Medical debt laws in Washington

In Washington, the statute of limitations on medical debt is 6 years (RCW 4.16.040 (written contracts and accounts receivable, 6 yrs); RCW 4.16.080(3) (contracts not in writing, 3 yrs)). Washington has no medical-debt-specific limitations period; an unpaid medical bill is an 'account receivable' (an obligation incurred in the ordinary course of the provider's business) under RCW 4.16.040(2), and bills tied to signed service/admission agreements are written contracts under RCW 4.16.040(1) — both carry 6 years, so 6 years applies either way. That clock decides whether a collector can win a lawsuit against you — which changes what you should do next, so check the dates on the bill before you do anything else.

What the time limit actually means

The statute of limitations does not erase a debt — it limits how long a collector can successfully sue over it. A time-barred debt can still be requested, reported (within credit-reporting time limits), and settled. But if a collector sues after the period has run and you raise the statute of limitations as a defense, the case should be dismissed. The defense is not automatic: you must respond to the lawsuit to use it.

Careful: Yes — under RCW 4.16.270 any payment of principal or interest restarts the limitations period from the date of the last payment, and under RCW 4.16.280 a written, signed acknowledgment or promise also revives the claim.

Washington protections for medical debt

• Medical debt credit-reporting ban (ESSB 5480) (2025 Wash. Laws, ESSB 5480 (amending ch. 19.16 RCW; enforced via RCW 19.86)) — Effective July 27, 2025, medical debt is excluded from credit reports in Washington; hospitals, physician groups, and collectors may not furnish medical debt to consumer reporting agencies, a medical debt reported in violation is void and unenforceable, and violations are per se unfair practices under the Consumer Protection Act.
• Medical debt collection limits (SHB 1531) (2019 Wash. Laws ch. 227 (codified in ch. 19.16 RCW)) — Caps prejudgment interest on medical debt at 9%, bars providers from selling or assigning medical debt to a collection agency until at least 120 days after the initial billing statement, and requires collectors to give notice of charity-care rights.
• Hospital charity care requirement (RCW 70.170.060) — Washington hospitals must provide charity care (free or discounted) to patients below statutory income thresholds and must screen for eligibility before collection.

• Charity care is federal law. Nonprofit hospitals must maintain a written Financial Assistance Policy and publicize it (IRS §501(r)). If your bill is from a nonprofit hospital, ask for the FAP application before paying anything. How to apply →
• Surprise out-of-network bills. The federal No Surprises Act bans most out-of-network balance billing for emergency care and for out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. When a bill is illegal →
• Credit reporting. The national bureaus no longer report paid medical collections, medical collections under $500, or those less than a year old.

Rules Washington sets for collectors

Beyond the federal FDCPA, Washington has its own collection statute — the Washington Collection Agency Act (Ch. 19.16 RCW (prohibited practices at RCW 19.16.250)). The Collection Agency Act licenses collectors and debt buyers and prohibits harassment, misrepresentation, unauthorized fees, and suing on unlicensed debt (RCW 19.16.260); violations are automatically unfair practices under the Consumer Protection Act, ch. 19.86 RCW, giving consumers treble-damages claims.

Yes — collection agencies and debt buyers must be licensed by the Washington State Department of Licensing under RCW 19.16.110, and an unlicensed agency may not maintain a collection lawsuit (RCW 19.16.260).

Under the FDCPA, within five days of first contacting you a collector must send a written validation notice (15 U.S.C. §1692g). If you dispute the debt in writing within 30 days of that notice, the collector must stop collection activity until it mails you verification. There is no legal deadline for the collector to respond — but until it does, it cannot lawfully keep collecting.

If a collector is calling: the first 24 hours

1. Do not confirm the debt is yours on the phone, and do not make a payment yet — get everything in writing first.
2. Ask for the collector’s company name, mailing address, and the amount claimed. Write down the date and time.
3. Check the dates: if the last activity on the bill is older than 6 years, the debt may be time-barred in Washington.
4. Send a written validation request within 30 days. Generate the letter free →
5. If the bill is from a hospital, request an itemized bill and ask about financial assistance — billing errors are common and assistance is often retroactive.

Where to complain in Washington

Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division handles collection complaints at the state level. Federally, file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — complaints become part of the public record collectors are judged on.

Common questions

Keep reading

• Statute of limitations on all debt in Washington
• Free debt validation letter generator — no account needed
• Look up a debt collector — CFPB complaint records for the biggest agencies
• Charity care: hospital financial assistance, applied
• Medical debt laws in Arkansas
• Medical debt laws in Hawaii
• Medical debt laws in Louisiana
• Medical debt laws in Missouri
• Medical debt laws in New York
• Medical debt laws in Rhode Island

Legal information, not legal advice. Statutes change and courts interpret them — for advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer or your state’s legal aid office. Last reviewed AUG 2026.