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Updated 11/07

Where to Obtain Copies of Washington State Laws, Administrative Regulations, Handbooks, Standard Specifications and Court Decisions

Contents

Building Codes

Codes adopted by the state of Washington which are in effect in all jurisdictions through out the state are noted in bold.  See Amendments to those codes under Washington State Codes and Code Amendments.  The codes can be purchased directly from the code publishers or from the Washington State Building Officials (WABO) Bookstore.

International Code Council (ICC)

  • 2006 International Building Code
  • 2006 International Fire Code
  • 2006 International Mechanical Code
  • 2006 International Plumbing Code  
  • 2006 International Fuel Gas Code
  • 2006 International Energy Conservation Code
  • 2006 International Private Sewage Code
  • 2006 International Code Council Performance Code
  • 2006 International Code Council Electrical Code
  • 2006 International Property Maintenance Code
  • 2006 International Residential Code
  • 2006 International Zoning Code
  • 2006 International Existing Building  Code
  • 2006 International Wildland-Urban Code

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

  • National Fire Protection Association Catalog
  • The 2005 National Electrical Code
  • Uniform Fire Code

Washington State Codes and Code Amendments

See the State Building Code Council  Website for copies of Washington state codes, code amendments, and proposed codes amendments.  Electrical code provisions may be found on the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Website.  See also the Washington State Association of Building Officials.

  • Current Electrical Code Laws and Rules - Washington State Department of  Labor and Industries
  • Washington State Amendments to ICC codes adopted by the State Building Code
  • Washington State Energy Code
  • Washington State Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Code
  • Washington State Historic Building Code
  • Uniform Building Code and Standards Amendments (includes Regulations for Barrier-Free Facilities)
  • Uniform Mechanical Code Amendments
  • Uniform Plumbing Code and Standards Amendments,
  • State Building Code Council Yearly Code Interpretations

Legal Publications

  • Records Retention Schedules for Local Governments  The records retention manuals provide instruction and guidelines for records disposition based on the provisions of Chapter 40.14 RCW.  Download the schedules in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Format from the Secretary of State, Division of Archives and Records Management website at http://www.secstate.wa.gov/archives/gs.aspx
  • Revised Code of Washington (RCW)  - Laws enacted by the state legislature have been compiled into a code or compilation of laws by title, chapter, and section by the Office of the Code Reviser. This compilation is called the Revised Code of Washington and cited as RCW.   It may be viewed on line.  Purchasing information is on the Office of the Code Reviser's Publications Available Page.
  • Washington Administrative Code (WAC)  - The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) is a compilation of the administrative laws and regulations of Washington State agencies,  prepared by the Code Reviser.  Purchasing information is on the Office of the Code Reviser's Publications Available Page.  
  • The Washington State Register (WSR) contains the full text of proposed, emergency, and permanently adopted rules of state agencies, executive orders of the Governor, notices of public meetings of state agencies, rules of state supreme court summaries of Attorney General opinions, and juvenile disposition standards.    Purchasing information is on the Office of the Code Reviser's Publications Available Page.
  • Washington State Supreme Court and Appellate Court Decisions - The decisions of the State Supreme and Appellate Courts are initially reported through the Official Advance Sheets which are published by Lexis Nexis - Michie. The Official Advance Sheets of both the Washington Appellate Reports and of the Washington Reports are usually issued biweekly. Subscription information can be found at  Michie: Washington  

CD-ROM versions of the Washington State Supreme and Appellate Court Decisions may be purchased from the Code Reviser's Office.  See Office of the Code Revisor's Publications Available Page.

    Washington State Attorney General's Opinions - The Attorney General issues legal opinions on matters of state law to members of the legislature, state officials, and county prosecuting attorneys. Opinions of the Attorney General have been written in several formats: The "official" opinion, AGO, is the most formal and is considered the opinion of that office. Less formal opinions have in the past been issued as "letter" opinions, AGLO, and sometimes in memorandum format to particular state officials.  Copies of the Opinions are on the AGO Website - See left column

    State Legislative Resources

    • Bills and Session Laws  Copies of  bills and session laws are available on the Washington State Legislature's Website.    Bound session laws are available from the Office of the Code Reviser See Publications Available.

    •  AWC Legislative Bulletin, Legislative Digest, Action Call  - The Association of Washington Cities through its lobbying activities and its expert testimonies on legislative issues, represents the interests of cities and towns to the state legislature. The status of legislative activity on issues of concern is communicated to the municipalities through weekly mailings during the legislative session.  Many of the publications are posted on AWC's Legislative Services Web Page.  For further information contact the Association of Washington Cities 1076 South Franklin Street, Olympia, WA 98501, (360) 753-4137; (800) 562-8981, SCAN: 234-4137
    • Counties
      • Washington State Association of Counties -  Legislative Bulletin
      • Courthouse Journal  - A joint publication of Washington Association of County Officials and Washington State Association of Counties
    • Special Districts
      • Washington State Fire Commissioners Legislative Reports - See tab on Home Page
      • Washington State Ports Association -Legislative - See tab on Home Page

    Public Works Related Publications

      Street Related Standards - See the Washington State Department of Transportation Engineering Publications Page which provides update notices, ordering information,  and a link to   Engineering Publications Online Technical Manual Library.  Among the publications listed are:
      • Design Manual from the Washington State Department of Transportation, contains policies and procedures that are in compliance with AASHTO guidelines, state and federal laws, and current practices in highway design.  
      • Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) Manual is intended to help Washington's public agencies plan, design, construct and maintain transportation facilities. To assist agencies in accomplishing these goals, the manual describes the processes, documents and approvals necessary to obtain Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds to develop local transportation projects and defray their costs.
      • Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
      • Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction
      • Traffic Manual published by the Washington State Department of Transportation Operations and Maintenance Office.
      Utilities Related Publications

      Other Publications

      • State of Washington SCAN (State Controlled Area Network) Telephone Directory - SCAN is a telephone network managed by the State to provide low cost long distance services to public entities.  Contact Department of Information Services
      • Washington State Almanac  - Provides a standardized, consistent Economic and demographic description of each of Washington's counties. The data that is compiled for each county is ranked and compared to state averages, as well as to counties in the other 49 states with detailed comparisons between Washington and its closest neighbors, Oregon and British Columbia. Published annually by Electronic Handbook Publishers, Inc.
      • Washington State Yearbook  - A cumulation of information about Washington State. It includes information about the legislative branch and districts, state agencies, elections, government organization, state finances; local government including counties, cities and towns, education, special districts, and regional authorities; congressional delegations and districts, U.S. courts and U.S. government, and Indians of Washington. There is also information on the history of Washington, media and information sources, organizations, parks and museums, and statistics and Economy, as well as information about voting. Published annually by Electronic Handbook Publishers, Inc.