RCW 35.21.333: Chief of police or marshal—Eligibility requirements.

(1) A person seeking appointment to the office of chief of police or marshal in any city or town is eligible for appointment, holding office, and remaining in that office only if that person:

(a) Is a citizen of the United States of America;

(b) Is at least 25 years old;

(c) Has obtained a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate as provided in RCW 28B.50.536;

(d) Has not been convicted under the laws of this state, another state, the United States, or the substantial equivalent under foreign law, of a felony;

(e) Has not been convicted under the laws of this state, another state, the United States, or the substantial equivalent under foreign law, of a gross misdemeanor unless the conviction has been vacated;

(f) Has not engaged and does not engage in conduct meeting the criteria requiring denial or revocation of certification set forth in RCW 43.101.105(2);

(g) Has received at least a general discharge under honorable conditions from any branch of the armed services for any military service if the person was in the military service;

(h) Has completed at least five years of regular, full-time law enforcement employment involving enforcement responsibilities with a government law enforcement agency, as defined in subsection (4) of this section;

(i) Within nine months of assuming office, unless otherwise extended by the criminal justice training commission, has obtained certification, thereafter maintains certification as required under chapter 43.101 RCW and the rules of the commission, and has never had their certification denied, revoked, or voluntarily surrendered, and not reinstated, by any other state; and

(j) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, has completed a background check that verifies that the person has met the eligibility requirements in (a) through (i) of this subsection.

(i) The background check verifying eligibility must be completed by the appointing authority no earlier than six months prior to the date of appointment. The appointing authority must submit confirmation to the criminal justice training commission that the background check verified that the person meets the eligibility requirements. Such confirmation is a public record.

(ii) The appointing authority is responsible for any cost associated with the background check.

(2) A person seeking appointment to the office of chief of police or marshal shall provide a sworn statement under penalty of perjury to the appointing authority stating that the person meets the requirements of this section.

(3) The requirement of five years of experience with a government law enforcement agency and the age requirement in subsection (1) of this section do not apply to any person who is holding the office of chief of police or marshal as of April 30, 2026, unless the person seeks appointment to a different office of chief of police or town marshal. All other eligibility requirements apply as of April 30, 2026.

(4) For the purposes of this section, "government law enforcement agency" means a general authority Washington law enforcement agency or a limited authority Washington law enforcement agency as defined in RCW 10.93.020, or a state or federal governmental agency that is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of, any person for any violation of law.