Employment, occupational licensing by public entity — Prior felony conviction no disqualification — Exceptions.
RCW 9.96A.020
in effect(1) Subject to the exceptions in subsections (3) through (5) of this section, and unless there is another provision of law to the contrary, a person is not disqualified from employment by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations, nor is a person disqualified to practice, pursue or engage in any occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which a license, permit, certificate or registration is required to be issued by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations solely because of a prior conviction of a felony. However, this section does not preclude the fact of any prior conviction of a crime from being considered. (2) A person may be denied employment by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations, or a person may be denied a license, permit, certificate or registration to pursue, practice or engage in an occupation, trade, vocation, or business by reason of the prior conviction of a felony if the felony for which he or she was convicted directly relates to the position of employment sought or to the specific occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which the license, permit, certificate or registration is sought, and the time elapsed since the conviction is less than ten years, except as provided in RCW 9.97.020 . However, for positions in the county treasurer's office, a person may be disqualified from employment because of a prior guilty plea or conviction of a felony involving embezzlement or theft, even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more. (3) A person is disqualified for any certificate required or authorized under chapters 28A.405 or 28A.410 RCW, because of a prior guilty plea or the conviction of a felony crime specified under RCW 28A.400.322 , even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more. (4) A person is disqualified from employment by school districts, educational service districts, and their contractors hiring employees who will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children, because of a prior guilty plea or conviction of a felony crime specified under RCW 28A.400.322 , even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more, except as provided in RCW 9.97.020 . (5) The provisions of this chapter do not apply to issuance of licenses or credentials for professions regulated under chapter 18.130 RCW. (6) Subsections (3) and (4) of this section as they pertain to felony crimes specified under RCW 28A.400.322 (1) apply to a person applying for a certificate or for employment on or after July 25, 1993, and before July 26, 2009. Subsections (3) and (4) of this section as they pertain to all felony crimes specified under RCW 28A.400.322 (2) apply to a person applying for a certificate or for employment on or after July 26, 2009. Subsection (5) of this section only applies to a person applying for a license or credential on or after June 12, 2008.
(1) Subject to the exceptions in subsections (3) through (5) of this section, and unless there is another provision of law to the contrary, a person is not disqualified from employment by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations, nor is a person disqualified to practice, pursue or engage in any occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which a license, permit, certificate or registration is required to be issued by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations solely because of a prior conviction of a felony. However, this section does not preclude the fact of any prior conviction of a crime from being considered.
(2) A person may be denied employment by the state of Washington or any of its counties, cities, towns, municipal corporations, or quasi-municipal corporations, or a person may be denied a license, permit, certificate or registration to pursue, practice or engage in an occupation, trade, vocation, or business by reason of the prior conviction of a felony if the felony for which he or she was convicted directly relates to the position of employment sought or to the specific occupation, trade, vocation, or business for which the license, permit, certificate or registration is sought, and the time elapsed since the conviction is less than ten years, except as provided in RCW 9.97.020 . However, for positions in the county treasurer's office, a person may be disqualified from employment because of a prior guilty plea or conviction of a felony involving embezzlement or theft, even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more.
(3) A person is disqualified for any certificate required or authorized under chapters 28A.405 or 28A.410 RCW, because of a prior guilty plea or the conviction of a felony crime specified under RCW 28A.400.322 , even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more.
(4) A person is disqualified from employment by school districts, educational service districts, and their contractors hiring employees who will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children, because of a prior guilty plea or conviction of a felony crime specified under RCW 28A.400.322 , even if the time elapsed since the guilty plea or conviction is ten years or more, except as provided in RCW 9.97.020 .
(5) The provisions of this chapter do not apply to issuance of licenses or credentials for professions regulated under chapter 18.130 RCW.
(6) Subsections (3) and (4) of this section as they pertain to felony crimes specified under RCW 28A.400.322 (1) apply to a person applying for a certificate or for employment on or after July 25, 1993, and before July 26, 2009. Subsections (3) and (4) of this section as they pertain to all felony crimes specified under RCW 28A.400.322 (2) apply to a person applying for a certificate or for employment on or after July 26, 2009. Subsection (5) of this section only applies to a person applying for a license or credential on or after June 12, 2008.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.96A&full=trueFetched: 6/28/2026