Washington Drops the Certified-Mail Rule for Eviction Notices as HB 2664 Takes Effect

Washington Drops the Certified-Mail Rule for Eviction Notices as HB 2664 Takes Effect

Washington landlords no longer have to use certified mail to send eviction and rent-related notices. House Bill 2664 took effect June 11, 2026, restoring ordinary first-class mail for the mailed copy of a notice served under RCW 59.12.040 and reversing a certified-mail requirement that a 2025 law had put in place.

Information last verified on June 22, 2026. This is a developing story; we update it as the record changes.

Status: Enacted. Governor Bob Ferguson signed HB 2664 as Chapter 144, 2026 Laws of Washington. It took effect June 11, 2026, which is 90 days after the Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on March 12, 2026. The House passed the bill 96 to 0 and the Senate 48 to 0.

Jurisdiction scope: This article addresses how eviction and rent-related notices must be mailed in Washington State under RCW 59.12.040 after HB 2664. It does not address other states' service rules and is not legal advice. For the broader state framework, see Washington landlord-tenant laws.

What Happened

The Washington Legislature passed House Bill 2664 during its 2026 regular session, and Governor Bob Ferguson signed it into law as Chapter 144 of the 2026 Laws of Washington. The bill took effect June 11, 2026, which is 90 days after the Legislature adjourned sine die on March 12, 2026, the default effective date for Washington legislation that carries no emergency clause. The House passed the measure 96 to 0 and the Senate 48 to 0, with Representative April Connors of Kennewick as prime sponsor.

The bill does one focused thing. It removes the requirement that the mailed copy of a notice served under RCW 59.12.040 be sent by certified mail, and it restores ordinary first-class mail for that copy. RCW 59.12.040 is the statute that governs how a landlord serves the predicate notices that precede an unlawful detainer action in Washington, such as a notice to pay rent or vacate.

HB 2664 is a deliberate reversal of a change made just a year earlier. In 2025, HB 1003 had amended the same statute to require certified mail for the mailed copy, on the theory that certified mail produces a delivery record. In practice, landlords, property managers, and courts reported that the certified-mail mandate slowed service and created disputes when tenants did not retrieve certified letters. HB 2664 restores the earlier first-class-mail approach.

What the Law Actually Says

RCW 59.12.040 sets out how a landlord may serve a notice that starts the eviction timeline. It recognizes three methods. The first is personal service, handing the notice to the tenant directly. The second is substitute service, used when the tenant cannot be found at the rental: the landlord leaves a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion at the residence and also mails a copy to the tenant. The third is posting and mailing, used when no suitable person is present: the landlord affixes the notice in a conspicuous place on the premises and also mails a copy.

In both the substitute-service and post-and-mail methods, the statute requires that a copy be mailed to the tenant. The dispute that HB 2664 resolves was about the class of mail for that copy. As of June 11, 2026, the mailed copy may be sent by regular first-class mail. The earlier requirement that it travel by certified mail, added by HB 1003 in 2025, no longer applies.

One feature of the statute did not change. When service is accomplished by mail rather than by personal delivery, Washington law adds time before the landlord may file an unlawful detainer action, to account for mailing. That additional period remains in effect. HB 2664 changes the class of mail, not the underlying notice periods or the substantive grounds a landlord must have to evict.

Analysis: Why This Matters

The following is analysis from the Recording Law Editorial Team.

The notable feature of HB 2664 is not its substance, which is narrow, but its timing. The Legislature reversed its own 2025 rule in the very next session, and it did so unanimously in both chambers. That is an unusual signal. It suggests broad agreement that the certified-mail experiment of HB 1003 imposed costs that outweighed its evidentiary benefit, in particular the risk that a tenant who never picks up a certified letter could leave a landlord unable to show valid service.

For the wider landlord-tenant system, the episode is a reminder that service mechanics, not just notice periods and just-cause grounds, decide cases. Washington courts have long held that a landlord who cannot prove proper service often loses an unlawful detainer action on procedural grounds, regardless of the merits. A rule that makes service harder to complete or to prove therefore has real consequences for both sides.

We are not predicting how any individual eviction will be decided, and the change does not alter a tenant's substantive defenses. The durable point is that, as of June 11, 2026, the correct way to mail a Washington eviction notice under the substitute or post-and-mail methods is by first-class mail, and a notice mailed by that method on or after that date follows current law.

How This Affects You

For Washington landlords and property managers, the practical effect is that first-class mail is again sufficient for the mailed copy of a notice under RCW 59.12.040, for notices served on or after June 11, 2026. Many landlords will still keep proof of mailing, such as a certificate of mailing, because Washington courts give significant weight to documented service, but certified mail is no longer required by the statute.

For Washington tenants, the change is procedural. It does not shorten the notice you are entitled to receive, and it does not change the grounds a landlord must have to bring an eviction. If you receive a notice, the deadlines in it still run from proper service, and the extra mailing time still applies when a notice is sent by mail. Service rules vary by state, so a notice mailed in another state follows that state's law. This is general information, not advice about any specific tenancy.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. It covers Washington State's service rules for eviction and rent-related notices under RCW 59.12.040 as amended by HB 2664, and it reflects sources verified on June 22, 2026. Laws change and consult a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction about your specific situation.

Sources

• Washington HB 2664 (2026), bill summary and history, Washington State Legislature: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=2664&Year=2025&Initiative=false
• RCW 59.12.040, Service of notice, Proof of service, Washington State Legislature: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=59.12.040
• Washington HB 1003 (2025), bill summary and history, Washington State Legislature: https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1003&Year=2025
• Latest session documents, 2026 Laws of Washington, Washington State Legislature: https://leg.wa.gov/bills-meetings-and-session/session/session-documents/latest-session-documents/

Related articles

• Washington landlord-tenant laws
• Landlord-tenant laws by state
• Washington squatters rights and adverse possession
• California landlord-tenant laws

---

Last updated: 2026-06-22. This is a developing story; details verified as of 2026-06-22.