Washington statute
RCW 9A.61.020 — Defrauding a public utility
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 9A.61: Defrauding A Public Utility, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 9A.61.020
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.
"Defrauding a public utility" means to commit, authorize, solicit, aid, abet, or attempt to:
(1) Divert, or cause to be diverted, utility services by any means whatsoever;
(2) Make, or cause to be made, a connection or reconnection with property owned or used by the utility to provide utility service without the authorization or consent of the utility;
(3) Prevent a utility meter or other device used in determining the charge for utility services from accurately performing its measuring function by tampering or by any other means;
(4) Tamper with property owned or used by the utility to provide utility services; or
(5) Use or receive the direct benefit of all or a portion of the utility service with knowledge of, or reason to believe that, the diversion, tampering, or unauthorized connection existed at the time of the use or that the use or receipt was without the authorization or consent of the utility.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.