State AG Opinions
Free state attorney general opinions with plain-English summaries, full citations, and the original source on every page.
No opinions match these filters
Try fewer or different words, check the spelling, or clear the filters to browse everything.
Was the 1961 Washington justice court filing cost charged once per complaint or once per criminal count?
The AG said the $4 filing cost applied once per criminal action, regardless of the number of counts. In cases where the cost was part of a convicted defendant’s fine or penalty, it was not an extra…
Would Washington’s proposed 1963 Sunday retail sales restrictions violate constitutional protections?
The AG concluded that Senate Bill 175, if enacted, would withstand the religion, due process, and equal protection objections it examined. The opinion assessed a proposed bill, not an enacted…
Could Washington permanent state funds invest in federally guaranteed FHA debentures?
Yes. The AG said FHA debentures unconditionally guaranteed by the United States for principal and interest qualified as national general-obligation bonds for investment under the statute then…
Did Washington school districts have to pay school directors’ association dues, including past-due amounts?
Yes. The AG said districts had to pay dues under an established schedule, and a county auditor had to transfer district funds upon the association executive committee’s written request for unpaid…
Could a Washington third-class city change the pay of its appointed clerk or attorney while they held office?
Yes. The AG concluded that a third-class city could increase or decrease compensation for its appointed clerk and attorney while they served at the mayor's pleasure, despite wording in the compiled…
How were courtroom space, equipment, and capital costs treated when Washington counties allocated justice-court expenses?
The AG said the excluded 'courtroom or other space' cost meant bare space, whether county-owned or rented, not furniture and other facilities. It allowed capital items to be depreciated and…
Could a Washington city petition itself to annex nearby land that the city owned?
No. The AG said a city could not submit a property-owner annexation petition to itself for its own contiguous land under the statute it considered, even though tax-exempt municipal owners could…
Did a Colville tribal member's store on deeded reservation land owe Washington sales and business taxes in 1963?
The AG's 1963 answer depended on the land's status: it said sales, business-and-occupation, and compensating taxes applied if the deeded store land was unrestricted or sold to non-Indians, but not…
Could Washington pledge its permanent common-school fund or its income to repay school construction bonds?
No. The AG said the fund's principal had to remain permanent and its income was restricted to current school use, so neither could serve as the repayment base for the proposed construction bonds.
Could Washington's insurance commissioner require undefined physician language in disability policies to include foot specialists?
Yes. The AG said the commissioner could notify insurers that an undefined 'physicians and surgeons' requirement had to include treatment by licensed chiropodists within their authorized foot-care…
Could Washington require fruit shipped from other states to meet its grades when federal grades were available?
The AG said Washington could impose its grades on incoming fruit if the shipment was not using federal grades. A state grade that directly conflicted with applicable federal grades chosen for…
Did Washington's older garnishment and law-library fees apply in justice courts reorganized under the 1961 act?
No. The AG said neither the older two-dollar garnishment answer fee nor the one-dollar-fifty law-library fee applied to justice courts organized under the 1961 Justice Court Act.
Could a Washington third-class city buy an employee pension plan from a private life insurer?
No. The AG said the city had authority to offer the identified public retirement systems and buy group insurance, but those powers did not authorize a private insurer's pension program.
Could a Washington cooperative become a business corporation by amending its articles or merging into its corporate parent?
No to both. The AG said changing the cooperative's articles into a general corporation would fundamentally change its character, and the general corporation merger statute did not cover cooperatives…
How were two vacant commissioner seats in a Washington second-class utility district filled under the 1962 law?
The AG said both vacancies had to be filled by a special election within forty days. The winners served the unexpired terms, and the county auditor could set a reasonable petition-filing deadline…
Did the 1961 governor salary increase bar Washington legislators from the 1964 governor's race?
The AG said senators elected in 1960 for terms ending in January 1965 were ineligible to run for governor in 1964 because the office's salary rose during their terms. The 1961 House members and…
Were Washington masseurs exempt from physical-therapy licensing rules when giving therapeutic massage?
No blanket exemption existed. The AG said an unlicensed masseur could not perform treatment falling within a licensed healing art merely by calling it massage, though routine massage without a…
Did teaching in another state's public schools interrupt a retired Washington teacher's pension?
Yes, as to the pension portion. The AG said a retired Washington teacher's public-school teaching in another state suspended pension payments beyond the then-allowed forty-five service days per…
Could a lawyers' stipulation about a deadly weapon replace the court or jury finding needed for a mandatory prison term?
No. The AG said a stipulation by defense and prosecution counsel was not the judge's finding or jury's special verdict required by the then-current deadly-weapon procedure, so the parole board could…
Who had to update Washington's county road-cost figures for 1962 fuel-tax distributions?
The AG said the highway commission and legislative joint fact-finding committee had to review all cost factors together every four years, not only road mileage. Their adjusted figures governed the…
Did county commissioners have to hold a hearing before an annexation election requested by a city resolution?
