Washington
Washington Assault Laws: Four Degrees, Felonies and Penalties (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 14, 2026). · 16 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
Washington does not have a separate battery crime. Chapter 9A.36 of the Revised Code of Washington uses one offense, assault, and grades it in four degrees (RCW 9A.36.011, .021, .031 and .041); the statutes never define the word assault, so its meaning comes from Washington case law. Assault in the fourth degree is a gross misdemeanor, while the third, second and first degrees are class C, B and A felonies, depending on the victim, the weapon, the injury and the intent. For other states, see our guide to assault and battery laws by state.
Information last verified on 2026-10-13. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Washington's assault statutes in chapter 9A.36 RCW (RCW 9A.36.011, .021, .031, .041, .050, .080, .100, .120 to .140 and .150), the Title 9A definitions in RCW 9A.04.110, the maximum sentences in RCW 9A.20.021, the domestic violence definition in RCW 10.99.020 and the civil filing period in RCW 4.16.100. It does not cover self-defense and justification (see Washington self-defense laws), protective orders (see Washington restraining order laws), sexual offenses, firearm and deadly-weapon sentence enhancements, federal assault crimes (see the hub) or city and county ordinances.
Assault vs. battery in Washington
Washington folds what other states call battery into a single crime. The chapter is titled "Assault - physical harm," and its four core sections are "9A.36.011 Assault in the first degree. 9A.36.021 Assault in the second degree. 9A.36.031 Assault in the third degree. 9A.36.041 Assault in the fourth degree." The word battery does not appear in the chapter's text.
The baseline offense is written in a single line. RCW 9A.36.041(1) provides that a person is guilty of assault in the fourth degree "if, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first, second, or third degree, or custodial assault, he or she assaults another." Neither that section nor the Title 9A definitions section, RCW 9A.04.110, defines "assault." The meaning of the word comes from Washington court decisions, which this page does not summarize.
Is assault a felony in Washington?
Fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor. RCW 9A.36.041(2) states: "Assault in the fourth degree is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section." That exception is the repeat domestic violence felony described below.
In most cases the lowest felony is assault in the third degree, a class C felony under RCW 9A.36.031(2). Third-degree assault covers assaults on listed workers performing their duties, an assault meant to resist lawful process or arrest, and causing bodily harm with criminal negligence in the two ways the statute describes. Custodial assault (RCW 9A.36.100), an assault on corrections and detention staff, is also a class C felony.
An assault committed maliciously and intentionally, in whole or in part because of the person's perception of the victim's race, religion, disability or another characteristic listed in RCW 9A.36.080, is a hate crime offense, a class C felony, whatever the level of injury.
Washington assault offenses and penalties
| Offense | Statute | What it covers | Class | Statutory maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault in the first degree | RCW 9A.36.011 | With intent to inflict great bodily harm: assault with a firearm, deadly weapon or force or means likely to produce great bodily harm or death; transmitting HIV to a child or vulnerable adult; administering poison or a destructive or noxious substance; or assault that inflicts great bodily harm | Class A felony | Up to life in prison, a fine up to $50,000, or both |
| Assault in the second degree | RCW 9A.36.021 | Not amounting to first degree, including: intentionally assaulting another and recklessly inflicting substantial bodily harm; assault with a deadly weapon; assault with intent to commit a felony; assault by strangulation or suffocation | Class B felony; class A with a finding of sexual motivation | Class B: up to 10 years, a fine up to $20,000, or both. Class A: up to life, a fine up to $50,000, or both |
| Assault in the third degree | RCW 9A.36.031 | Including: assault on listed workers performing their duties (see below); assault to prevent or resist lawful process or lawful apprehension or detention; with criminal negligence, causing bodily harm by a weapon or other instrument likely to produce bodily harm, or bodily harm with substantial pain lasting long enough to cause considerable suffering | Class C felony | Up to 5 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| Custodial assault | RCW 9A.36.100 | Assault, not first or second degree, on staff, volunteers, educational personnel, personal service providers, vendors or agents at juvenile or adult corrections institutions or detention facilities, or on community corrections officers and employees performing official duties, or volunteers assisting them | Class C felony | Up to 5 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| Assault in the fourth degree | RCW 9A.36.041(1)-(2) | Assaulting another under circumstances not amounting to a higher degree or custodial assault | Gross misdemeanor | Up to 364 days in county jail, a fine up to $5,000, or both |
