How do I write a demand letter in Washington?

State who you are, what the other party owes or must do, and the facts and documents that prove it. Give an exact amount and a firm deadline, and say what you will do if the deadline passes, such as filing in the Small Claims Department of Washington's District Court, which hears claims up to $10,000 for a natural person or $5,000 in other cases (Wash. Rev. Code Section 12.40.010(1)).

Does Washington require a demand letter before I sue under the Consumer Protection Act?

No. Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090 lets any person injured in business or property sue directly for actual damages, an injunction, or both, plus costs and a reasonable attorney's fee, and its text sets no written-notice precondition. A demand letter is still useful because it can resolve the dispute before you need to file.

What is Washington's dishonored check demand letter requirement?

If a check written to you is dishonored, Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515 lets you recover a reasonable handling fee. Where the check itself sets no such terms, you can also recover 12 percent annual interest from the date of dishonor and collection costs capped at $40 or the check's face amount, whichever is less, but only after you mail the drawer a written notice of dishonor in the exact statutory form Section 62A.3-520 sets out, and only once 15 days pass unpaid after that notice. None of this applies to a check dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order. A general demand letter does not satisfy that form; the statute requires its own.

What happens if I skip Washington's 15-day notice of dishonor?

Skipping it does not stop you from pursuing the underlying debt or the reasonable handling fee, but it forfeits the 12 percent interest, capped collection costs, attorney's fees, and treble damages that Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515 makes available only after the Section 62A.3-520 notice and its 15-day unpaid period.

Why should a Washington demand letter never threaten arrest or criminal prosecution?

A demand letter should never threaten arrest, jail, or criminal prosecution to collect a civil debt. Washington's Collection Agency Act bars an entity it covers from communicating in a way that threatens criminal prosecution to collect a claim (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.16.250(13)); the Act generally does not reach a creditor collecting its own debt under its own real name (Section 19.16.100(4)), but the letter should stay factual regardless.

What interest can I add to a Washington demand letter?

If your agreement set no rate in writing, Washington's default legal rate is 12 percent per annum on a loan or forbearance of money (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.52.010(1)), except that prejudgment interest on medical debt is capped at 9 percent (Section 19.52.010(2)(a)). Where the parties agreed on a rate, the non-usurious ceiling is the higher of 12 percent or 4 percentage points above a floating Treasury-bill benchmark, not a fixed number (Section 19.52.020).

Where do I sue in Washington if my demand letter is ignored?

Washington's Small Claims Department of the District Court hears a claim up to $10,000 for a natural person or $5,000 in other cases (Wash. Rev. Code Section 12.40.010(1)), and attorneys may not appear there without the judicial officer's consent (Section 12.40.080(1)). For a higher amount, file in a Washington court with jurisdiction over the amount you claim.

What is the deadline to sue on an unpaid debt in Washington?

Washington gives 6 years to sue on a written contract or an account receivable (Wash. Rev. Code Section 4.16.040), but only 3 years to sue on an oral contract or for injury to property (Section 4.16.080).

Can the other side make me pay their attorney's fees in a Washington lawsuit?

It is possible in a claim of $10,000 or less: Wash. Rev. Code Sections 4.84.250, 4.84.270, and 4.84.280 let a defendant become the prevailing party, and recover fees, if you recover nothing or no more than a written settlement offer the defendant served on you during the suit, at least 10 days before trial. This applies to the lawsuit itself, not to the demand letter stage.

Where do Washington's rules for a security deposit or final paycheck demand apply instead of this letter?

Security deposit and final paycheck disputes follow their own Washington rules, covered on separate demand letter pages for those claim types rather than in this general demand letter.

Washington Demand Letter

Washington has no Consumer Protection Act notice requirement, but a dishonored check needs a 15-day statutory notice of dishonor, and small claims limits differ for individuals and other filers.

Find out where you stand in Washington

What is this demand about?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

Washington's Consumer Protection Act creates no pre-suit demand requirement: Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090 lets any person injured in business or property sue directly in superior court, or in district court up to its jurisdictional limit, for actual damages, an injunction, or both, plus mandatory costs and a reasonable attorney's fee, with no written-notice precondition anywhere in the statute's text. The one demand Washington law does condition on a specific notice is narrower: if a check written to you is dishonored, Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515 lets you recover a reasonable handling fee on the check, but 12 percent annual interest from the date of dishonor and collection costs capped at $40 or the check's face amount, whichever is less, are available only where the check itself sets no such terms, only once you mail the drawer a written notice of dishonor in the exact statutory caution-letter form Section 62A.3-520 sets out, and only after 15 days pass unpaid following that notice. Sue on an unpaid notice of dishonor and a court must award reasonable attorney's fees plus treble damages of three times the check's face amount or $300, whichever is less. None of these bad-check remedies apply where the check was dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order. For a claim on a written contract or an account receivable, Washington gives you 6 years to sue (Section 4.16.040); an oral contract or a property-damage claim gets only 3 years (Section 4.16.080). If your dispute is a security deposit or a final paycheck, Washington applies separate rules covered on their own demand letter pages rather than repeated here. DocDraft builds your Washington demand letter from your facts and your deadline, with attorney review available before you send it.

