New Washington State Laws You Need to Know Taking Effect on August 1st 2025

It's hard to imagine that the year is almost over but there are still a few Washington State laws that'll be taking effect that you'll want to know about starting August 1st.

These New Laws Take Effect On August 1st, 2025, in Washington State

A package of 333 new laws started on July 27th, and here are some of the most important laws that have already gone into effect in the Evergreen State:

One of the new laws includes mandates for religious leaders to report child abuse (with current court exceptions for confessional contexts)

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Also, a new WA Law will put limits on local parking mandates to no more than one space per two housing units

The biggest new laws involve employment in Washington State. Here are a few of those new laws you need to know about:

Expanded wage transparency protections and anti-discrimination coverage under HB 1905 and SB 5104, preventing coercion of workers based on immigration status, with penalties ranging from $1,000 to $20,000

HB 1308 gives employees access to detailed personnel files within 21 days of request, with enforcement and damages rights.

HB 1747 offers an expanded “Fair Chance Act” protection (background checks after a conditional offer only)

The biggest change was HB 1217, which limits rent increases to 7% + CPI (or maximum 10%), imposes notice requirements, and landlord parity rules.

The newest law, taking effect on August 1st, requires the Washington State Department of Transportation to begin adjusting its state transportation caps for inflation annually.

As you can see, several new laws will be in effect starting on August 1st in Washington.

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