Washington Attorney General Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of attorney general opinions issued in Washington, with full citations and the original source on every page.
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Is a federally licensed firearms dealer, manufacturer, or importer who repairs guns considered a 'federally licensed gunsmith' exempt from Washington's universal background check rule when receiving and returning a customer's firearm?
Yes, with limits. A person licensed as a 'dealer' under 18 U.S.C. § 923(a) is a federally licensed gunsmith when engaged in the business of repairing or modifying firearms. A licensed manufacturer or …
Could Washington physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners perform pre-viability aspiration procedures within their scope of practice?
Yes. The 2019 Washington AG opinion read the Reproductive Privacy Act together with the physician assistant and advanced registered nurse practitioner statutes to allow PAs and ARNPs to perform pre-vi…
Can a Washington school district count a full day of parent-teacher conferences as one of the 180 required school days, or does it need a waiver from the State Board of Education?
The AG concluded that a full day of parent-teacher conferences likely counts as a 'school day' under RCW 28A.150.220(5)(a), so no waiver is required. The AG flagged the question as close enough that a…
Can a hobbyist fly a drone within 200 yards of a Washington orca, or is that a violation of state law?
The AG concluded that drones are most likely 'other objects' under RCW 77.15.740(1)(a), so flying a drone within 200 yards of a Southern Resident orca whale is most likely unlawful. The statute's broa…
Are Washington physical therapists allowed to perform 'dry needling' (insertion of solid filiform needles into trigger points to treat pain and movement impairments)?
No. The AG concluded that dry needling did not fall within the statutory scope of physical therapy practice in RCW 18.74. The opinion did not take a policy position on whether dry needling should be a…
If a driver gets a speeding ticket near a school crosswalk in Washington, does the doubled fine in RCW 46.61.440(3) apply, or does it only apply to the broader local-government school speed zones added later?
The doubled fine applies to both. RCW 46.61.440(3) doubles the monetary penalty for speeding in any 'school or playground speed zone,' which includes both the crosswalk-based 300-foot zone in subsecti…
Can a Washington occupational therapist legally perform sharp debridement, the cutting away of dead tissue from a wound, as part of wound care?
No. Sharp debridement falls outside the statutory scope of occupational therapy under RCW 18.59.020(2). The Occupational Therapy Practice Board's draft interpretive statement that would have permitted…
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Attorney general opinions in Washington are written by the Washington Attorney General's office in response to questions from state agencies, legislators, and prosecutors. They are not binding like court decisions, but courts and agencies treat them as persuasive guidance on how state law applies. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the full original text.