| Fourth-degree assault, repeat intimate-partner domestic violence | RCW 9A.36.041(3)(b) | Fourth-degree assault on or after March 18, 2020, with domestic violence against an intimate partner pleaded and proven, by a person with two or more qualifying prior adult convictions within ten years | Class C felony | Up to 5 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| Assault of a child in the first degree | RCW 9A.36.120 | A person 18 or older commits first-degree assault against a child under 13, or intentionally assaults the child and recklessly inflicts great bodily harm, or causes substantial bodily harm after a prior pattern or practice of abuse described in the statute | Class A felony | Up to life, a fine up to $50,000, or both |
| Assault of a child in the second degree | RCW 9A.36.130 | A person 18 or older commits second-degree assault against a child under 13, or intentionally assaults the child causing bodily harm greater than transient physical pain or minor temporary marks after a prior pattern or practice of abuse described in the statute | Class B felony | Up to 10 years, a fine up to $20,000, or both |
| Assault of a child in the third degree | RCW 9A.36.140 | Third-degree assault under RCW 9A.36.031(1)(d) or (f) against a child under 13 by a person 18 or older | Class C felony | Up to 5 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| Hate crime offense (assault) | RCW 9A.36.080(1)(a), (7) | Maliciously and intentionally assaulting another person in whole or in part because of the person's perception of the victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical, or sensory disability | Class C felony | Up to 5 years, a fine up to $10,000, or both |
| Reckless endangerment | RCW 9A.36.050 | Recklessly engaging in conduct, not amounting to drive-by shooting, that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person; no injury is required | Gross misdemeanor | Up to 364 days, a fine up to $5,000, or both |
| Interfering with the reporting of domestic violence | RCW 9A.36.150 | Committing a crime of domestic violence and preventing or attempting to prevent the victim or a witness from calling 911, obtaining medical assistance or reporting to law enforcement | Gross misdemeanor | Up to 364 days, a fine up to $5,000, or both |
These are the maximums for each offense itself; RCW 9.94A.540 sets a five-year mandatory minimum for some first-degree assaults, described below. Chapter 9A.36 also contains drive-by shooting (RCW 9A.36.045, a class B felony), coercion by threat (RCW 9A.36.070, a gross misdemeanor) and failing to summon assistance, which applies to a person present when a crime causes another substantial bodily harm who knows of the harm and the need for help, could summon help without danger to himself or herself or interference with an important duty to a third party, and does not, when no one else has (RCW 9A.36.160 and 9A.36.161, a misdemeanor).
The penalty column comes from RCW 9A.20.021, which sets the maximum for each class. A class A felony is punishable "by confinement in a state correctional institution for a term of life imprisonment, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of fifty thousand dollars, or by both"; class B by up to ten years or a $20,000 fine, or both; and class C by up to five years or a $10,000 fine, or both. A gross misdemeanor defined in Title 9A carries "imprisonment in the county jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of up to three hundred sixty-four days, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than five thousand dollars, or by both."
These are statutory maximums, not typical sentences. For felonies, Washington's Sentencing Reform Act sets standard ranges from a grid that combines the offense's seriousness level with the person's offender score (RCW 9.94A.510 and 9.94A.515). For example, the seriousness table places Assault 1 at level XII, and the grid's range at level XII with an offender score of 0 is 93 to 123 months. Separately, RCW 9.94A.540(1)(b) provides that an offender convicted of assault in the first degree or assault of a child in the first degree "where the offender used force or means likely to result in death or intended to kill the victim shall be sentenced to a term of total confinement not less than five years." That minimum does not apply to a juvenile tried as an adult under RCW 13.04.030(1)(e)(i) for crimes committed on or after July 24, 2005 (RCW 9.94A.540(3)).
