RCW 38.08.010
Conformance with federal laws.
The governor shall cause the organized militia of this state at all times to conform to all federal laws and regulations as are now or may hereafter from time to time become operative and applicable, notwithstanding anything in the laws of this state to the contrary. Except as and when otherwise specifically provided by federal laws, the organized militia of Washington, or any part thereof, shall be subject to call for United States service at such times, in such manner, and in such numbers as may from time to time be prescribed by the United States.
In conformity with the provisions of federal statutes, officers and enlisted persons of the organized militia called or drafted into federal service by order or proclamation of the president of the United States, shall upon release from federal service revert to their former status, grade and rank, as members of the organized militia of Washington, and shall continue to serve in the organized militia of Washington until separated therefrom in the manner provided by law.
[
1989 c 19 s 5
;
1943 c 130 s 5
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-5. Prior:
1921 c 75 s 1
;
1917 c 107 s 4
;
1909 c 134 s 93
;
1895 c 108 s 170
.]
RCW 38.08.020
Governor as commander-in-chief
—
Adjutant general executive head.
The militia of the state not in the service of the United States shall be governed and its affairs administered pursuant to law, by the governor, as commander-in-chief, through the adjutant general's department, of which the adjutant general shall be the executive head.
[
1961 c 210 s 1
;
1943 c 130 s 3
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-3. Prior:
1917 c 107 s 2
; 1909 c 134 ss 13, 14;
1895 c 108 s 13
.]
NOTES:
Governor commander-in-chief: State Constitution Art. 3 s 8.
RCW 38.08.030
Proclamation of complete or limited martial law.
The governor may by proclamation declare the county or city in which troops are serving, or any specific portion thereof, to be under either complete or limited martial law to the extent, in his or her opinion, that the reestablishment or maintenance of law and order may be promoted.
"Complete martial law" is the subordination of all civil authority to the military;
"Limited military law" is a partial subordination of civil authority by the setting up of an additional police power vested in the military force which shall have the right to try all persons apprehended by it in such area by a military tribunal or turn such offender over to civil authorities within five days for further action, during which time the writ of habeas corpus shall be suspended in behalf of such person.
[
1989 c 19 s 6
;
1943 c 130 s 8
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-8.]
RCW 38.08.040
Governor may order out organized militia.
In event of war, insurrection, rebellion, invasion, tumult, riot, mob, or organized body acting together by force with intent to commit a felony or to offer violence to persons or property, or by force and violence to break and resist the laws of this state, or the United States, or in case of the imminent danger of the occurrence of any of said events, or at the lawful request of competent state or local authority in support of enforcement of controlled substance statutes, or whenever responsible civil authorities shall, for any reason, fail to preserve law and order, or protect life or property, or the governor believes that such failure is imminent, or in event of public disaster, or when otherwise required for the public health, safety, or welfare, or to perform any military duty authorized by state law, or to prepare for or recover from any of these events or the consequences thereof, the governor shall have power to order the organized militia of Washington, or any part thereof, into active service of the state to execute the laws, and to perform such duty as the governor shall deem proper.
[
2005 c 9 s 1
;
1993 c 263 s 1
;
1989 c 19 s 7
;
1943 c 130 s 6
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-6. Prior:
1917 c 107 s 7
;
1913 c 66 s 2
;
1909 c 134 s 15
.]
NOTES:
Effective date
—
2005 c 9:
"This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [March 28, 2005]." [
2005 c 9 s 3
.]
RCW 38.08.050
Governor may order out unorganized militia.
In event of, or imminent danger of, war, insurrection, rebellion, invasion, tumult, riot, resistance to law or process or breach of the peace, if the governor shall have ordered into active service all of the available forces of the organized militia of Washington and shall consider them insufficient in number to properly accomplish the purpose, he or she may then in addition order out the unorganized militia or such portion thereof as he may deem necessary, and cause them to perform such military duty as the circumstances may require.
[
1989 c 19 s 8
;
1943 c 130 s 9
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-9. Prior:
1917 c 107 s 9
;
1909 c 134 s 17
;
1903 c 155 s 15
;
1895 c 108 s 112
.]
RCW 38.08.060
Governor's decision final.
Whenever any portion of the militia is ordered to duty by the governor, the decision of the governor shall be final, incontrovertible, and unimpeachable.
Whenever any portion of the militia has been ordered out by the governor, it shall be deemed that local law and order and the enforcement thereof has failed, and that the militia shall become an additional police power, retaining its separate entity and operating at all times as a military organization under military command, to cooperate with existing peace forces wherever possible, for the reestablishment of law and order and for the protection of life and property.
[
1943 c 130 s 7
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-7.]
RCW 38.08.070
Personal staff for governor.