No. Under the 1961 procedure the AG reviewed, once a review board approved a city-initiated annexation resolution, county commissioners had to set the election without a separate public hearing.
How did Washington's 1962 fuel tax apply to gasoline sold for Makah reservation use or for boats?
The AG said selling fuel for use on the Makah reservation did not by itself remove the distributor's fuel-tax liability under the then-current law. For marine use, direct delivery into a vessel's…
Did a military spouse temporarily in Washington need a Washington driver's license if licensed in her home state?
The AG said no Washington license was required for the spouse described in the question, so long as she remained domiciled elsewhere and had a valid driver's license from that state.
Did Washington's 1961 extra pension benefit cover judges who retired before it took effect?
No. The AG said the additional benefit for more than eighteen years of service did not apply to a supreme or superior court judge who retired before the 1961 provision took effect. It did not decide…
When a candidate's nominating petition is built from multiple circulating sheets, does the candidate's formal declaration have to be attached to each sheet before it is circulated, or is one declaration attached at filing enough?
One declaration at filing was enough. The 'petition' under SDC 16.0210 is the completed instrument the candidate offers for filing, not each sheet a circulator carries around. A candidate could…
Could the Department of Labor and Industries change an occupational classification even when neither class was insolvent?
Yes. The AG read RCW 51.16.100 as allowing the director to change classes or subclasses when their best interest would be served, without requiring an accident-fund shortage or threatened insolvency.
Could Washington lawmakers use uncommitted capitol land-grant revenue to renovate the legislative building?
Yes, for capitol land-grant revenue not already pledged to bonds. The AG said the amended federal grant permitted renovation of a legislative building, while excluding bond proceeds and redemption…
Could the Legislature let cities tax city-supplied water and electricity to support transit, including a tax only on minimum utility charges?
The AG answered both constitutional questions yes: lawmakers could authorize cities that owned transit systems to tax city-supplied water and electricity for transit support, and could allow the tax…
Did Washington’s new state personnel department cover state ferry system employees?
No. The AG read Initiative No. 207’s preservation clause for personnel covered by chapter 47.64 RCW as retaining the ferry labor-relations system rather than placing ferry employees under the state…
Could a nonlawyer represent a party before a Washington state administrative agency?
A nonlawyer could not appear as a party representative in a contested case before a state agency. For other agency proceedings, the answer depended on their procedures and the public interest;…
Could a Washington sheriff personally accept a federal postal reward for helping solve a crime?
The AG said a sheriff could not receive a reward from the U.S. Post Office Department for a matter connected with sheriff duties. The statutory bar did not cover a reward for a matter wholly…
Could a school district sign a city-annexation petition for its tax-exempt land, and could the land be included?
In 1961 the AG said a school board could not sign the owner petition, though its land could be included without counting its assessed value. The AG expressly overruled the no-signature holding in a…
Could King County build a major-league stadium and buy a professional sports franchise under its 1961 powers?
The AG said the county statutes then cited did not authorize King County to construct and operate the proposed major-league stadium or buy a professional baseball or football franchise. It left…
Could Washington lawmakers put the elected school superintendent under the state Board of Education's direction?
No. The AG said Washington's constitution assigned supervision over all matters pertaining to public schools to the elected superintendent. Lawmakers could prescribe specific duties but could not…
Could Wahkiakum County lease and run a ferry from Puget Island to Oregon when it could not buy one?
Yes. The AG concluded that the county's statutory power to construct and maintain an interstate ferry included the lesser powers to lease and operate one connecting Puget Island, Washington, with…
Did the general election-notice statute replace the notice rules for certain city-annexation elections?
No. The AG said RCW 29.27.080 did not supersede the annexation-election notice requirements in RCW 35.12.020 and RCW 35.13.080. Its reasoning focused on the general statute’s listed election types…
Could federal forest-reserve receipts pay routine costs of a county school superintendent’s office?
No. The AG found no express or necessarily implied authority to use those receipts for the superintendent’s salary, stenographer, travel, car repairs, or office equipment; the superintendent’s…
Could Washington admit a foreign stock insurer whose shareholders lacked Washington-style superadded liability?
Yes. The AG said absence of shareholder superadded liability in the foreign insurer’s charter did not itself bar admission to Washington. It expressly overruled the restrictive portion of a 1926 AG…
Was land transferred to a corporation for stock by its sole shareholder a taxable sale, and could the county waive the tax?
Under the then-current real-estate excise tax statute, yes: land exchanged for corporate common stock was a sale for valuable consideration. County commissioners had no authority to waive the tax on…
Did the Highway Department owe vacation-leave pay after layoffs, including employees who moved to another state position?
The department had to pay accrued vacation leave when a reduction in force actually terminated employment. If an employee instead moved without a break to another state agency or department…
Could a funeral director give police a deceased person’s pre-embalming blood sample on request alone?