Definitions that decide the grade
Washington's assault degrees turn on three levels of harm, all defined in RCW 9A.04.110(4) "In this title unless a different meaning plainly is required":
- Bodily injury, physical injury or bodily harm "means physical pain or injury, illness, or an impairment of physical condition."
- Substantial bodily harm "means bodily injury which involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily part."
- Great bodily harm "means bodily injury which creates a probability of death, or which causes significant serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a significant permanent loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part or organ."
Deadly weapon. RCW 9A.04.110(6) defines a deadly weapon as "any explosive or loaded or unloaded firearm, and shall include any other weapon, device, instrument, article, or substance, including a 'vehicle' as defined in this section, which, under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used, or threatened to be used, is readily capable of causing death or substantial bodily harm." Assault with a deadly weapon is second-degree assault under RCW 9A.36.021(1)(c), unless the facts amount to first-degree assault.
Assaulting a police officer, nurse, transit worker or other protected person
RCW 9A.36.031 makes an assault on a listed person third-degree assault, a class C felony. Most paragraphs require that the person was performing official duties at the time. The listed people include:
- Law enforcement. A "law enforcement officer or other employee of a law enforcement agency who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault" (paragraph (g)), and a peace officer assaulted "with a projectile stun gun" (paragraph (h)).
- Fire service. "A firefighter or other employee of a fire department, county fire marshal's office, county fire prevention bureau, or fire protection district who was performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault" (paragraph (e)).
- Health care. "A nurse, physician, or health care provider who was performing his or her nursing or health care duties at the time of the assault" (paragraph (i)). For this paragraph, a health care provider is a person certified under chapter 18.71 or 18.73 RCW who performs emergency medical services, or a person regulated under Title 18 RCW and employed by, or contracting with, a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW.
- Transit. A transit operator or driver, the operator's immediate supervisor, a mechanic or a security officer employed "by a public or private transit company or a contracted transit service provider, while that person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault" (paragraph (b)).
- School buses. A school bus driver, the driver's immediate supervisor, a mechanic or a security officer "employed by a school district transportation service or a private company under contract for transportation services with a school district," while performing official duties (paragraph (c)).
- Courts. "A judicial officer, court-related employee, county clerk, or county clerk's employee, while that person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault or as a result of that person's employment within the judicial system" (paragraph (j)). Paragraph (k) also covers an assault on any person in a courtroom, jury room, judge's chamber or an adjacent waiting area or corridor, but it applies only "During the times when a courtroom, jury room, or judge's chamber is being used for judicial purposes during court proceedings" and "if signage was posted in compliance with RCW 2.28.200 at the time of the assault."
The same section reaches a "licensed health care provider who implants or causes another to implant the provider's own gametes or reproductive material into a patient during an assisted reproduction procedure" (paragraph (l)).
Corrections and detention staff fall under a separate offense, custodial assault, in RCW 9A.36.100. It applies when the person "is not guilty of an assault in the first or second degree" and assaults staff, volunteers, educational personnel, personal service providers, vendors or agents at a juvenile or adult corrections institution or detention facility, or a community corrections officer or other community corrections office employee, while performing official duties. It is a class C felony.
Children receive their own offenses. Assault of a child in the first, second and third degree (RCW 9A.36.120 to 9A.36.140) applies when a person 18 or older assaults a child under 13, and the three degrees are class A, B and C felonies.
Domestic violence assault in Washington
Washington has no separate domestic assault crime. RCW 10.99.020 defines "domestic violence" to include, among other crimes, each of the four assault degrees, reckless endangerment and coercion "when committed either by (a) one family or household member against another family or household member, or (b) one intimate partner against another intimate partner." The designation attaches to the ordinary assault charge.