Whenever the governor shall desire the attendance of a personal staff upon any occasion, he or she shall detail therefor officers from the active list of the organized militia of Washington; the officers detailed shall attend in uniform and shall constitute the personal staff of the governor for that occasion, reverting upon completion of such duty to their regular assignments.
[
1989 c 19 s 9
;
1943 c 130 s 15
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-15. Prior:
1917 c 107 s 6
;
1909 c 134 s 14
. Cf. 1895 c 108 s 13, part.]
RCW 38.08.090
Governor to promulgate rules.
The governor, through the adjutant general, shall promulgate in orders such rules and amendments not inconsistent with law as the governor may deem necessary for the organization, maintenance and training of the militia, and the acquisition, use, issue or disposal of military property. The governor's regulatory powers herein with respect to military property shall include reasonable authority to make regulations controlling the use and temporary disposal of military property including real property for civic purposes where consistent with federal law and regulations, in a manner similar to the law pertaining to the use of armories. The adopted regulations shall have the same force and effect as if enacted.
[
1989 c 19 s 10
;
1969 ex.s. c 86 s 1
;
1943 c 130 s 92
; Rem. Supp. 1943 s 8603-92. Prior:
1917 c 107 s 123
;
1909 c 134 s 94
;
1895 c 108 s 171
.]
NOTES:
Commander-in-chief authorized to make rules for specific armories (special or temporary acts not codified in this title):
(1) 1907 c 55 s 11, Armories at Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma;
(2) 1909 c 68 s 10, Armory at Bellingham;
(3) 1913 c 67 s 9, Armory at North Yakima;
(4) 1917 c 108 s 9, Armory at Walla Walla;
(5) 1917 c 109 s 9, Armory at Aberdeen;
(6) 1917 c 166 s 9, Armory at Everett.
RCW 38.08.100
Compacts with other states for guarding boundaries.
The governor, with consent of congress, is authorized to enter into compacts and agreements with governors of bordering states concerning guarding and patrol of bridges crossing the common boundaries of said states, and for the patrol of said common boundaries. In any such compact or agreement the governor is authorized to permit militia of any bordering state to enter into areas of this state adjacent to said border, or to send militia of this state into areas of any bordering state adjacent to the common boundary as may be necessary to provide effective protection.
[
1951 c 253 s 1
.]
RCW 38.08.110
Prohibition on outside armed military forces.
No armed military force from another state, territory, or district is permitted to enter the state of Washington for the purpose of doing military duty therein, without the permission of the governor, unless such force has been called into active service of the United States, and is acting under authority of the president of the United States.
[
2025 c 72 s 1
.]
NOTES:
Effective date
—
2025 c 72:
"This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately [April 21, 2025]." [
2025 c 72 s 2
.]
RCW 38.08.500
National guard mutual assistance counter-drug activities compact.
(1) The governor, with the consent of congress, is authorized to enter into compacts and agreements for the deployment of the national guard with governors of other states concerning drug interdiction, counter-drug, and demand reduction activities. Article 1, section 10 of the Constitution of the United States permits a state to enter into a compact or agreement with another state, subject to the consent of congress. Congress, through enactment of Title 4 of the U.S.C. Section 112, encourages the states to enter such compacts for cooperative effort and mutual assistance.
(2) The compact language contained in this subsection is intended to deal comprehensively with the supportive relationships between states in utilizing national guard assets in counter-drug activities.
NATIONAL GUARD MUTUAL ASSISTANCE
COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES COMPACT
ARTICLE I
PURPOSE
The purposes of this compact are to:
(a) Provide for mutual assistance and support among the party states in the utilization of the national guard in drug interdiction, counter-drug, and demand reduction activities.
(b) Permit the national guard of this state to enter into mutual assistance and support agreements, on the basis of need, with one or more law enforcement agencies operating within this state, for activities within this state, or with a national guard of one or more other states, whether said activities are within or without this state in order to facilitate and coordinate efficient, cooperative enforcement efforts directed toward drug interdiction, counter-drug activities, and demand reduction.
(c) Permit the national guard of this state to act as a receiving and a responding state as defined within this compact and to ensure the prompt and effective delivery of national guard personnel, assets, and services to agencies or areas that are in need of increased support and presence.
(d) Permit and encourage a high degree of flexibility in the deployment of national guard forces in the interest of efficiency.
(e) Maximize the effectiveness of the national guard in those situations that call for its utilization under this compact.
(f) Provide protection for the rights of national guard personnel when performing duty in other states in counter-drug activities.
(g) Ensure uniformity of state laws in the area of national guard involvement in interstate counter-drug activities by incorporating said uniform laws within the compact.
ARTICLE II
ENTRY INTO FORCE AND WITHDRAWAL
(a) This compact shall enter into force when enacted into law by any two states. Thereafter, this compact shall become effective as to any other state upon its enactment thereof.
