RCW 49.94 has covered Washington employers since 2018
The Attorney General's page: the Fair Chance Act took effect in June 2018 and was amended in 2025.
Module 1 of 7 · 8 min read
Washington's Fair Chance Act is RCW 49.94. The Attorney General's Office says it protects applicants and employees with criminal records so they may fairly compete for jobs, and that it generally prevents employers from automatically excluding people based on criminal history before determining they are otherwise qualified and extending a conditional offer. The law went into effect in June 2018. Amendments from 2025 c 71 (EHB 1747) phase in by employer size. This lesson is educational and is not legal advice.
PreHireBadge Academy courses are free and educational. Completing a course or earning a certificate is not legal advice, not a professional license, and not a legal credential. Laws change. Read the cited sources and ask a qualified attorney about your own hiring decision.
- 2018: ads, applications, and early inquiries already limited
- 2025 amendments: conditional offer, legitimate business reason, hold-open
- Those amendments do not all apply on the same day for every employer size