Peace officer false ident.

AN ACT Relating to false identification as a peace officer; 1
adding a new section to chapter 9A.60 RCW; and prescribing penalties.2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 9A.60 4
RCW to read as follows: 5
(1) A person is guilty of false identification as a peace officer 6
if the person: 7
(a)(i) Makes, provides to another person, or possesses a card, 8
document, badge, insignia, shoulder emblem, or other item, including 9
a vehicle, bearing an insignia of a law enforcement agency that 10
identifies the person as a peace officer or a reserve law enforcement 11
officer; and 12
(ii) The person who makes, provides, or possesses the item 13
bearing the insignia knows that the person so identified by the item 14
is not commissioned as a peace officer or reserve law enforcement 15
officer as indicated on the item; 16
(b) Intentionally or knowingly misrepresents an object, including 17
a vehicle, as property belonging to a law enforcement agency. For 18
purposes of this subsection, intentionally or knowingly 19
misrepresenting an object as property belonging to a law enforcement 20
agency includes intentionally or knowingly displaying an item bearing 21
Z-0499.1
SENATE BILL 5876
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Cortes, Alvarado, Frame, Hasegawa, Liias, Orwall,
Pedersen, Riccelli, Saldaña, Salomon, Shewmake, Slatter, Stanford,
Valdez, and C. Wilson; by request of Governor Ferguson
Prefiled 12/12/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5876
an insignia of a law enforcement agency in a manner that would lead a 1
reasonable person to interpret the item as property belonging to a 2
law enforcement agency. 3
(2) False identification as a peace officer is a gross 4
misdemeanor. 5
(3) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:6
(a) The card, document, badge, insignia, shoulder emblem, or 7
other item bearing an insignia of a law enforcement agency clearly 8
identifies the person as an honorary peace officer or reserve law 9
enforcement officer, or as a member of a posse; or10
(b) The person identified as a peace officer or reserve law 11
enforcement officer by the item bearing the insignia was commissioned 12
in that capacity when the item was made. 13
(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the 14
depiction of law enforcement for matters of cultural, historical, 15
political, religious, educational, newsworthy, or public interest 16
including, but not limited to, use in works of art, commentary, 17
satire, and parody protected by the Washington state Constitution or 18
the United States Constitution. 19
(5) For purposes of this section, "reserve officer" has the same 20
meaning as provided in RCW 10.93.020. 21
(6) For purposes of this section, an item bearing an insignia of 22
a law enforcement agency includes an item that contains the word 23
"police," "sheriff," "constable," "marshal," "trooper," or the title 24
of an agency of the federal government employing federal peace 25
officers. 26
(7) For purposes of this section, "federal peace officer" means 27
any employee or agent of the United States government who has the 28
authority to carry firearms and make warrantless arrests and whose 29
duties involve the enforcement of the laws of the United States.30
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p. 2 SB 5876