Washington legal term
Without authorization in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Without authorization” 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 “Without authorization” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Without authorization" means to knowingly circumvent technological access barriers to a data system in order to obtain information without the express or implied permission of the owner, where such technological access measures are specifically designed to exclude or prevent unauthorized individuals from obtaining such information, but does not include white hat security research or circumventing a technological measure that does not effectively control access to a computer. (RCW 9A.90.030)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
- Acts against animal facilities
- Computer trespass in the first degree
- Computer trespass in the second degree
- Deadly weapons
- Defrauding a public utility in the third degree
- Electronic data service interference
- Electronic data tampering in the first degree
- Electronic data tampering in the second degree
- Electronic data theft
- Narcotic drugs or controlled substances
- Sexually violent predator escape
- Spoofing
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.