No. The AG said a police request by itself did not authorize the funeral director to supply a pre-embalming blood sample. It identified consent or request of the next of kin, a coroner’s request in…
Could a city tax an outside seller making deliveries there, and require a city license for the seller’s commercial vehicle?
A city’s business-and-occupation tax depended on whether the seller was actually doing business inside the city; the AG declined a blanket answer based only on deliveries. It said cities could not…
Could Washington use state medical-assistance funds for eligible tribal members living on or off reservations?
Yes. The AG said enrolled tribal members domiciled in Washington could be considered for state medical care whether living on or off a reservation and on taxable or tax-free land. Eligibility still…
When did the 1959 unemployment-benefit disqualification for refusing suitable work begin?
Under the statute as amended in 1959, the disqualification began on the day the claimant refused suitable work without good cause. Requalification required work and sufficient wages in each of five…
Were motel operators’ purchases of furnishings and supplies for lodging subject to Washington retail sales or use tax?
Yes. The AG said purchases for furnishing and servicing motel rooms were taxable because the motel sold lodging services, not the purchased items as tangible personal property. Its answer depended…
Could state employee and teacher retirement funds buy federally insured farm-loan obligations?
Yes. The AG treated the obligations as fully federally guaranteed within the then-current retirement investment statutes. It expressly overruled its contrary 1957 opinion about the same federal…
Could the highway commission regulate drive-in movie screens visible from state highways?
Not generally. The AG found no broad statutory power to control drive-in theater screens simply because highway drivers could see them. The commission could act if a particular screen qualified as a…
When a reelected county treasurer died before the new term, did the appointed replacement serve into that term?
Yes. The AG said the county commissioners’ appointee remained in office through the start of the new term and until the next general election and the election and qualification of a successor.
Could Washington lease air rights over a freeway to private parties for parking facilities?
No, under the law then in force. The AG found no statute authorizing the proposed air-rights lease; it considered such a project potentially constitutional if lawmakers first enacted proper…
Could a prosecutor or the Attorney General appoint outside-county counsel to assist before a grand jury or at trial?
The prosecutor could not independently appoint a nonresident deputy for grand-jury or trial work, and the AG could not independently appoint a special assistant to help the prosecutor before a grand…
Could missing proposition ballots invalidate a county vote, and could the prosecutor sue to set it aside?
The missing ballots might materially affect validity because eligible voters were unable to vote on a close proposition, but only a court could determine that result. The AG said the prosecuting…
Which specified state funds required a legislative appropriation before the auditor could issue warrants?
None of the named special funds required an appropriation solely by force of the state constitution. The accident, reserve accident, and medical aid funds required one by statute; the listed…
Could a county health officer receive a professional examination fee and a per diem for testimony in a mental-illness case?
The AG said a county health officer could be paid for professional examination services in a mental-illness matter, subject to the facts and proper authorization, but could not receive per diem for…
Could Washington spend the principal of several permanent education and trust funds on buildings or current operations?
Generally no. The AG treated the listed education and institutional fund principal as restricted by the federal Enabling Act, the state constitution, or trust terms. It described distinct amendment…
Could the legislative budget committee audit public schools’ attendance records because the schools received state money?
No. The AG found statutory authority to inspect the state superintendent’s records concerning appropriations, but not to audit attendance records held by school districts, which it treated as…
Could a school district hire crossing guards and grant them traffic-enforcement power?
No. The AG found no authority for school boards to hire crossing guards and vest them with traffic-law enforcement power. The law then provided a different school-patrol mechanism involving…
Could local governments pay a private hospital to remodel detention rooms, and who paid for care pending commitment?
Cities and counties could not make the proposed remodeling contribution to a private hospital. For detention care, the AG looked to the patient’s estate and legally responsible relatives if able to…
Which state agency should receive proposed local platting regulations after planning functions were transferred?
The Department of Commerce and Economic Development. The AG traced the planning-council duties through successive agency transfers and concluded the department inherited the referral role under the…
Could a city add a transit-support service charge to municipal utility bills?
No. The AG said existing municipal utility-rate authority did not permit adding a charge for unrelated transit service, whether the transit operator was city-owned or private. Its answer addressed a…
Could an elected official voluntarily leave the state employees’ retirement system and stop payroll contributions after joining?
No. The AG said the elective official’s initial choice to join did not create a later option to withdraw while serving. The county auditor had to keep withholding required contributions until…
How these opinions are useful
- Understand state law: AG opinions are authoritative interpretations of how state law applies.
- Persuasive authority: Not binding like court decisions, but they carry significant weight.
- Government guidance: Often clarify how state agencies and officials should interpret statutes.
- Legal research: Cite AG opinions in letters, motions, and legal arguments.
Browse opinions by state
Two states are not listed and are not pending: New Hampshire publishes its opinions on a page that automated retrieval cannot read, and Rhode Island publishes no complete full-text archive at all. We will add them if that changes.