The Washington State Human Rights Commission (WSHRC) is the state agency that enforces Washington's Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). It handles civil rights complaints including housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and public accommodation discrimination.
For real estate licensees, the WSHRC is the primary state-level enforcer of fair housing protections beyond the federal floor.
The WSHRC enforces RCW 49.60, which covers more protected classes than the federal Fair Housing Act:
| Federal FHA (7 classes) | Washington RCW 49.60 (additional) | |-------------------------|-----------------------------------| | Race | Marital status | | Color | Sexual orientation | | National origin | Gender identity/expression | | Religion | Honorably discharged veteran/military status | | Sex | Source of income (including Section 8) | | Familial status | Creed | | Disability | |
Washington: 1 year from the date of the discriminatory act to file with the WSHRC.
Federal HUD complaint: 1 year from the date of the discriminatory act.
Washington Superior Court (private lawsuit): 3 years from the date of the discriminatory act.
The WSHRC filing deadline is one year — if you miss this, you may still have time to file in superior court (3 years), but the WSHRC process (which is free and administrative) is closed.
1. File complaint with WSHRC within 1 year 2. WSHRC investigates — fact-finding, interviewing parties 3. Mediation offered — many cases settle here 4. Finding of reasonable cause or no reasonable cause 5. If reasonable cause: public hearing before an administrative law judge or civil lawsuit in superior court 6. Remedies available: Actual damages, injunctive relief, civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation
A complainant can file with both HUD (federal) and WSHRC (state) simultaneously. The agencies will typically defer to one investigation. Because Washington law is broader than federal law, the WSHRC is often the better venue for Washington-specific protected classes (e.g., source of income, veteran status).
Real-world example: A Yakima landlord refuses to rent to a prospective tenant because she receives a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). The landlord says, "I only rent to people with conventional income." This violates RCW 49.60 (source of income protection) but NOT the federal FHA (which does not protect source of income). The tenant should file with the WSHRC — HUD has no jurisdiction over this particular protected class. The tenant has 1 year from the incident to file with WSHRC, or 3 years to file a private lawsuit in superior court.
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Quiz Questions:
Q1. A Washington tenant believes she was denied housing based on her marital status (divorced). She wants to file a formal complaint. What is the deadline for filing with the WSHRC?
A) 180 days from the discriminatory act B) 1 year from the discriminatory act C) 2 years from the discriminatory act D) 3 years from the discriminatory act
Answer: B — The deadline to file a housing discrimination complaint with the Washington State Human Rights Commission is 1 year from the date of the discriminatory act. (Note: filing a private lawsuit in superior court has a longer 3-year window, but the WSHRC administrative process must be initiated within 1 year.)
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Q2. A Washington property owner refuses to rent to a veteran who receives VA disability compensation, citing concerns about "whether VA tenants maintain properties." This refusal may violate:
A) Only the federal Fair Housing Act B) Washington's RCW 49.60, because honorably discharged veteran/military status is a protected class under Washington law C) No law, because income source concerns are a legitimate business reason D) Washington law only if the refusal was in writing
Answer: B — Honorably discharged veteran or military status is a protected class under Washington's RCW 49.60. Refusing to rent based on veteran status is housing discrimination under Washington law. This is a Washington-only protection; the federal FHA does not specifically protect veteran status in housing.
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Q3. A complainant files a housing discrimination claim with the WSHRC. At what stage does the WSHRC typically offer to resolve the matter without a formal hearing?
A) Before accepting the complaint for filing B) Mediation, which is typically offered after the initial investigation C) After a full hearing before an administrative law judge D) Mediation is not part of the WSHRC process; all cases go directly to hearing
Answer: B — After conducting its initial investigation, the WSHRC typically offers mediation as an alternative to formal adjudication. Many cases resolve through mediation. If mediation fails and the WSHRC finds reasonable cause, the case proceeds to a public hearing or the complainant may elect to pursue a civil lawsuit in superior court.
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Q4. How does Washington's fair housing complaint system interact with federal HUD complaints?
A) A complainant must choose one — filing with WSHRC automatically waives the right to file with HUD B) Complainants can file with both WSHRC and HUD; the agencies typically coordinate and defer to one investigation C) WSHRC complaints are handled by HUD; there is no separate state agency D) HUD complaints take precedence; WSHRC must wait for HUD to complete its investigation before acting
Answer: B — Complainants may file with both the WSHRC (state) and HUD (federal) simultaneously. Because Washington's protected class list is broader than the federal list, filing with WSHRC may be the ONLY option for certain classes (e.g., source of income, veteran status). The agencies have a work-sharing agreement and typically coordinate their investigations.
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Q5. A Washington real estate licensee is found to have violated RCW 49.60 by steering minority clients away from certain neighborhoods. In addition to WSHRC civil penalties, what other license-related consequence could the licensee face?
A) No license consequences; WSHRC penalties are the only sanction B) Automatic license suspension without a hearing for any fair housing violation C) DOL disciplinary action, including potential license suspension or revocation, because fair housing violations constitute grounds for discipline under RCW 18.85 D) A mandatory 40-hour fair housing retraining course but no license suspension
Answer: C — A fair housing violation is not only a civil rights matter — it also constitutes grounds for DOL disciplinary action under Washington's license law (RCW 18.85). The DOL can suspend or revoke a license for conduct that violates fair housing laws. A licensee can therefore face both WSHRC civil penalties AND DOL license discipline for the same conduct.