Wash. Rev. Code » Title 48 · Chapter 48.18
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 48.18.291 (2025)

Cancellation of private automobile insurance by insurer—Notice—Requirements

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(1) A contract of insurance predicated wholly or in part upon the use of a private passenger automobile may not be terminated by cancellation by the insurer until at least twenty days after mailing written notice of cancellation to the named insured at the latest address filed with the insurer by or on behalf of the named insured, accompanied by the reason therefor. If cancellation is for nonpayment of premium, or is within the first thirty days after the contract has been in effect, at least ten days notice of cancellation, accompanied by the reason therefor, shall be given. In case of a contract evidenced by a written binder which has been delivered to the insured, if the binder contains a clearly stated expiration date, no additional notice of cancellation or nonrenewal is required.
(2)(a) A notice of cancellation by the insurer as to a contract of insurance to which subsection (1) of this section applies is not valid if sent more than sixty days after the contract has been in effect unless:
(i) The named insured fails to discharge when due any of his or her obligations in connection with the payment of premium for the policy or any installment thereof, whether payable directly to the insurer or to its agent or indirectly under any premium finance plan or extension of credit; or
(ii) The driver's license of the named insured, or of any other operator who customarily operates an automobile insured under the policy, has been suspended, revoked, or canceled during the policy period or, if the policy is a renewal, during its policy period or the one hundred eighty days immediately preceding the effective date of the renewal policy.
(b) Modification by the insurer of automobile physical damage coverage by the inclusion of a deductible not exceeding one hundred dollars is not a cancellation of the coverage or of the policy.
(3) The substance of subsections (1) and (2)(a) of this section must be set forth in each contract of insurance subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, and may be in the form of an attached endorsement.
(4) A notice of cancellation of a policy that may be canceled only pursuant to subsection (2) of this section is not effective unless the reason therefor accompanies or is included in the notice of cancellation.
[ 2003 c 248 s 5; 1985 c 264 s 18; 1979 ex.s. c 199 s 6; 1969 ex.s. c 241 s 19.]

Notes:

Application—1985 c 264 ss 17-22: See note following RCW 48.18.290.
Construction—1969 ex.s. c 241 ss 19-25: "Sections 19 through 25 of this 1969 amendatory act shall become operative September 1, 1969, and shall apply to policies written or renewed, or which have a renewal anniversary thereafter. Sections 19 through 25 of this 1969 amendatory act shall not apply to or affect the validity of any notice of cancellation mailed or delivered prior to the operative date of this amendatory act. Sections 19 through 25 of this 1969 amendatory act shall not be construed to affect cancellation of a renewal policy, if notice of cancellation is mailed or delivered within sixty days after the operative date of sections 19 through 25 of this amendatory act. Sections 19 through 25 of this 1969 amendatory act shall not be construed to require notice of intention not to renew any policy which expires less than thirty days after the operative date of sections 19 through 25 of this 1969 amendatory act." [ 1969 ex.s. c 241 s 25.]
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 13 cases, 1984–2014 · leading case: Bailey v. Allstate Ins. Co., 869 P.2d 1110 (Wash. Ct. App. 1994).
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Bailey v. Allstate Ins. Co., 869 P.2d 1110 (Wash. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 19× “] The trial court also found that RCW 48.18.291 is not applicable. That statute provides, in relevant part: (1) No contract of insurance predicated wholly or in part upon the use of a private passenger automobile shall be terminated by cancellation by the insurer until at least…”
Taxter v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 721 P.2d 972 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 7× “First, it is contended the court erred when it ruled that Taxters' purchase of the Rainier policy terminated like coverage by Safeco under the doctrine of cancellation by substitution and the automatic termination provision of the Safeco policy.”
Safeco Ins. v. Irish, 681 P.2d 1294 (Wash. Ct. App. 1984). · cites it 2× “Neither RCW 48.18.291, relied upon by Irish, nor his policy provisions governing cancellation apply to a situation where the insured fails to pay a premium as a condition to renewal.”
Armstrong v. Safeco Ins., 765 P.2d 276 (Wash. 1988). · cites it 2× “292 places few restrictions on an insurance company's ability to deny renewal of an automobile insurance policy: *788 (1) Each insurer shall be required to renew any contract of insurance subject to RCW 48.18.291 unless one of the following situations exists: (a) The insurer…”
Majernicek v. Hartford Cas. Ins., 688 A.2d 1330 (Conn. 1997). “Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 48.18.291 (West 1984) provides in relevant part: “(1) No contact of insurance predicated upon the use of aprivate passenger automobile shall be terminated by cancellation by the insurer until at least twenty days after mailing written notice of…”
Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp. v. Grange Ins., 684 P.2d 744 (Wash. Ct. App. 1984). “Moreover, RCW 48.18.291 provides a contract of insurance on an automobile cannot be terminated by the insurer until at least 20 days after written notice of cancellation has been mailed to the insured.”
Armstrong v. Safeco Ins., 748 P.2d 666 (Wash. Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 4× “292(1)(a) provides: (1) Each insurer shall be required to renew any contract of insurance subject to RCW 48.18.291 unless one of the following situations exists: (a) The insurer gives the named insured at least twenty days' notice in writing as provided for in RCW 48.”
Tremmel v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 713 P.2d 155 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 12× “RCW 48.18.291, on the other hand, was not enacted until 1969.”
Johnson v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 316 P.3d 1054 (Wash. Ct. App. 2013). “Neither RCW 48.18.291, relied upon by Irish, nor his policy provisions governing cancellation apply to a situation where the insured fails to pay a premium as a condition to renewal.”
State v. Mau, 308 P.3d 629 (Wash. 2013). “292, which describe the insurer’s duty to “renew” various “contracts of insurance”; three times in RCW 48.18.291, which prohibits insurers from canceling a “contract of insurance predicated .”
Seth Layman v. 21st Century North Am. Ins. Co., No. 70540-7 (Wash. Ct. App. July 7, 2014). · cites it 6× “They requested a declaration that 21st Century's paperless delivery system did not satisfy the notice requirements of RCW 48.18.291 for policy cancelation and that 21st Century's policy provided coverage for the February 23, 2011 claim.”
State v. Mau, No. 87697-5 (Wash. Aug. 22, 2013). “292, which describe the insurer's duty to "renew" various "contracts of insurance," three times in RCW 48.18.291, which prohibits insurers from canceling a "contract of insurance predicated .”
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Wash. Rev. Code § 48.18.291(1): 4 cases
Armstrong v. Safeco Ins., 765 P.2d 276 (Wash. 1988). “292 places few restrictions on an insurance company's ability to deny renewal of an automobile insurance policy: *788 (1) Each insurer shall be required to renew any contract of insurance subject to RCW 48.18.291 unless one of the following situations exists: (a) The insurer…”
Tremmel v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 713 P.2d 155 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986). “RCW 48.18.291, on the other hand, was not enacted until 1969.”
Armstrong v. Safeco Ins., 748 P.2d 666 (Wash. Ct. App. 1988). “292(1)(a) provides: (1) Each insurer shall be required to renew any contract of insurance subject to RCW 48.18.291 unless one of the following situations exists: (a) The insurer gives the named insured at least twenty days' notice in writing as provided for in RCW 48.”
Seth Layman v. 21st Century North Am. Ins. Co., No. 70540-7 (Wash. Ct. App. July 7, 2014). “They requested a declaration that 21st Century's paperless delivery system did not satisfy the notice requirements of RCW 48.18.291 for policy cancelation and that 21st Century's policy provided coverage for the February 23, 2011 claim.”
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