The Thurston County Superior Court has entered an order preventing the State (including WSP) from implementing and enforcing certain provisions of a new law that concern “the qualifications, conditions, or removal of elected sheriffs” and preventing the State (including WSP) from “requiring candidates for elected sheriff to attest they meet the new conditions” while litigation challenging the new law proceeds. As long as this court order remains in effect, WSP will not be able to process requests for eligibility background checks.
Frequently Asked Questions
A candidate must submit the request to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) before filing a declaration of candidacy. Requests may be submitted up to six months prior to the election filing period. A candidate who does not submit the request before filing is not eligible to run for or serve as sheriff.
Yes. All candidates for the office of elected sheriff, including incumbents, must submit the request.
As detailed in RCW 36.28.025(1)(a)-(i), a candidate must meet the following criteria:
- Be a United States citizen;
- Be at least 25 years old;
- Obtained a high school diploma or equivalent;
- Have no felony convictions and no disqualifying gross misdemeanors;
- Have no conduct requiring denial or revocation of certification under RCW 43.101.105(2);
- Have at least a general discharge under honorable conditions if served in the military;
- Have at least five years of full‑time employment with a government law enforcement agency; and
- Have no prior surrender, denial, or revocation of certification without reinstatement.
Incumbent sheriffs serving when the law takes effect in April 2026 are exempt from the age and experience requirements, as detailed in RCW 36.28.025(5).
All qualifications must be met as of the date the candidate files for office, consistent with requirements for elected offices.
No. Certification is not required at the time of filing. However, the candidate must have the required five years of qualifying experience and must obtain certification within nine months of assuming office unless extended by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC).
A candidate must provide fingerprints, all information required on the WSP request form, and an attestation that the information provided is true and that the candidate believes they meet all eligibility requirements.
The WSP will send electronic confirmation to the candidate and will notify CJTC. CJTC will post the candidate’s name on its public website listing individuals who have submitted the required request.
Yes. The request and WSP’s confirmation to CJTC are public records. The detailed results of the records check are not public and are not subject to disclosure.
The WSP conducts state and national criminal history record checks and any additional records checks necessary to verify that the candidate meets statutory qualifications.
WSP must complete the verification:
- No later than the election filing deadline; or
- If the request was submitted too close to the deadline, within 30 days after certification of election results.
The WSP will notify the candidate when the verification is complete and whether the candidate’s qualifications were confirmed. If any requirement cannot be verified, the WSP will identify which requirement was not met.
The candidate is not eligible to run for or serve as sheriff.
The CJTC posts the names of candidates who submitted timely requests and whether the WSP verified the candidate’s qualifications. The CJTC does not conduct the background check.
No. For appointments, the appointing authority must conduct a peace officer background investigation and verify that the appointee meets all statutory qualifications. Confirmation must be submitted to CJTC.
Yes. Fingerprints are required to complete the state and national criminal history record check and must be submitted as part of the request process.
Yes. Under state law, an individual becomes a candidate when he or she takes certain actions (e.g., accepting contributions, spending campaign funds, reserving advertising, authorizing others to act on their behalf, publicly announcing candidacy, or filing a declaration of candidacy) and must comply with the PDC requirements.
It refers to conduct described in RCW 43.101.105(2), including certain criminal convictions, unlawful use of force, failure to intervene or report excessive force, knowingly making false or deceptive representations, or being prohibited from possessing weapons.
As detailed and defined in RCW 36.28.025(4), this includes general authority and limited authority Washington law enforcement agencies under RCW 10.93.020, as well as state or federal agencies authorized to engage in or supervise law enforcement functions.