Protected fish or wildlife — Unauthorized taking — Penalty — Criminal wildlife penalty assessment.
RCW 77.15.130
in effect(1) A person is guilty of unlawful taking of protected fish or wildlife if: (a) The person hunts for, fishes for, maliciously takes, harasses, or possesses fish or wildlife, or the person possesses or maliciously destroys the eggs or nests of fish or wildlife designated by the commission as protected, other than species designated as threatened or sensitive, and the taking has not been authorized by rule of the commission or by a permit issued by the department; (b) The person violates any rule of the commission regarding the taking, harassing, possession, or transport of protected fish or wildlife; or (c)(i) The person hunts for, fishes for, intentionally takes, harasses, or possesses fish or wildlife, or the person possesses or intentionally destroys the nests or eggs of fish or wildlife designated by the commission as threatened or sensitive; and (ii) The taking of the fish or wildlife, or the destruction of the nests or eggs, has not been authorized by rule of the commission, a permit issued by the department, or a permit issued pursuant to the federal endangered species act. (2) Unlawful taking of protected fish or wildlife is a misdemeanor. (3) In addition to the penalties set forth in subsection (2) of this section, if a person is convicted of violating this section and the violation results in the death of protected wildlife listed in this subsection, the court shall require payment of the following amounts for each animal taken or possessed. This is a criminal wildlife penalty assessment that must be paid to the clerk of the court and distributed each month to the state treasurer for deposit in the fish and wildlife enforcement reward account created in RCW 77.15.425 : (a) Ferruginous hawk, two thousand dollars; (b) Common loon, two thousand dollars; (c) Bald eagle, two thousand dollars; (d) Golden eagle, two thousand dollars; and (e) Peregrine falcon, two thousand dollars. (4) If two or more persons are convicted under subsection (1) of this section, and subsection (3) of this section is applicable, the criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be imposed against the persons jointly and severally. (5)(a) The criminal wildlife penalty assessment under subsection (3) of this section must be imposed regardless of and in addition to any sentence, fines, or costs otherwise provided for violating any provision of this section. The criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be included by the court in any pronouncement of sentence and may not be suspended, waived, modified, or deferred in any respect. (b) This subsection may not be construed to abridge or alter alternative rights of action or remedies in equity or under common law or statutory law, criminal or civil. (6) A defaulted criminal wildlife penalty assessment authorized under subsection (3) of this section may be collected by any means authorized by law for the enforcement of orders of the court or collection of a fine or costs, including but not limited to vacation of a deferral of sentencing or vacation of a suspension of sentence. (7) The department shall revoke the hunting license and suspend the hunting privileges of a person assessed a criminal wildlife penalty assessment under this section until the penalty assessment is paid through the registry of the court in which the penalty assessment was assessed. (8) The criminal wildlife penalty assessments provided in subsection (3) of this section must be doubled in the following instances: (a) When a person commits a violation that requires payment of a criminal wildlife penalty assessment within five years of a prior gross misdemeanor or felony conviction under this title; or (b) When the trier of fact determines that the person took or possessed the protected wildlife in question with the intent of bartering, selling, or otherwise deriving economic profit from the wildlife or wildlife parts.
(1) A person is guilty of unlawful taking of protected fish or wildlife if:
(a) The person hunts for, fishes for, maliciously takes, harasses, or possesses fish or wildlife, or the person possesses or maliciously destroys the eggs or nests of fish or wildlife designated by the commission as protected, other than species designated as threatened or sensitive, and the taking has not been authorized by rule of the commission or by a permit issued by the department;
(b) The person violates any rule of the commission regarding the taking, harassing, possession, or transport of protected fish or wildlife; or
(c)(i) The person hunts for, fishes for, intentionally takes, harasses, or possesses fish or wildlife, or the person possesses or intentionally destroys the nests or eggs of fish or wildlife designated by the commission as threatened or sensitive; and
(ii) The taking of the fish or wildlife, or the destruction of the nests or eggs, has not been authorized by rule of the commission, a permit issued by the department, or a permit issued pursuant to the federal endangered species act.
(2) Unlawful taking of protected fish or wildlife is a misdemeanor.
(3) In addition to the penalties set forth in subsection (2) of this section, if a person is convicted of violating this section and the violation results in the death of protected wildlife listed in this subsection, the court shall require payment of the following amounts for each animal taken or possessed. This is a criminal wildlife penalty assessment that must be paid to the clerk of the court and distributed each month to the state treasurer for deposit in the fish and wildlife enforcement reward account created in RCW 77.15.425 :
(a) Ferruginous hawk, two thousand dollars;
(b) Common loon, two thousand dollars;
(c) Bald eagle, two thousand dollars;
(d) Golden eagle, two thousand dollars; and
(e) Peregrine falcon, two thousand dollars.
(4) If two or more persons are convicted under subsection (1) of this section, and subsection (3) of this section is applicable, the criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be imposed against the persons jointly and severally.
(5)(a) The criminal wildlife penalty assessment under subsection (3) of this section must be imposed regardless of and in addition to any sentence, fines, or costs otherwise provided for violating any provision of this section. The criminal wildlife penalty assessment must be included by the court in any pronouncement of sentence and may not be suspended, waived, modified, or deferred in any respect.
(b) This subsection may not be construed to abridge or alter alternative rights of action or remedies in equity or under common law or statutory law, criminal or civil.
(6) A defaulted criminal wildlife penalty assessment authorized under subsection (3) of this section may be collected by any means authorized by law for the enforcement of orders of the court or collection of a fine or costs, including but not limited to vacation of a deferral of sentencing or vacation of a suspension of sentence.
(7) The department shall revoke the hunting license and suspend the hunting privileges of a person assessed a criminal wildlife penalty assessment under this section until the penalty assessment is paid through the registry of the court in which the penalty assessment was assessed.
(8) The criminal wildlife penalty assessments provided in subsection (3) of this section must be doubled in the following instances:
(a) When a person commits a violation that requires payment of a criminal wildlife penalty assessment within five years of a prior gross misdemeanor or felony conviction under this title; or
(b) When the trier of fact determines that the person took or possessed the protected wildlife in question with the intent of bartering, selling, or otherwise deriving economic profit from the wildlife or wildlife parts.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026