Washington legal term
Complete written instrument in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Complete written instrument” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Washington criminal code.
What does “Complete written instrument” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Complete written instrument" means one which is fully drawn with respect to every essential feature thereof; (2) To "falsely alter" a written instrument means to change, without authorization by anyone entitled to grant it, a written instrument, whether complete or incomplete, by means of erasure, obliteration, deletion, insertion of new matter, transposition of matter, or in any other manner; (3) To "falsely complete" a written instrument means to transform an incomplete written instrument into a complete one by adding or inserting matter, without the authority of anyone entitled to grant it (RCW 9A.60.010)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.