New state laws took effect Sunday, July 27. Here’s what you should know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Striking workers in Washington gain up to six weeks of unemployment benefits.
- Employers can no longer require driver’s licenses unless driving is essential.
- Liquor and marriage license fees rise to fund programs and offset inflation.
A smorgasbord of new Washington state laws went live on Sunday.
The bills took effect three months after the close of the 2025 legislative session, which was marked by gargantuan state-finance woes.
Another set of laws went into effect July 1, including a much-decried 6-cent-per-gallon hike in the state’s gas tax. This latest round of legislation includes a bill allowing striking workers to collect unemployment insurance benefits for up to six weeks.
Here’s a taste of some of the laws in Washington state as of July 27.
Marriage license fee increases
The cost of a marriage license is increasing by $100 starting Sunday, when House Bill 1498 takes effect.
In Thurston, Benton and Pierce counties, the fee will jump from $72 to $172. Whatcom County’s cost is increasing from $62 to $162, and Franklin County will go from $59 to $159.
Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall noted in a news release that it will be a “significant fee increase.”
State lawmakers pursued the hike to pay for a new Domestic Violence Co-Responder Grant Program and, during Fiscal Year 2026, for other services and programs addressing domestic violence.
Employer requirements for driving
Senate Bill 5501 bars employers from requiring workers to have a valid driver’s license as a condition of employment — unless driving is an essential function of the job or linked to an actual business purpose. It also prohibits featuring a statement in a job posting that tells candidates they must have such a license.
Disability Rights Washington praised the measure when Gov. Bob Ferguson signed it into law.
Anna Zivarts, director of the organization’s Disability Mobility Initiative, said in a statement that people with disabilities encounter lots of obstacles to employment. As such, she said, “we are a third less likely to be employed.”
“Even if we manage to live somewhere with reliable transit or find a job that allows for remote work, too often employers will still list a driver’s license as a condition of employment — even when the job has nothing to do with driving,” Zivarts said.
Paid sick leave for immigrant proceedings
Washington employees can now use their paid sick leave when taking time off for immigration proceedings for themselves or a family member. Workers for ride-sharing companies such as Lyft and Uber are also covered under the law.
HB 1875, sponsored by state Rep. Osman Salahuddin, a Redmond Democrat, was part of a push by state lawmakers to support immigrants amid President Donald Trump’s mass-deportation agenda.
“For immigrant workers and families, these proceedings could be life-altering events, whether it’s securing legal status, adjusting work permits or navigating family reunification processes,” Salahuddin previously told the Washington State Standard.
Liquor license hike
Marriage licenses aren’t the only ones getting more expensive.
Under SB 5786, restaurants and bars will see the cost of most liquor licenses and permits increase by 50%. There’s also a 50% rise in retail-license application fees.
Critics have warned that the price hike will be passed on to consumers and hurt the pocketbooks of local bars and mom-and-pop distilleries, according to MyNorthwest. But supporters note that most of those fees haven’t budged in decades, arguing that the state needs to adjust them to keep up with inflation.
WA Dig law
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is spreading the word about updates to the state’s dig law under SB 5627.
Changes to the law pertain to homeowners, utilities and contractors. The bill increases penalties for damaging pipelines containing gas or hazardous liquid, clarifies safety requirements for utilities and excavators, and broadens the enforcement authority of the UTC.
The commission asks those planning a digging project to review the updated rules, which are meant to improve protections for underground utilities and workers alike, and to ensure that infrastructure work is efficient.
The legislation was sponsored by the late state Sen. Bill Ramos, an Issaquah Democrat who died suddenly in April.
“This bill improves the system to make it faster and easier to properly mark utilities before digging,” Ramos had said in a March 6 statement. “It’s all about getting the job done safely and ensuring we protect our communities’ critical services and the workers that keep everything running.”
Uniform Antitrust Premerger Notification Act
On July 27, Washington becomes the first state in the country where companies submitting a pre-merger notification to the federal government must simultaneously file the same materials with the state’s Office of the Attorney General.
The Washington AG’s Office said SB 5122 will allow state antitrust enforcers to be alerted in a timely manner when certain companies and individuals in the state, including health-care providers, are planning acquisitions or mergers that could be felt by consumers.
“Washington is a trailblazer for the rest of the nation in adopting a pre-merger notification law,” Attorney General Nick Brown said in a news release. “This will allow state antitrust enforcers to protect consumer interests in an even more effective way.”
Protection for good Samaritans saving people, pets from locked cars
HB 1046 grants legal safeguards to concerned citizens who break into a vehicle to rescue pets, kids or vulnerable adults who appear to be in “imminent danger of harm.”
Before this new law, only law enforcement in Washington was allowed to enter a vehicle to save a companion animal, according to the Animal Legal Defense Fund. That meant — particularly on days when interior car temperatures soared into the triple digits — waiting for police to arrive was a race against the clock.
Washington joins 14 other states with similar legislation, including California, Arizona, Oregon and Vermont.
.jpg)