(b) Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until one year after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of such withdrawal to the governors of all other party states.
ARTICLE III
MUTUAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT
(a) As used in this article:
(1) "Drug interdiction and counter-drug activities" means the use of national guard personnel, while not in federal service, in any law enforcement support activities that are intended to reduce the supply or use of illegal drugs in the United States. These activities include, but are not limited to:
(i) Providing information obtained during either the normal course of military training or operations or during counter-drug activities, to federal, state, or local law enforcement officials that may be relevant to a violation of any federal or state law within the jurisdiction of such officials;
(ii) Making available any equipment, including associated supplies or spare parts, base facilities, or research facilities of the national guard to any federal, state, or local civilian law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes, in accordance with other applicable law or regulation;
(iii) Providing available national guard personnel to train federal, state, or local civilian law enforcement in the operation and maintenance of equipment, including equipment made available above, in accordance with other applicable law;
(iv) Providing available national guard personnel to operate and maintain equipment provided to federal, state, or local law enforcement officials pursuant to activities defined and referred to in this compact;
(v) Operation and maintenance of equipment and facilities of the national guard or law enforcement agencies used for the purposes of drug interdiction and counter-drug activities;
(vi) Providing available national guard personnel to operate equipment for the detection, monitoring, and communication of the movement of air, land, and sea traffic, to facilitate communications in connection with law enforcement programs, to provide transportation for civilian law enforcement personnel, and to operate bases of operations for civilian law enforcement personnel;
(vii) Providing available national guard personnel, equipment, and support for administrative, interpretive, analytic, or other purposes;
(viii) Providing available national guard personnel and equipment to aid federal, state, and local officials and agencies otherwise involved in the prosecution or incarceration of individuals processed within the criminal justice system who have been arrested for criminal acts involving the use, distribution, or transportation of controlled substances as defined in 21 U.S.C. Sec. 801 et seq., or otherwise by law, in accordance with other applicable law.
(2) "Demand reduction" means providing available national guard personnel, equipment, support, and coordination to federal, state, local, and civic organizations, institutions and agencies for the purposes of the prevention of drug abuse and the reduction in the demand for illegal drugs.
(3) "Requesting state" means the state whose governor requested assistance in the area of counter-drug activities.
(4) "Responding state" means the state furnishing assistance, or requested to furnish assistance, in the area of counter-drug activities.
(5) "Law enforcement agency" means a lawfully established federal, state, or local public agency that is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of penal, traffic, regulatory, game, immigration, postal, customs, or controlled substances laws.
(6) "Official" means the appointed, elected, designated, or otherwise duly selected representative of an agency, institution, or organization authorized to conduct those activities for which support is requested.
(7) "Mutual assistance and support agreement" or "agreement" means an agreement between the national guard of this state and one or more law enforcement agencies or between the national guard of this state and the national guard of one or more other states, consistent with the purposes of this compact.
(8) "Party state" refers to a state that has lawfully enacted this compact.
(9) "State" means each of the several states of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or possession of the United States.
(b) Upon the request of a governor of a party state for assistance in the area of interdiction and counter-drug, and demand reduction activities, the governor of a responding state shall have authority under this compact to send without the borders of his or her state and place under the temporary operational control of the appropriate national guard or other military authorities of the requesting state, for the purposes of providing such requested assistance, all or any part of the national guard forces of his or her state as he or she may deem necessary, and the exercise of his or her discretion in this regard shall be conclusive.
(c) The governor of a party state may, within his or her discretion, withhold the national guard forces of his or her state from such use and recall any forces or part or member thereof previously deployed in a requesting state.
(d) The national guard of this state is hereby authorized to engage in interdiction and counter-drug activities and demand reduction.
(e) The adjutant general of this state, in order to further the purposes of this compact, may enter into a mutual assistance and support agreement with one or more law enforcement agencies of this state, including federal law enforcement agencies operating within this state, or with the national guard of one or more other party states to provide personnel, assets, and services in the area of interdiction and counter-drug activities and demand reduction. However, no such agreement may be entered into with a party that is specifically prohibited by law from performing activities that are the subject of the agreement.
(f) The agreement must set forth the powers, rights, and obligations of the parties to the agreement, where applicable, as follows:
(1) Its duration;
(2) The organization, composition, and nature of any separate legal entity created thereby;
(3) The purpose of the agreement;
(4) The manner of financing the agreement and establishing and maintaining its budget;
(5) The method to be employed in accomplishing the partial or complete termination of the agreement and for disposing of property upon such partial or complete termination;
(6) Provision for administering the agreement, which may include creation of a joint board responsible for such administration;
(7) The manner of acquiring, holding, and disposing of real and personal property used in this agreement, if necessary;
(8) The minimum standards for national guard personnel implementing the provisions of this agreement;
(9) The minimum insurance required of each party to the agreement, if necessary;
(10) The chain of command or delegation of authority to be followed by national guard personnel acting under the provisions of the agreement;
(11) The duties and authority that the national guard personnel of each party state may exercise; and
(12) Any other necessary and proper matters.