The designation can change the grade of a fourth-degree assault. Under RCW 9A.36.041(3)(b), a fourth-degree assault occurring on or after March 18, 2020, "where domestic violence against an 'intimate partner' as defined in RCW 10.99.020 is pleaded and proven, is a class C felony if the person has two or more prior adult convictions within ten years" for listed offenses occurring after July 23, 2017, where domestic violence against an intimate partner or a family or household member was pleaded and proven. The qualifying priors are a repetitive domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030, harassment as defined by RCW 9A.46.060, assault in the first, second or third degree, or a comparable municipal, tribal, federal or out-of-state offense.
Separately, RCW 9A.36.150 makes it a gross misdemeanor to commit a crime of domestic violence and prevent or attempt to prevent the victim or a witness "from calling a 911 emergency communication system, obtaining medical assistance, or making a report to any law enforcement official."
Under federal law, a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence bars possessing a firearm or ammunition (18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9)); the assault and battery laws hub covers the federal layer. Protective orders are covered in Washington restraining order laws.
Recent changes
The current text of the assault-degree sections carries these most recent amendments: RCW 9A.36.011 (2020 c 76), 9A.36.021 (2011 c 166), 9A.36.031 (2024 c 220) and 9A.36.041 (2021 c 215). In the 2025-26 biennium, the act touching chapter 9A.36 was EHB 1052 (chapter 249, Laws of 2025), which amended the hate crime offense in RCW 9A.36.080, effective July 27, 2025; it did not change the assault degrees.
Civil lawsuits for assault and battery
A criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit for assault are separate proceedings. RCW 4.16.100 sets the civil filing period: "Within two years: (1) An action for libel, slander, assault, assault and battery, or false imprisonment." Under RCW 4.16.190, the period generally does not run while the injured person is under 18, legally incompetent, or imprisoned on a criminal charge before sentencing. Other filing deadlines are collected in our guide to the Washington statute of limitations.
Related legal issues
Self-defense and defense of others are justifications with their own rules; see Washington self-defense laws rather than this page. For protection orders after an assault or threat, see Washington restraining order laws. For vacating a past conviction, see Washington expungement laws.
Related pages
- Assault and battery laws by state
- Washington self-defense laws
- Washington restraining order laws
- Washington expungement laws
- Washington statute of limitations
- Oregon assault and battery laws
- Idaho assault and battery laws
This article provides general legal information about Washington assault statutes as of 2026-10-13. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Washington.
Last updated: 2026-10-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between assault and battery in Washington?
Washington law does not use the word battery for a crime. Chapter 9A.36 RCW has one offense, assault, graded in four degrees, and no Washington statute defines assault, so its meaning comes from Washington case law.
Is assault a felony in Washington?
Assault in the fourth degree is a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9A.36.041). Assault in the third, second and first degrees are class C, class B and class A felonies, and custodial assault is a class C felony (RCW 9A.36.011 to 9A.36.031; RCW 9A.36.100). An assault committed maliciously and intentionally because of the victim's perceived race, religion, disability or another characteristic listed in RCW 9A.36.080 is a hate crime offense, also a class C felony.
What is the penalty for fourth-degree assault in Washington?
Fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both (RCW 9A.36.041(2); RCW 9A.20.021(2)). It becomes a class C felony, up to 5 years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, only in the repeat intimate-partner domestic violence case in RCW 9A.36.041(3)(b); an assault committed maliciously and intentionally because of the victim's perceived race, religion, disability or another characteristic listed in RCW 9A.36.080 can be charged as a hate crime offense, a class C felony.
What happens if you assault a police officer or nurse in Washington?