Key Things to Know

1
The sharpest state rule: if a check written to you is dishonored, Washington lets you recover a reasonable handling fee, but 12 percent annual interest and collection costs up to $40 or the check's face amount, whichever is less, apply only where the check sets no such terms, only after you mail a written notice of dishonor in the exact statutory form Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-520 sets out, and only once 15 days pass unpaid after that notice (Section 62A.3-515). None of this applies to a check dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order.
2
Washington's Consumer Protection Act imposes no pre-suit written-notice requirement before you sue: Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090 lets you file directly, and a prevailing plaintiff recovers costs and a reasonable attorney's fee as part of that action, with treble damages left to the court's discretion and capped at $25,000 in additional damages.
3
If you sue on an unpaid notice of dishonor, Washington courts must award reasonable attorney's fees plus treble damages of three times the dishonored check's face amount or $300, whichever is less (Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515), unless the check was dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order; the drawer can still moot the claim by tendering the face amount, handling fee, interest, and costs in full before the hearing.
4
Never threaten arrest, jail, or criminal prosecution to collect a civil debt. Washington's Collection Agency Act bars an entity it covers from threatening criminal prosecution to collect a claim (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.16.250(13)), and the Act generally does not cover a creditor collecting its own debt under its own real name (Section 19.16.100(4)).
5
Washington gives 6 years to sue on a written contract or an account receivable (Wash. Rev. Code Section 4.16.040), but only 3 years to sue on an oral contract or for injury to property (Section 4.16.080).
6
If your agreement set no interest rate in writing, Washington's default legal rate is 12 percent per annum on a loan or forbearance of money (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.52.010(1)), except that prejudgment interest on medical debt is capped at 9 percent (Section 19.52.010(2)(a)); an agreed contract rate is capped at the higher of 12 percent or 4 percentage points above a floating Treasury-bill benchmark, not a fixed number (Section 19.52.020).
7
A Washington small claim goes to the Small Claims Department of the District Court, which hears up to $10,000 for a natural person or $5,000 in other cases (Wash. Rev. Code Section 12.40.010(1)); attorneys may not appear without the judicial officer's consent (Section 12.40.080(1)).

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Demand Letter in Washington, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Demand Letter guide walks through them.

Open the Demand Letter guide

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[YOUR NAME] [YOUR ADDRESS] [CITY, WASHINGTON ZIP] [EMAIL] [PHONE] [DATE]

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

[RECIPIENT NAME] [RECIPIENT ADDRESS] [CITY, WASHINGTON ZIP]

Re: Demand for [PAYMENT, REFUND, OR ACTION] - [INVOICE, CONTRACT, OR MATTER REFERENCE]

Dear [RECIPIENT NAME]:

This letter is a formal demand regarding [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISPUTE].

STATEMENT OF FACTS

On [DATE], [WHAT HAPPENED]. [KEY FACTS IN ORDER, REFERENCING THE ATTACHED CONTRACT, INVOICE, OR OTHER DOCUMENTS.]

AMOUNT DEMANDED

You currently owe me $[AMOUNT], consisting of [PRINCIPAL AMOUNT] [PLUS ANY LATE FEES OR INTEREST THE AGREEMENT ALLOWS]. [ANY ACTION DEMANDED INSTEAD OF MONEY.]

CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT [IF APPLICABLE: unfair or deceptive act claim]

If this dispute arises from an unfair or deceptive act or practice in trade or commerce, Washington's Consumer Protection Act, Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090, lets me bring a civil action for actual damages, an injunction, or both, and entitles me as a prevailing party to costs and a reasonable attorney's fee; the court may, in its discretion, also increase my damages up to three times the actual amount, capped at $25,000 in additional damages. Section 19.86.090 sets no written-notice waiting period before that action may be filed, so this letter is a courtesy, not a statutory precondition.

DISHONORED CHECK [IF APPLICABLE: returned check]

If the amount above is based on a check you wrote to me that was dishonored, this letter is not the notice of dishonor that Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-520 requires in its own statutory form. A reasonable handling fee is owed on the dishonored check. The separate statutory notice, once mailed and unpaid for 15 days, lets me recover 12 percent annual interest from the date of dishonor and collection costs of up to $40 or the check's face amount, whichever is less, where the check sets no such terms, and lets a court award reasonable attorney's fees plus treble damages of three times the check's face amount or $300, whichever is less (Section 62A.3-515), unless the check was dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order.

INTEREST

If we agreed on no interest rate in writing, Washington's legal rate of 12 percent per annum applies to a loan or forbearance of money under Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.52.010(1), except that prejudgment interest on medical debt is capped at 9 percent under Section 19.52.010(2)(a).