Agreements prepared under the provisions of this section are exempt from any general law pertaining to intergovernmental agreements.
(g) As a condition precedent to an agreement becoming effective under this part, the agreement must be submitted to and receive the approval of the office of the attorney general of Washington. The attorney general of the state of Washington may delegate his or her approval authority to the appropriate attorney for the Washington national guard subject to those conditions which he or she decides are appropriate. The delegation must be in writing and is subject to the following:
(1) The attorney general, or his or her agent as stated above, shall approve an agreement submitted to him or her under this part unless he or she finds that it is not in proper form, does not meet the requirements set forth in this part, or otherwise does not conform to the laws of Washington. If the attorney general disapproves an agreement, he or she shall provide a written explanation to the adjutant general of the Washington national guard; and
(2) If the attorney general, or his or her authorized agent as stated above, does not disapprove an agreement within thirty days after its submission to him or her, it is considered approved by him or her.
(h) Whenever national guard forces of any party state are engaged in the performance of duties, in the area of drug interdiction, counter-drug, and demand reduction activities, pursuant to orders, they shall not be held personally liable for any acts or omissions which occur during the performance of their duty.
ARTICLE IV
RESPONSIBILITIES
(a) Nothing in this compact shall be construed as a waiver of any benefits, privileges, immunities, or rights otherwise provided for national guard personnel performing duty pursuant to Title 32 of the United States Code nor shall anything in this compact be construed as a waiver of coverage provided for under the Federal Tort Claims Act. In the event that national guard personnel performing counter-drug activities do not receive rights, benefits, privileges, and immunities otherwise provided for national guard personnel as stated above, the following provisions shall apply:
(1) Whenever national guard forces of any responding state are engaged in another state in carrying out the purposes of this compact, the members thereof so engaged shall have the same powers, duties, rights, privileges, and immunities as members of national guard forces of the requesting state. The requesting state shall save and hold members of the national guard forces of responding states harmless from civil liability, except as otherwise provided herein, for acts or omissions that occur in the performance of their duty while engaged in carrying out the purposes of this compact, whether responding forces are serving the requesting state within the borders of the responding state or are attached to the requesting state for purposes of operational control.
(2) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) of this Article, all liability that may arise under the laws of the requesting state or the responding states, on account of or in connection with a request for assistance or support, shall be assumed and borne by the requesting state.
(3) Any responding state rendering aid or assistance pursuant to this compact shall be reimbursed by the requesting state for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of, any equipment answering a request for aid, and for the cost of the materials, transportation, and maintenance of national guard personnel and equipment incurred in connection with such request, provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent any responding state from assuming such loss, damage, expense, or other cost.
(4) Unless there is a written agreement to the contrary, each party state shall provide, in the same amounts and manner as if they were on duty within their state, for pay and allowances of the personnel of its national guard units while engaged without the state pursuant to this compact and while going to and returning from such duty pursuant to this compact.
(5) Each party state providing for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members and the representatives of deceased members of its national guard forces in case such members sustain injuries or are killed within their own state shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits in the same manner and on the same terms in the event such members sustain injury or are killed while rendering assistance or support pursuant to this compact. Such benefits and compensation shall be deemed items of expense reimbursable pursuant to paragraph (3) of this Article.
(b) Officers and enlisted personnel of the national guard performing duties subject to proper orders pursuant to this compact shall be subject to and governed by the provisions of their home state code of military justice whether they are performing duties within or without their home state. In the event that any national guard member commits, or is suspected of committing, a criminal offense while performing duties pursuant to this compact without his or her home state, he or she may be returned immediately to his or her home state and said home state shall be responsible for any disciplinary action to be taken. However, nothing in this section shall abrogate the general criminal jurisdiction of the state in which the offense occurred.
ARTICLE V
DELEGATION
Nothing in this compact shall be construed to prevent the governor of a party state from delegating any of his or her responsibilities or authority respecting the national guard, provided that such delegation is otherwise in accordance with law. For purposes of this compact, however, the governor shall not delegate the power to request assistance from another state.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATIONS
Nothing in this compact shall:
(a) Authorize or permit national guard units or personnel to be placed under the operational control of any person not having the national guard rank or status required by law for the command in question.
(b) Deprive a properly convened court of jurisdiction over an offense or a defendant merely because of the fact that the national guard, while performing duties pursuant to this compact, was utilized in achieving an arrest or indictment.
ARTICLE VII
CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY
This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the Constitution of the United States or of any state or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state participating herein, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining party states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.
[
1993 c 263 s 2
.]