Assaulting a law enforcement officer or other employee of a law enforcement agency who was performing official duties, or a nurse, physician or health care provider (as RCW 9A.36.031(1)(i) defines those terms) who was performing nursing or health care duties, is assault in the third degree, a class C felony punishable by up to 5 years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both (RCW 9A.36.031(1)(g), (i); RCW 9A.20.021(1)(c)).
Is strangulation a felony in Washington?
Yes. Assaulting another by strangulation or suffocation is assault in the second degree, a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years, a fine of up to $20,000, or both, when the circumstances do not amount to first-degree assault (RCW 9A.36.021(1)(g), (2); RCW 9A.20.021(1)(b)).
Is domestic violence assault a felony in Washington?
It depends on the degree charged. Domestic violence is a designation that attaches to the ordinary assault degrees (RCW 10.99.020); a fourth-degree assault stays a gross misdemeanor unless domestic violence against an intimate partner is pleaded and proven and the person has two or more qualifying prior adult convictions within ten years, which makes it a class C felony (RCW 9A.36.041(3)(b)).
How long do you have to sue for assault in Washington?
RCW 4.16.100(1) requires an action for libel, slander, assault, assault and battery, or false imprisonment to be brought within two years, subject to the tolling rules in RCW 4.16.190, such as for a person under 18.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Revised Code of Washington
§ 9A.36.041Assault in the fourth degree.In force
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the fourth degree if, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first, second, or third degree, or custodial assault, he or she assaults another. (2) Assault in the fourth degree is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section. (3)(a) Assault in the fourth degree occurring after July 23, 2017, and before March 18, 2020, where domestic violence is pleaded and proven, is a class C felony if the person has two or more prior adult convictions within ten years for any of the following offenses occurring after July 23, 2017, where domestic violence was pleaded and proven: (i) Repetitive domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030; (ii) Crime of harassment as defined by RCW 9A.46.060; (iii) Assault in the third degree; (iv) Assault in the second degree; (v) Assault in the first degree; or (vi) A municipal, tribal, federal, or out-of-state offense comparable to any offense under (a)(i) through (v) of this subsection.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.031Assault in the third degree.In force
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree if he or she, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first or second degree: (a) With intent to prevent or resist the execution of any lawful process or mandate of any court officer or the lawful apprehension or detention of himself, herself, or another person, assaults another; or (b) Assaults a person employed as a transit operator or driver, the immediate supervisor of a transit operator or driver, a mechanic, or a security officer, by a public or private transit company or a contracted transit service provider, while that person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or (c) Assaults a school bus driver, the immediate supervisor of a driver, a mechanic, or a security officer, employed by a school district transportation service or a private company under contract for transportation services with a school district, while the person is performing his or her official duties at the time of the assault; or (d) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm to another person by means of a weapon or other instrument or thing likely to produce bodily harm; or (e) Assaults a firefighter…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.021Assault in the second degree.In force
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the second degree if he or she, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first degree: (a) Intentionally assaults another and thereby recklessly inflicts substantial bodily harm; or (b) Intentionally and unlawfully causes substantial bodily harm to an unborn quick child by intentionally and unlawfully inflicting any injury upon the mother of such child; or (c) Assaults another with a deadly weapon; or (d) With intent to inflict bodily harm, administers to or causes to be taken by another, poison or any other destructive or noxious substance; or (e) With intent to commit a felony, assaults another; or (f) Knowingly inflicts bodily harm which by design causes such pain or agony as to be the equivalent of that produced by torture; or (g) Assaults another by strangulation or suffocation. (2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, assault in the second degree is a class B felony. (b) Assault in the second degree with a finding of sexual motivation under RCW 9.94A.835 or 13.40.135 is a class A felony.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.011Assault in the first degree.In force
