Does Washington have the death penalty?
Fully abolished
Washington abolished the death penalty in 2018.
Washington is classified “Fully abolished” for the death penalty, as are 23 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Retained / in use”.
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Retained / in use 16 states.
- Not used in practice 11 states.
- Fully abolished 23 states and the District of Columbia, including Washington.
Nearby states
- Oregon
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by Governor moratorium).
- Idaho
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (de facto moratorium).
- Montana
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by court order moratorium).
- Nevada
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (de facto moratorium).
- California
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (by Governor and court order moratorium).
- Wyoming
- Not used in practice The death penalty remains in law, but executions are suspended (de facto moratorium).
Other laws in Washington
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Assisted dying only
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Gun Laws
- Restrictive
- Cannabis
- Legal
The death penalty in the United States → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.