Violations committed in or on certain public places or facilities — Additional penalty — Defenses — Construction — Definitions.

RCW 69.50.435
in effect
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(1) Any person who violates RCW 69.50.401 by manufacturing, selling, delivering, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a controlled substance listed under RCW 69.50.401 or who violates RCW 69.50.410 by selling for profit any controlled substance or counterfeit substance classified in schedule I, RCW 69.50.204 , except leaves and flowering tops of cannabis to a person: (a) In a school; (b) On a school bus; (c) Within one thousand feet of a school bus route stop designated by the school district; (d) Within one thousand feet of the perimeter of the school grounds; (e) In a public park; (f) In a public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone; (g) On a public transit vehicle; (h) In a public transit stop shelter; (i) At a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority; or (j) Within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under (i) of this subsection, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter may be punished by a fine of up to twice the fine otherwise authorized by this chapter, but not including twice the fine authorized by RCW 69.50.406 , or by imprisonment of up to twice the imprisonment otherwise authorized by this chapter, but not including twice the imprisonment authorized by RCW 69.50.406 , or by both such fine and imprisonment. The provisions of this section shall not operate to more than double the fine or imprisonment otherwise authorized by this chapter for an offense. (2) It is not a defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that the person was unaware that the prohibited conduct took place while in a school or school bus or within one thousand feet of the school or school bus route stop, in a public park, in a public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, on a public transit vehicle, in a public transit stop shelter, at a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority, or within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under subsection (1)(i) of this section, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter. (3) It is not a defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section or any other prosecution under this chapter that persons under the age of eighteen were not present in the school, the school bus, the public park, the public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, or the public transit vehicle, or at the school bus route stop, the public transit vehicle stop shelter, at a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority, or within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under subsection (1)(i) of this section, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter at the time of the offense or that school was not in session. (4) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that the prohibited conduct took place entirely within a private residence, that no person under eighteen years of age or younger was present in such private residence at any time during the commission of the offense, and that the prohibited conduct did not involve delivering, manufacturing, selling, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver any controlled substance in RCW 69.50.401 for profit. The affirmative defense established in this section shall be proved by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence. This section shall not be construed to establish an affirmative defense with respect to a prosecution for an offense defined in any other section of this chapter. (5) In a prosecution under this section, a map produced or reproduced by any municipality, school district, county, transit authority engineer, or public housing authority for the purpose of depicting the location and boundaries of the area on or within one thousand feet of any property used for a school, school bus route stop, public park, public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, public transit vehicle stop shelter, or a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by a local governing authority, or a true copy of such a map, shall under proper authentication, be admissible and shall constitute prima facie evidence of the location and boundaries of those areas if the governing body of the municipality, school district, county, or transit authority has adopted a resolution or ordinance approving the map as the official location and record of the location and boundaries of the area on or within one thousand feet of the school, school bus route stop, public park, public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, public transit vehicle stop shelter, or civic center designated as a drug-free zone by a local governing authority. Any map approved under this section or a true copy of the map shall be filed with the clerk of the municipality or county, and shall be maintained as an official record of the municipality or county. This section shall not be construed as precluding the prosecution from introducing or relying upon any other evidence or testimony to establish any element of the offense. This section shall not be construed as precluding the use or admissibility of any map or diagram other than the one which has been approved by the governing body of a municipality, school district, county, transit authority, or public housing authority if the map or diagram is otherwise admissible under court rule. (6) As used in this section the following terms have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (a) "School" has the meaning under RCW 28A.150.010 or 28A.150.020 . The term "school" also includes a private school approved under RCW 28A.195.010 ; (b) "School bus" means a school bus as defined by the superintendent of public instruction by rule which is owned and operated by any school district and all school buses which are privately owned and operated under contract or otherwise with any school district in the state for the transportation of students. The term does not include buses operated by common carriers in the urban transportation of students such as transportation of students through a municipal transportation system; (c) "School bus route stop" means a school bus stop as designated by a school district; (d) "Public park" means land, including any facilities or improvements on the land, that is operated as a park by the state or a local government; (e) "Public transit vehicle" means any motor vehicle, streetcar, train, trolley vehicle, or any other device, vessel, or vehicle which is owned or operated by a transit authority and which is used for the purpose of carrying passengers on a regular schedule; (f) "Transit authority" means a city, county, or state transportation system, transportation authority, public transportation benefit area, public transit authority, or metropolitan municipal corporation within the state that operates public transit vehicles; (g) "Stop shelter" means a passenger shelter designated by a transit authority; (h) "Civic center" means a publicly owned or publicly operated place or facility used for recreational, educational, or cultural activities; (i) "Public housing project" means the same as "housing project" as defined in RCW 35.82.020 . (7) The fines imposed by this section apply to adult offenders only. (1) Any person who violates RCW 69.50.401 by