Statute of Limitations for Class A / 1st Degree Felony in Washington

Overview

In Washington, the statute of limitations (SOL) sets the maximum time the state has to file certain criminal charges after an alleged offense. For a Class A felony / 1st Degree felony, the baseline limitation period is 5 years under RCW 9A.04.080.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate those rules into a concrete “earliest filing date” / “latest filing date” window based on key dates like the date of the offense and any dates that trigger exceptions. Because SOL rules can turn on specific facts (for example, whether the defendant was absent from the state), you should use this page to understand the framework and then run the numbers through DocketMath.

Limitation period

For Class A felony / 1st Degree felony in Washington, the default SOL is:

• 5 years from the date the offense occurred

  • Authority: RCW 9A.04.080 (baseline for many felonies, including Class A felonies)

What that means in practice

To visualize the baseline rule:

1. Pick the offense date (the date the crime is alleged to have occurred).
2. Count forward 5 years.
3. Treat that end of the 5-year window as the last general point when the prosecution may file, absent an exception or tolling event.

Example timeline (baseline)

When you use DocketMath, you’ll be asked for the dates that matter so the tool can compute the window more precisely.

How the output changes with inputs

SOL calculations commonly change when the offense date changes or when a listed exception applies that reduces the limitations period (or changes how time is counted). In Washington, RCW 9A.04.080 contains category-based rules that can shorten time limits in specific situations.

Key exceptions

Washington’s RCW 9A.04.080 includes exceptions that can modify the limitation period from the baseline 5 years. The DocketMath rules reflected here include:

Exception set reflected for Class A / 1st Degree felonies

• RCW 9A.04.080 — 5 years — exception P1
• RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j) — 3 years — exception V1
• null — 3 years — exception V2

Because the SOL clock is sensitive to the way the statute applies to the facts of the case, treat these as conditional branches in the calculator. When the exception is triggered, the limitations window may become 3 years rather than 5 years.

Practical way to think about exceptions

Use this as a checklist for your own case timeline (not a substitute for legal analysis):

What stays the same vs. what changes

• Stays the same: the starting point and counting approach anchored in the statute framework.
• Changes: the length of the limitation period—from 5 years down to 3 years when the exception conditions apply.

Statute citation

Washington’s statute of limitations rule for felony prosecutions is codified at:

• RCW 9A.04.080

For this page’s focus on Class A / 1st Degree felony, the relevant limitation period and exception structure includes:

• RCW 9A.04.080 — 5 years (exception P1)
• RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j) — 3 years (exception V1)

Use the calculator

DocketMath can compute the SOL deadline using the statute framework above. Start here: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

What you typically input

To generate an actionable date range, the calculator generally needs:

• Offense date (the date the alleged conduct occurred)
• Charge category (so it applies the correct felony class / limitation rule)
• Whether a statutory exception applies (so it selects 5 years vs. 3 years)

How outputs should be interpreted

After you run the calculation, you’ll get time-window results that are tied to:

• Baseline: 5 years under RCW 9A.04.080
• Exception branches:

  • 3 years under **RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j)
  • 3 years reflected in the additional V2 branch

Quick decision guidance for running multiple scenarios

If you’re unsure whether an exception applies, run more than one scenario:

• Scenario A: Assume baseline (5 years)
• Scenario B: Assume the RCW 9A.04.080(1)(j) exception (3 years)
• Scenario C: Assume the additional 3-year branch (V2)

Then compare the deadlines. If the filing deadline falls near the boundary, the exception choice will be the difference-maker.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Washington and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• RCW 4.16.080

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator