Washington statute
RCW 7.105.450 — Enforcement and penalties—Other than antiharassment protection orders and extreme risk protection orders
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 7.105: Civil Protection Orders, Revised Code of Washington.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of RCW 7.105.450
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)(a) Whenever a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order is granted under this chapter, or an order is granted under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or there is a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or there is a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, and the respondent or person to be restrained knows of the order, a violation of any of the following provisions of the order is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsections (4) and (5) of this section:
(i) The restraint provisions prohibiting acts or threats of violence against, or stalking of, a protected party, or the restraint provisions prohibiting contact with a protected party;
(ii) A provision excluding the person from a residence, workplace, school, or day care;
(iii) A provision prohibiting the person from knowingly coming within, or knowingly remaining within, a specified distance of a location, a protected party's person, or a protected party's vehicle;
(iv) A provision prohibiting interfering with the protected party's efforts to remove a pet owned, possessed, leased, kept, or held by the petitioner, the respondent, or a minor child residing with either the petitioner or the respondent; or
(v) A provision of a foreign protection order or a Canadian domestic violence protection order specifically indicating that a violation will be a crime.
(b) Upon conviction, and in addition to any other penalties provided by law, the court:
(i) May require that the respondent submit to electronic monitoring. The court shall specify who must provide the electronic monitoring services and the terms under which the monitoring must be performed. The order also may include a requirement that the respondent pay the costs of the monitoring. The court shall consider the ability of the convicted person to pay for electronic monitoring; and
(ii) Shall impose a fine of $15, in addition to any penalty or fine imposed, for a violation of a domestic violence protection order issued under this chapter. Revenue from the $15 fine must be remitted monthly to the state treasury for deposit in the domestic violence prevention account.
(2) A law enforcement officer shall arrest without a warrant and take into custody a person whom the law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe has violated a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or an order issued under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, that restrains the person or excludes the person from a residence, workplace, school, or day care, or prohibits the person from knowingly coming within, or knowingly remaining within, a specified distance of a location, a protected party's person, or a protected party's vehicle, if the person restrained knows of the order. Presence of the order in the law enforcement computer-based criminal intelligence information system is not the only means of establishing knowledge of the order.
(3) A violation of a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or an order issued under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, shall also constitute contempt of court, and is subject to the penalties prescribed by law.
(4) Any assault that is a violation of a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or an order issued under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, and that does not amount to assault in the first or second degree under RCW 9A.36.011 or 9A.36.021 is a class C felony, and any conduct in violation of such an order that is reckless and creates a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury to another person is a class C felony.
(5) A violation of a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or a court order issued under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, is a class C felony if the offender has at least two previous convictions for violating the provisions of a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or an order issued under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010. The previous convictions may involve the same victim or other victims specifically protected by the orders the offender violated.
(6)(a) A defendant arrested for violating a domestic violence protection order, sexual assault protection order, stalking protection order, or vulnerable adult protection order, or an order granted under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, is required to appear in person before a magistrate within one judicial day after the arrest. At the time of the appearance, the court shall determine the necessity of imposing a no-contact order or other conditions of pretrial release.
(b) A defendant who is charged by citation, complaint, or information with violating any protection order identified in (a) of this subsection and not arrested shall appear in court for arraignment in person as soon as practicable, but in no event later than 14 days after the next day on which court is in session following the issuance of the citation or the filing of the complaint or information.
(7) Upon the filing of an affidavit by the petitioner or any law enforcement officer alleging that the respondent has violated a domestic violence protection order, a sexual assault protection order, a stalking protection order, or a vulnerable adult protection order, or an order granted under chapter 9A.40, 9A.44, 9A.46, 9A.88, 9.94A, 10.77, 10.99, 26.09, 26.26A, or 26.26B RCW, or a valid foreign protection order as defined in RCW 26.52.020, or a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010, the court may issue an order to the respondent, requiring the respondent to appear and show cause within 14 days as to why the respondent should not be found in contempt of court and punished accordingly. The hearing may be held in the court of any county or municipality in which the petitioner or respondent temporarily or permanently resides at the time of the alleged violation.
(8) Appearances required under this section are mandatory and cannot be waived.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is enforcement and penalties a felony or a misdemeanor in Washington?
It depends on the circumstances: enforcement and penalties ranges from a Gross Misdemeanor to a Class C Felony in Washington under RCW 7.105.450.
Gross misdemeanor violation of protection order: Gross Misdemeanor (RCW 7.105.450(1)(a)) · Class C felony - assault violating protection order: Class C Felony (RCW 7.105.450(4)) · Class C felony - repeat violation: Class C Felony (RCW 7.105.450(5))
Which Washington statute covers enforcement and penalties?
Enforcement and penalties is governed by RCW 7.105.450 (Enforcement and penalties—Other than antiharassment protection orders and extreme risk protection orders).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.