DEMAND AND DEADLINE

I demand [PAYMENT OF THE FULL AMOUNT OR THE SPECIFIC ACTION DESCRIBED ABOVE] no later than [DEADLINE DATE: A REASONABLE PERIOD, SUCH AS 10 TO 30 DAYS, AFTER YOU RECEIVE THIS LETTER]. Payment may be made by [PAYMENT METHOD].

CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND

If I do not receive [PAYMENT OR A RESPONSE] by the deadline, I intend to pursue all available legal remedies, including filing a claim in Washington's Small Claims Department of the District Court, which hears a claim of up to $10,000 for a natural person or $5,000 in other cases (Wash. Rev. Code Section 12.40.010(1)), or in the appropriate court if the amount is higher. For a claim on a written contract or an account receivable, Washington's deadline to sue is generally 6 years (Section 4.16.040); an oral contract or a property-damage claim generally has 3 years (Section 4.16.080).

I would prefer to resolve this without litigation and am willing to discuss a reasonable resolution if you contact me before the deadline.

Sincerely,

[SIGNATURE] [YOUR NAME]

Enclosures: [LIST OF ATTACHED RECORDS]

Note: This letter is drawn from Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090, Sections 62A.3-515 and 62A.3-520, Section 19.52.010, Section 12.40.010, and Sections 4.16.040 and 4.16.080.

Washington Requirements for Demand Letter

Dishonored Check 15-Day Notice of Dishonor
Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515 allows a reasonable handling fee on a dishonored check, but before you can recover 12 percent annual interest or capped collection costs, you must first mail the drawer a written notice of dishonor and wait 15 days for payment. None of these remedies apply where the check was dishonored by a justifiable stop-payment order.
Notice of Dishonor Must Use the Statutory Form
Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-520 sets the exact required contents of the notice of dishonor, including the amount, the bank, the date, the check number, and a warning about the 15-day deadline. A general demand letter should not imitate that form; send the Section 62A.3-520 notice separately if you intend to rely on it.
Bad-Check Attorney's Fees and Capped Treble Damages
If you sue on an unpaid notice of dishonor, Wash. Rev. Code Section 62A.3-515 requires the court to award reasonable attorney's fees plus treble damages of three times the check's face amount or $300, whichever is less. The drawer can moot the claim by tendering the face amount, handling fee, interest, and capped costs in full before the hearing.
No Consumer Protection Act Pre-Suit Notice
Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090 lets any person injured in business or property sue directly in superior or district court for actual damages, an injunction, or both, without any written-notice precondition. A demand letter is not a filing requirement for this claim type in Washington.
CPA Remedies: Discretionary Treble Damages, Mandatory Fees
A prevailing Consumer Protection Act plaintiff recovers costs and a reasonable attorney's fee as part of the action itself, and the court may, in its discretion, increase damages up to three times the actual amount, capped at $25,000 in additional damages (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.86.090).
Six-Year Limit for Contracts and Accounts Receivable
Washington gives 6 years to sue on a written contract or an account receivable (Wash. Rev. Code Section 4.16.040), but only 3 years to sue on an oral contract or for injury to property (Section 4.16.080).
Default 12 Percent Legal Interest Rate
Where the parties agreed on no rate in writing, Washington's legal rate is 12 percent per annum on a loan or forbearance of money (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.52.010(1)), except that prejudgment interest on medical debt is capped at 9 percent (Section 19.52.010(2)(a)). An agreed contract rate is capped at the higher of 12 percent or 4 percentage points above a floating Treasury-bill benchmark (Section 19.52.020).
Small Claims Limit Differs by Filer Type
Washington's Small Claims Department of the District Court hears a claim up to $10,000 for a natural person or $5,000 in other cases (Wash. Rev. Code Section 12.40.010(1)), and an attorney may not appear there without the judicial officer's consent (Section 12.40.080(1)).
Never Threaten Arrest, Jail, or Prosecution
A demand letter should never threaten arrest, jail, or criminal prosecution to collect a civil debt. Washington's Collection Agency Act bars an entity it covers from threatening criminal prosecution to collect a claim (Wash. Rev. Code Section 19.16.250(13)), though the Act generally excludes a creditor collecting its own debt under its own real name (Section 19.16.100(4)).

Find out where you stand in Washington

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Demand Letter Template with DocDraft

Washington Requirements for Demand Letter

Dishonored Check 15-Day Notice of Dishonor

Notice of Dishonor Must Use the Statutory Form

Bad-Check Attorney's Fees and Capped Treble Damages

No Consumer Protection Act Pre-Suit Notice

CPA Remedies: Discretionary Treble Damages, Mandatory Fees

Six-Year Limit for Contracts and Accounts Receivable

Default 12 Percent Legal Interest Rate

Small Claims Limit Differs by Filer Type

Never Threaten Arrest, Jail, or Prosecution

Frequently Asked Questions