Wash. Rev. Code » Title 74 · Chapter 74.08
Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 74.08.055 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section WA-LEGapp.leg.wa.gov JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar
(1) Each applicant for or recipient of public assistance shall complete and sign a physical application or, if available, electronic application for assistance which shall contain or be verified by a written declaration that it is signed under the penalties of perjury. The department may make electronic applications available. The secretary, by rule and regulation, may require that any other forms filled out by applicants or recipients of public assistance shall contain or be verified by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury and such declaration shall be in lieu of any oath otherwise required, and each applicant shall be so informed at the time of the signing. The application and signature verification shall be in accordance with federal requirements for that program.
(2) Any applicant for or recipient of public assistance who willfully makes and signs any application, statement, other paper, or electronic record which contains or is verified by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury and which he or she does not believe to be true and correct as to every material matter is guilty of a class B felony punishable according to chapter 9A.20 RCW.
(3) As used in this section:
(a) "Electronic record" means a record created, generated, sent, communicated, received, or stored by electronic means.
(b) "Sign" includes signing by physical signature, if available, or electronic signature. An application must contain a signature in either physical or, if available, electronic form.
[ 2020 c 57 s 89; 2009 c 201 s 1; 2003 c 53 s 366; 1979 c 141 s 323; 1959 c 26 s 74.08.055. Prior: 1953 c 174 s 27.]

Notes:

Intent—Effective date—2003 c 53: See notes following RCW 2.48.180.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases, 1957–2016 · leading case: State v. Kiliona-Garramone, 267 P.3d 426 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
State v. Kiliona-Garramone, 267 P.3d 426 (Wash. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 13× “The State charged all three with false verification of a welfare form under former RCW 74.08.055 (1979) and RCW 9.94A.535(3)(d).”
People v. Ramos, 424 N.W.2d 509 (Mich. 1988). · cites it 2× “, p 751, n 3, quoting Wash Rev Code 74.08.055, as enacted, Laws of 1959, ch 26, § 74.”
State v. DeLong, 557 P.2d 14 (Wash. Ct. App. 1976). “* The defendant, John Joseph DeLong, was *453 charged and ultimately convicted of a violation of RCW 74.08.055, willfully subscribing to an application for public assistance which he did not believe to be true.”
State v. Estill, 310 P.2d 885 (Wash. 1957). “ther sources, including relatives or other agencies, all of said matters being material and the said Resource Statement being a form which the Director of Public Assistance did by rule and regulation require to, and then and there did, contain a written declaration that it was…”
State v. Bailey, 544 P.2d 778 (Wash. Ct. App. 1976). · cites it 3× “RCW 74.08.055 3 says that an applicant for public assistance who willfully makes and subscribes any statement which is verified by a written declaration that it is made under the penalties of perjury and which he does not believe to be true and correct is guilty of a felony.”
State v. Farmer, 669 P.2d 1240 (Wash. 1983). “Farmer was also charged with perjury under RCW 74.08.055. Farmer moved to dismiss the theft charge, arguing that RCW 74.”
State Of Washington v. Chase Scott Poledna (Wash. Ct. App. 2016). “Poledna did not specifically object to this instruction. The jury found Poledna guilty as charged.”
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.