manufacturing, selling, delivering, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a controlled substance listed under RCW 69.50.401 or who violates RCW 69.50.410 by selling for profit any controlled substance or counterfeit substance classified in schedule I, RCW 69.50.204 , except leaves and flowering tops of cannabis to a person: (a) In a school; (b) On a school bus; (c) Within one thousand feet of a school bus route stop designated by the school district; (d) Within one thousand feet of the perimeter of the school grounds; (e) In a public park; (f) In a public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone; (g) On a public transit vehicle; (h) In a public transit stop shelter; (i) At a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority; or (j) Within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under (i) of this subsection, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter may be punished by a fine of up to twice the fine otherwise authorized by this chapter, but not including twice the fine authorized by RCW 69.50.406 , or by imprisonment of up to twice the imprisonment otherwise authorized by this chapter, but not including twice the imprisonment authorized by RCW 69.50.406 , or by both such fine and imprisonment. The provisions of this section shall not operate to more than double the fine or imprisonment otherwise authorized by this chapter for an offense. (2) It is not a defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that the person was unaware that the prohibited conduct took place while in a school or school bus or within one thousand feet of the school or school bus route stop, in a public park, in a public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, on a public transit vehicle, in a public transit stop shelter, at a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority, or within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under subsection (1)(i) of this section, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter. (3) It is not a defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section or any other prosecution under this chapter that persons under the age of eighteen were not present in the school, the school bus, the public park, the public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, or the public transit vehicle, or at the school bus route stop, the public transit vehicle stop shelter, at a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by the local governing authority, or within one thousand feet of the perimeter of a facility designated under subsection (1)(i) of this section, if the local governing authority specifically designates the one thousand foot perimeter at the time of the offense or that school was not in session. (4) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution for a violation of this section that the prohibited conduct took place entirely within a private residence, that no person under eighteen years of age or younger was present in such private residence at any time during the commission of the offense, and that the prohibited conduct did not involve delivering, manufacturing, selling, or possessing with the intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver any controlled substance in RCW 69.50.401 for profit. The affirmative defense established in this section shall be proved by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence. This section shall not be construed to establish an affirmative defense with respect to a prosecution for an offense defined in any other section of this chapter. (5) In a prosecution under this section, a map produced or reproduced by any municipality, school district, county, transit authority engineer, or public housing authority for the purpose of depicting the location and boundaries of the area on or within one thousand feet of any property used for a school, school bus route stop, public park, public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, public transit vehicle stop shelter, or a civic center designated as a drug-free zone by a local governing authority, or a true copy of such a map, shall under proper authentication, be admissible and shall constitute prima facie evidence of the location and boundaries of those areas if the governing body of the municipality, school district, county, or transit authority has adopted a resolution or ordinance approving the map as the official location and record of the location and boundaries of the area on or within one thousand feet of the school, school bus route stop, public park, public housing project designated by a local governing authority as a drug-free zone, public transit vehicle stop shelter, or civic center designated as a drug-free zone by a local governing authority. Any map approved under this section or a true copy of the map shall be filed with the clerk of the municipality or county, and shall be maintained as an official record of the municipality or county. This section shall not be construed as precluding the prosecution from introducing or relying upon any other evidence or testimony to establish any element of the offense. This section shall not be construed as precluding the use or admissibility of any map or diagram other than the one which has been approved by the governing body of a municipality, school district, county, transit authority, or public housing authority if the map or diagram is otherwise admissible under court rule. (6) As used in this section the following terms have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (a) "School" has the meaning under RCW 28A.150.010 or 28A.150.020 . The term "school" also includes a private school approved under RCW 28A.195.010 ; (b) "School bus" means a school bus as defined by the superintendent of public instruction by rule which is owned and operated by any school district and all school buses which are privately owned and operated under contract or otherwise with any school district in the state for the transportation of students. The term does not include buses operated by common carriers in the urban transportation of students such as transportation of students through a municipal transportation system; (c) "School bus route stop" means a school bus stop as designated by a school district; (d) "Public park" means land, including any facilities or improvements on the land, that is operated as a park by the state or a local government; (e) "Public transit vehicle" means any motor vehicle, streetcar, train, trolley vehicle, or any other device, vessel, or vehicle which is owned or operated by a transit authority and which is used for the purpose of carrying passengers on a regular schedule; (f) "Transit authority" means a city, county, or state transportation system, transportation authority, public transportation benefit area, public transit authority, or metropolitan municipal corporation within the state that operates public transit vehicles; (g) "Stop shelter" means a passenger shelter designated by a transit authority; (h) "Civic center" means a publicly owned or publicly operated place or facility used for recreational, educational, or cultural activities; (i) "Public housing project" means the same as "housing project" as defined in RCW 35.82.020 . (7) The fines imposed by this section apply to adult offenders only.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=69.50&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026

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