(1) A person is guilty of assault in the first degree if he or she, with intent to inflict great bodily harm: (a) Assaults another with a firearm or any deadly weapon or by any force or means likely to produce great bodily harm or death; or (b) Transmits HIV to a child or vulnerable adult; or (c) Administers, exposes, or transmits to or causes to be taken by another, poison or any other destructive or noxious substance; or (d) Assaults another and inflicts great bodily harm. (2) Assault in the first degree is a class A felony.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.100Custodial assault.In force
(1) A person is guilty of custodial assault if that person is not guilty of an assault in the first or second degree and where the person: (a) Assaults a full or part-time staff member or volunteer, any educational personnel, any personal service provider, or any vendor or agent thereof at any juvenile corrections institution or local juvenile detention facilities who was performing official duties at the time of the assault; (b) Assaults a full or part-time staff member or volunteer, any educational personnel, any personal service provider, or any vendor or agent thereof at any adult corrections institution or local adult detention facilities who was performing official duties at the time of the assault; (c)(i) Assaults a full or part-time community correction officer while the officer is performing official duties; or (ii) Assaults any other full or part-time employee who is employed in a community corrections office while the employee is performing official duties; or (d) Assaults any volunteer who was assisting a person described in (c) of this subsection at the time of the assault. (2) Custodial assault is a class C felony.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.120Assault of a child in the first degree.In force
(1) A person eighteen years of age or older is guilty of the crime of assault of a child in the first degree if the child is under the age of thirteen and the person: (a) Commits the crime of assault in the first degree, as defined in RCW 9A.36.011, against the child; or (b) Intentionally assaults the child and either: (i) Recklessly inflicts great bodily harm; or (ii) Causes substantial bodily harm, and the person has previously engaged in a pattern or practice either of (A) assaulting the child which has resulted in bodily harm that is greater than transient physical pain or minor temporary marks, or (B) causing the child physical pain or agony that is equivalent to that produced by torture. (2) Assault of a child in the first degree is a class A felony.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.050Reckless endangerment.In force
(1) A person is guilty of reckless endangerment when he or she recklessly engages in conduct not amounting to drive-by shooting but that creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person. (2) Reckless endangerment is a gross misdemeanor.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.36.150Interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.In force
(1) A person commits the crime of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence if the person: (a) Commits a crime of domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020; and (b) Prevents or attempts to prevent the victim of or a witness to that domestic violence crime from calling a 911 emergency communication system, obtaining medical assistance, or making a report to any law enforcement official. (2) Commission of a crime of domestic violence under subsection (1) of this section is a necessary element of the crime of interfering with the reporting of domestic violence. (3) Interference with the reporting of domestic violence is a gross misdemeanor.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 10.99.020Definitions.In force
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter. (1) "Agency" means a general authority Washington law enforcement agency as defined in RCW 10.93.020. (2) "Association" means the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs. (3) "Dating relationship" has the same meaning as in RCW 7.105.010. (4) "Domestic violence" includes but is not limited to any of the following crimes when committed either by (a) one family or household member against another family or household member, or (b) one intimate partner against another intimate partner: (i) Assault in the first degree (RCW 9A.36.011); (ii) Assault in the second degree (RCW 9A.36.021); (iii) Assault in the third degree (RCW 9A.36.031); (iv) Assault in the fourth degree (RCW 9A.36.041); (v) Drive-by shooting (RCW 9A.36.045); (vi) Reckless endangerment (RCW 9A.36.050); (vii) Coercion (RCW 9A.36.070); (viii) Burglary in the first degree (RCW 9A.52.020); (ix) Burglary in the second degree (RCW 9A.52.030); (x) Criminal trespass in the first degree (RCW 9A.52.070); (xi) Criminal trespass in the second degree (RCW 9A.52.080); (xii) Malicious mischief in…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.04.110Definitions.In force
