Washington statute
RCW 10.31.040 — Officer may break and enter
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 10.31: Warrants And Arrests, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 10.31.040
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1) To make an arrest in criminal actions, the officer may break open any outer or inner door, or windows of a dwelling house or other building, or any other enclosure, if, after notice of his or her office and purpose, he or she be refused admittance.
(2) An officer may not seek and a court may not issue a search or arrest warrant granting an express exception to the requirement for the officer to provide notice of his or her office and purpose when executing the warrant.
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This reference is informational and is not legal advice.