Is a non-compete enforceable in Washington?

Q: Is a non-compete enforceable in Washington?

In Washington, non-compete clauses are unenforceable for most employees — a wage/income threshold voids them, with limited exceptions. We don't yet have a verified Washington non-compete clause ruling in the corpus to quote — coverage is expanding. Void below a state salary threshold — RCW 49.62 (a broader near-total ban takes effect June 30, 2027). This is an informational, primary-source-cited early-warning signal, not legal advice; enforceability is fact- and jurisdiction-specific.

Is a non-compete clause enforceable in Washington in 2026?

Short answerIn Washington, non-compete clauses are unenforceable for most employees — a wage/income threshold voids them, with limited exceptions. We don't yet have a verified Washington non-compete clause ruling in the corpus to quote — coverage is expanding. Void below a state salary threshold — RCW 49.62 (a broader near-total ban takes effect June 30, 2027).

Based on 0 verified holding(s) from court opinions and regulatory actions, here's the breakdown for non-compete clauses in Washington:

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Full rulings

Academic baseline · Bishara/Johnson

NCA Enforceability Index

8.0/10 as of 2014

Higher = historically more enforcer-friendly. Peer-reviewed 7-dimension framework (Harvard Dataverse DOI 10.7910/DVN/37A0L2):

Statutory Basis: 5.0/10 — Explicit NCA statute → more enforcer-friendly
Protectable Interests: 6.0/10 — How broadly courts define protectable interests
Burden of Proof: 6.0/10 — Who must prove (un)reasonableness
Consideration at Hire: 9.0/10 — Whether hiring alone validates an NCA signed at hire
Consideration Post-Hire: 6.0/10 — Whether continued employment validates a mid-career NCA
Blue-Pencil Doctrine: 9.0/10 — Whether courts can rewrite an overbroad clause
Enforcement vs. Terminated: 7.0/10 — Whether NCAs bind fired employees, not just quitters

Historical context, not the current rule. This is the Bishara/Johnson academic index through ~2014; many states have changed their non-compete statutes since. For the live picture, rely on the verified rulings above — not this baseline. Informational only, not legal advice.

Disclaimer: This is an automated, informational early-warning signal derived from primary sources. It is NOT legal advice and creates no attorney-client relationship. Enforceability is fact- and jurisdiction-specific and changes over time; consult a licensed attorney before acting.

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