In this title unless a different meaning plainly is required: (1) "Acted" includes, where relevant, omitted to act; (2) "Actor" includes, where relevant, a person failing to act; (3) "Benefit" is any gain or advantage to the beneficiary, including any gain or advantage to a third person pursuant to the desire or consent of the beneficiary; (4)(a) "Bodily injury," "physical injury," or "bodily harm" means physical pain or injury, illness, or an impairment of physical condition; (b) "Substantial bodily harm" means bodily injury which involves a temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily part; (c) "Great bodily harm" means bodily injury which creates a probability of death, or which causes significant serious permanent disfigurement, or which causes a significant permanent loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part or organ; (5) "Building," in addition to its ordinary meaning, includes any dwelling, fenced area, vehicle, railway car, cargo container, or any other structure used for lodging of persons or for carrying on…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
§ 9A.20.021Maximum sentences for crimes committed July 1, 1984, and after.In forcecited in 8 of our articles
(1) Felony. Unless a different maximum sentence for a classified felony is specifically established by a statute of this state, no person convicted of a classified felony shall be punished by confinement or fine exceeding the following: (a) For a class A felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for a term of life imprisonment, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of fifty thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine; (b) For a class B felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for a term of ten years, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of twenty thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine; (c) For a class C felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for five years, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of ten thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine. (2) Gross misdemeanor.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
Cited in 505 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- State v. Manussier (Washington Supreme Court 1996, 129 Wash. 2d 652)“…93 violates this constitutional provision because it amends RCW 9A.20.021, the section of the criminal code provi…”
- State v. Ritchie (Washington Supreme Court 1995, 126 Wash. 2d 388)“…tence for this class A felony offense is life imprisonment. RCW 9A.20.021(1)(a). The trial court imposed an excep…”
- State v. Anderson (Washington Supreme Court 2000, 141 Wash. 2d 357)“…t a *1252 maximum term of five years' imprisonment ( see RCW 9A.20.021) is clearly a factor that weighs in fav…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Washington Hit and Run Laws: Penalties and What to Do, Washington Ring Doorbell Laws: What You Need to Know in 2026, Washington Surveillance Camera Laws (2026 Guide)
§ 4.16.100Actions limited to two years.In forcecited in 4 of our articles
Within two years: (1) An action for libel, slander, assault, assault and battery, or false imprisonment. (2) An action upon a statute for a forfeiture or penalty to the state.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-29 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at app.leg.wa.gov
Cited in 113 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2026
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Tyson v. Tyson (Washington Supreme Court 1986, 107 Wash. 2d 72)“…ght within 3 years of the time the cause of action accrued. RCW 4.16.100(1) provides that an action for assault…”
- Eastwood v. Cascade Broadcasting Co. (Washington Supreme Court 1986, 106 Wash. 2d 466)“…red by the 2-year libel and slander statute of limitations (RCW 4.16.100), but moved for partial summary judgmen…”
- U. S. Oil & Refining Co. v. Department of Ecology (Washington Supreme Court 1981, 96 Wash. 2d 85)“…hat they were barred by the 2-year statute of limitation in RCW 4.16.100(2). The penalties were affirmed upon…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Washington Defamation Laws: Libel, Slander & Suing (2026), Washington Statute of Limitations: Filing Deadlines by Case Type, Defamation Laws by State: Libel and Slander (2026)
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Sources and References
- Chapter 9A.36 RCW, Assault - physical harm (full chapter)(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.041, Assault in the fourth degree(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.04.110, Definitions(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.031, Assault in the third degree(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.100, Custodial assault(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.011, Assault in the first degree(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.021, Assault in the second degree(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.36.120, Assault of a child in the first degree(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9A.20.021, Maximum sentences for crimes committed July 1, 1984, and after(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9.94A.515, Crimes included within each seriousness level(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9.94A.510, Table 1, Sentencing grid(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 10.99.020, Domestic violence definitions(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- 18 U.S.C. 922, Unlawful acts(www.govinfo.gov).gov
- RCW 4.16.100, Actions limited to two years(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 9.94A.540, Mandatory minimum terms(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
- RCW 4.16.190, Statute tolled by personal disability(app.leg.wa.gov).gov
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