Washington. Biometric. Act

WA biometric lawWashington biometric identifiers law (RCW 19.375)

In force

Partly verified

Medium confidence. Not re-verified against a primary source in this session (search budget exhausted); details from established knowledge.

§1Summary

Synopsis

Prohibits enrolling biometric identifiers in a database for a commercial purpose without notice and consent or a mechanism to prevent later commercial use, and limits sale and retention.

Key themes

biometric enrolment
notice
consent
sale limits
retention

Unique features

Excludes security purposes from 'commercial purpose'; AG-only enforcement; narrower than BIPA.

SaaS relevance

Relevant to SaaS enrolling Washington residents' biometrics for marketing or other commercial uses.

§2Obligations

Extraterritorial: Limited
Breach notification: None
DPO: No
Cross-border transfers: None
Maximum penalty: Consumer Protection Act penalties (up to $7,500 per violation)

§3Dates

Key dates

Adopted 16 May 2017
In force 23 July 2017

§4Text and authority

Text

Authoritative text app.leg.wa.gov

Authority

Washington Attorney General

§5Where it applies

Domestic law of: Washington

§6Sources and verification

Sources consulted

app.leg.wa.gov

Verification

Medium confidence.

Partly verified

Medium confidence. Not re-verified against a primary source in this session (search budget exhausted); details from established knowledge.