Wash. Rev. Code » Title 69 · Chapter 69.50
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 69.50.509 (2026)

Search and seizure of controlled substances

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
If, upon the sworn complaint of any person, it shall be made to appear to any judge of the superior court, district court, or municipal court that there is probable cause to believe that any controlled substance is being used, manufactured, sold, bartered, exchanged, administered, dispensed, delivered, distributed, produced, knowingly possessed, given away, furnished or otherwise disposed of or kept in violation of the provisions of this chapter, such judge shall, with or without the approval of the prosecuting attorney, issue a warrant directed to any law enforcement officer of the state, commanding him or her to search the premises designated and described in such complaint and warrant, and to seize all controlled substances there found, together with the vessels in which they are contained, and all implements, furniture and fixtures used or kept for the illegal manufacture, sale, barter, exchange, administering, dispensing, delivering, distributing, producing, possessing, giving away, furnishing or otherwise disposing of such controlled substances, and to safely keep the same, and to make a return of said warrant within three days, showing all acts and things done thereunder, with a particular statement of all articles seized and the name of the person or persons in whose possession the same were found, if any, and if no person be found in the possession of said articles, the returns shall so state. The provisions of RCW 10.31.030 as now or hereafter amended shall apply to actions taken pursuant to this chapter.
[ 2023 sp.s. c 1 s 5; 1987 c 202 s 228; 1971 ex.s. c 308 s 69.50.509.]

Notes:

Effective date—2023 sp.s. c 1 ss 1-5, 7-11, and 41: See note following RCW 69.50.4011.
Intent—1987 c 202: See note following RCW 2.04.190.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1972–2025 · leading case: State v. Thomas, 851 P.2d 673 (Wash. 1993).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State v. Thomas, 851 P.2d 673 (Wash. 1993). · cites it 28× “Wash. Rev. Code § 69.50.509 (1987) (three day limit for execution of search warrant for controlled substances).”
State v. Wallway, 865 P.2d 531 (Wash. Ct. App. 1994). · cites it 8× “They argue that under RCW 69.50.509 a warrant is to be executed and returned within 3 days of issuance.”
Protect the Peninsula's Future v. City of Port Angeles, 304 P.3d 914 (Wash. Ct. App. 2013). “22, § 24 (controlled substances warrants, now codified at RCW 69.50.509). Until its repeal, Washington’s prohibition law authorized search warrants for illegal intoxicating liquor.”
State v. Chambers, 945 P.2d 1172 (Wash. Ct. App. 1997). · cites it 2× “509 which provides: If, upon the sworn complaint of any person, it shall be made to appear to any judge of the superior court, district court, or municipal court that there is probable cause to believe that any controlled substance is being used, manufactured, sold, bartered,…”
State v. Davidson, 613 P.2d 564 (Wash. Ct. App. 1980). · cites it 2× “The only other relevant statute brought to our attention is applicable to alleged violations of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, RCW 69.50.509. It provides in part: If, upon the sworn complaint of any person, it shall be made to appear to any judge of the superior court,…”
State v. Leupp, 980 P.2d 765 (Wash. Ct. App. 1999). “He argued that (a) the warrant was defective for requiring a return of the warrant within five days of its execution, rather than the three days specified by RCW 69.50.509; and (b) the affidavit failed to establish probable cause because: (i) Peterson improperly obtained much of…”
In The Matter Of The Search Warrant For: 13811 High. 99, Lynnwood, Wa, 378 P.3d 568 (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “3 and RCW 69.50.509. 30 But in that case, “the relevant provisions of [CrRLJ 2.”
State Of Washington v. David E. Bliss, 365 P.3d 764 (Wash. Ct. App. 2015). “The court held further that neither a separate statutory provision authorizing a district court to issue warrants for violations *913 of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, RCW 69.50.509, nor a court rule permitting such courts to issue criminal process to anywhere in the…”
State v. Thomas, 827 P.2d 1394 (Wash. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 9× “The court granted the motion finding that under RCW 69.50.509, a search warrant for controlled substances must be executed within 3 days.”
State v. Bowman, 504 P.2d 1148 (Wash. Ct. App. 1972). “Act, RCW 69.50.509. The provision for the service of the copy of the warrant has been deleted.”
State v. Uhthoff, 724 P.2d 1103 (Wash. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 2× “] Further, RCW 69.50.509, 4 which does not address a court's territorial jurisdictional limits to order a search, expressly authorizes a district court judge, upon probable cause, to issue a warrant for the search and seizure of controlled substances with or without the approval…”
State of Washington v. A.M.W., 545 P.3d 394 (Wash. Ct. App. 2024). “2d 673 (1993), the Supreme Court resolved whether RCW 69.50.509 prevailed over CrR 2.3. The statute listed procedures regarding investigating those handling controlled substances, whereas the court rule prescribed procedures for searches and seizures in general.”
Show all 16 citing cases →
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.