Wash. Rev. Code » Title 36 · Chapter 36.18
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 36.18.190 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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Superior court clerks may contract with collection agencies under chapter 19.16 RCW or may use county collection services for the collection of unpaid court-ordered legal financial obligations as enumerated in RCW 9.94A.030 that are ordered pursuant to a felony or misdemeanor conviction and of unpaid financial obligations imposed under Title 13 RCW. The costs for the agencies or county services shall be paid by the debtor. The superior court may, at sentencing or at any time within ten years, assess as court costs the moneys paid for remuneration for services or charges paid to collection agencies or for collection services. By agreement, clerks may authorize collection agencies to retain all or any portion of the interest collected on these accounts. Collection may not be initiated with respect to a criminal offender who is under the supervision of the department of corrections without the prior agreement of the department. Superior court clerks are encouraged to initiate collection action with respect to a criminal offender who is under the supervision of the department of corrections, with the department's approval.
Any contract with a collection agency shall be awarded only after competitive bidding. Factors that a court clerk shall consider in awarding a collection contract include but are not limited to: (1) A collection agency's history and reputation in the community; and (2) the agency's access to a local database that may increase the efficiency of its collections. Contracts may specify the scope of work, remuneration for services, and other charges deemed appropriate.
The servicing of an unpaid court obligation does not constitute assignment of a debt, and no contract with a collection agency may remove the court's control over unpaid obligations owed to the court.
The county clerk may collect civil judgments where the county is the creditor.
[ 1997 c 24 s 1. Prior: 1995 c 291 s 8; 1995 c 262 s 1; 1994 c 185 s 9.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 28 cases (12 in the last 5 years), 2001–2025 · leading case: State Of Washington v. Terry Eugene Gaines, 479 P.3d 735 (Wash. Ct. App. 2021).
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State Of Washington v. Terry Eugene Gaines, 479 P.3d 735 (Wash. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 16× “We disagree, and hold that the superior court erred in failing to recognize that it retained the authority under RCW 36.18.190 to remove Gaines’s LFO accounts from AllianceOne despite the court clerk’s No.”
State v. Snapp, 82 P.3d 252 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004). “090; RCW 36.18.190. And the court may properly order a minimum monthly payment after entry of the judgment and sentence as it did here.”
State v. Hamedian, 354 P.3d 937 (Wash. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 2× “The clerk of the superior court may seek extension of the judgment for legal financial obligations, including crime victims’ assessments, in the same manner as RCW 6.”
State v. Morgan, 107 Wash. App. 153 (Wash. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 2× “The clerk of superior court may seek extension under subsection (3) of this section for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190. RCW 36.18.190 authorizes the superior court clerk to contract with collection agencies or to use county collection services for the…”
In Re Brady, 224 P.3d 842 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 5× “020 for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190. RCW 13.40.192. See LAWS OF 1997, ch.”
State v. Morgan, 26 P.3d 965 (Wash. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 2× “The clerk of superior court may seek extension under subsection (3) of this section for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190. RCW 36.18.190 authorizes the superior court clerk to contract with collection agencies or to use county collection services for the…”
In re the Pers. Restraint of Brady, 154 Wash. App. 189 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010). · cites it 5× “020 for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190. RCW 13.40.192; see Laws of 1997, ch.”
State Of Washington, V. Antonio Ortega, 506 P.3d 1287 (Wash. Ct. App. 2022). “” RCW 36.18.190 (emphasis added). Because the court is not required to assess collection costs as court costs, this is also a discretionary LFO.”
Sanders v. AllianceOne Receivables Mgmt., Inc. (In re Sanders), 589 B.R. 874 (Bankr. W.D. Wash. 2018). · cites it 3× “( RCW 36.18.190 ) The financial obligations imposed in this judgment shall bear interest from the date of Judgment until payment in full, *879 at the rate applicable to civil judgments.”
State Of Washington, V. Yvonne Renee Featherstone (Wash. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 5× “Further, Winterowd contends that the trial court has authority under RCW 36.18.190 to order the clerk’s office to reallocate payments after the clerk’s office applied refund monies to Winterowd’s collection costs before applying them to restitution.”
State Of Washington v. Anthony T. Clark (Wash. Ct. App. 2020). · cites it 4× “RCW 36.18.190. The cost of the collection service is paid by the debtor.”
State Of Washington, V. Timothy Menzies, Jr. (Wash. Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 3× “Therefore, like the community custody supervision fee, collection costs are incurred post-conviction and do not fit within one of the three categories of costs enumerated in RCW 10.01.160(2). Because neither the community custody supervision fee nor the collections costs meet…”
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