Legal financial obligations — Notice of debt — Service or mailing — Contents — Action on, when.
RCW 9.94A.7609
in effect(1) The department or county clerk may issue a notice of debt in order to enforce and collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation debt through either a notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver. (2) The notice of debt may be personally served upon the offender or be mailed to the offender at his or her last known address by any form of mail requiring a return receipt, demanding payment within twenty days of the date of receipt. (3) The notice of debt shall include: (a) A statement of the total court-ordered legal financial obligation and the amount to be paid each month. (b) A statement that earnings are subject to a notice of payroll deduction. (c) A statement that earnings or property, or both, are subject to an order to withhold and deliver. (d) A statement that the net proceeds will be applied to the satisfaction of the court-ordered legal financial obligation. (4) Action to collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation by notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver shall be lawful after twenty days from the date of service upon the offender or twenty days from the receipt or refusal by the offender of the notice of debt. (5) The notice of debt will take effect only if the offender's monthly court-ordered legal financial obligation payment is not paid when due, and an amount equal to or greater than the amount payable for one month is owned [owed]. (6) The department or county clerk shall not be required to issue or serve the notice of debt in order to enforce and collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation debt through either a notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver if either the offender's judgment and sentence or a subsequent order to pay includes a statement that income-withholding action under this chapter may be taken without further notice to the offender.
(1) The department or county clerk may issue a notice of debt in order to enforce and collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation debt through either a notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver.
(2) The notice of debt may be personally served upon the offender or be mailed to the offender at his or her last known address by any form of mail requiring a return receipt, demanding payment within twenty days of the date of receipt.
(3) The notice of debt shall include:
(a) A statement of the total court-ordered legal financial obligation and the amount to be paid each month.
(b) A statement that earnings are subject to a notice of payroll deduction.
(c) A statement that earnings or property, or both, are subject to an order to withhold and deliver.
(d) A statement that the net proceeds will be applied to the satisfaction of the court-ordered legal financial obligation.
(4) Action to collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation by notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver shall be lawful after twenty days from the date of service upon the offender or twenty days from the receipt or refusal by the offender of the notice of debt.
(5) The notice of debt will take effect only if the offender's monthly court-ordered legal financial obligation payment is not paid when due, and an amount equal to or greater than the amount payable for one month is owned [owed].
(6) The department or county clerk shall not be required to issue or serve the notice of debt in order to enforce and collect a court-ordered legal financial obligation debt through either a notice of payroll deduction or an order to withhold and deliver if either the offender's judgment and sentence or a subsequent order to pay includes a statement that income-withholding action under this chapter may be taken without further notice to the offender.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.94A&full=trueFetched: 6/28/2026