have to disprove it.
Rules for limited authority and reserve officers
Puts SHB 1132 into effect for limited authority officers and adds reporting of reserve officers’ use of force, suspensions, and misconduct.
For officers: Reserve officers’ use of force and misconduct are now reported to CJTC.
Limited authority officers brought into certification
Limited authority Washington peace officers with arrest powers who carry firearms are now covered; Department of Corrections staff are excluded. Applicants after July 1, 2023 must pass the 43.101.095 background investigation. CJTC “shall certify” limited authority officers employed on or before July 1, 2023, and may revoke afterward. Those hired on or after July 1, 2023 must start basic training within 12 months; earlier hires get a supplemental-training review instead.
For officers: Limited authority officers can now be decertified.
State Auditor gets nonconviction data for deadly-force audits
The State Auditor may receive nonconviction criminal history data “solely for the express purpose of conducting a process compliance audit procedure and review of any deadly force investigation” (RCW 10.97.050(7); 43.101.460(2)).
For officers: No change to your obligations.
Vehicle pursuit limits loosened
Officers may pursue on “reasonable suspicion,” instead of probable cause, for listed offenses: violent and sex offenses, vehicular assault, domestic violence assault, escape, and DUI. “Imminent threat” became “serious risk of harm.” Supervisor authorization became supervisor notification and oversight.
For officers: Superseded in part by Initiative 2113 in 2024; see above.
Not yet in force and pending
- 2SSB 5974 (2026, ch. 258), sections 6, 7, and 10, January 1, 2027: volunteers and youth cadets of police departments and sheriff’s offices may not enforce criminal laws, pursue, detain or arrest, use force, or carry weapons unless they are certified, and may not enforce civil immigration laws. Qualified retired officers under 18 U.S.C. 926C may be allowed to carry firearms as volunteers. Agencies must set policies that make volunteers, cadets, and specially commissioned officers clearly identifiable, with limits on face coverings. Laws of 2026, ch. 258
CJTC’s rules page listed no proposed rule changes on October 19, 2026 (CJTC rules). The 2026 session has ended; the Legislature next convenes in January 2027.
Checked and unchanged
- RCW 10.120 (statewide use-of-force standard) was last changed in 2022, and RCW 10.93.190 (duty to intervene) in 2021. ESSB 6009 (2024) defines hog-tying as excessive force for the duty to intervene without amending 10.93.190.
- RCW 43.101.400(4), the public database and Index reporting, is unchanged since 2021; the 2026 act changed only subsections (1) to (3). RCW 43.101.105(2)(a) to (d) and (3) are unchanged since 2021; only (2)(e) changed in 2026.
- Not counted: WSR 23-01-086, adopted in December 2022 and effective January 16, 2023; WSR 23-19-039 (WAC 139-27) and 24-19-043 (academy readmission), which are outside this tracker’s scope.
- SHB 2136 (2024), on vehicular pursuits, was not reviewed for this page.
Last updated October 19, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & InvestigationCite as: United States Council for Law & Investigation, “Washington officer certification: Officer Certification Tracker,” uscli.org/officer-certification-tracker/washington (last updated October 19, 2026). Text licensed CC BY 4.0.