Who must report

Personal financial information is disclosed on the F-1 report by candidates at the start of the campaign and annually by elected officials, state boards and commissions members, state agency directors, and legislative and gubernatorial professional staff. This information allows the public to assess whether state officials may have conflicts of interest.

State level: The following persons holding or seeking state office must file F-1 reports:

  • Elected officials All persons elected to state office, including newly elected officials who may have filed an F-1 as a candidate just a few months earlier;

  • Appointees to elective office Persons appointed to fill vacant elective offices;

  • Candidates Anyone running for legislative or state-wide executive office; and

  • Appointed state officials The professional staff of the governor's office and the Legislature, as well as other executive state officers designated in RCW 42.17A.705.

Local Level: If a jurisdiction has at least 2,000 registered voters as of the last general election, then the following persons must file an F-1 report:

  • Elected officials All persons elected to county, city, town or other local office (even though the person may have filed an F-1 as a candidate only a few months ago);

  • Appointees to elective office Persons appointed to fill vacant elective offices;

  • Candidates Anyone seeking an elective office, and

  • All charter school directors

Judicial Branch: All judges holding, seeking or appointed to the bench in these courts:

  • State Courts Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and Superior Courts,
  • District Courts
  • Municipal Courts Only when the position is an elected office and there are 2,000 or more registered voters in the city.

Who is exempt from reporting

The following people do not need to file the personal financial affairs statement, PDC form F-1.

  • Candidates for federal office or officials holding federal government positions.
  • Candidates and elected officials in jurisdictions that had fewer than 2,000 registered voters at the time of the last general election, unless
    • a "petition for disclosure" has been filed with PDC or the jurisdiction has passed a local ordinance requiring disclosure (Skykomish School District is one such exception), or
    • a candidate receives or expects to receive contributions of $7,000 or more in the aggregate.
  • Cemetery district commissioners and candidates
  • Precinct committee officers and candidates
  • Officials and candidates in districts that have special qualifications for voting, such as property ownership. These districts include: agricultural pest control, conservation, diking, drainage, educational service (Exemption does not apply to school district directors or charter school board members) flood control, irrigation, intercounty weed, irrigation and reclamation, irrigation and rehabilitation, mosquito control, public waterway, sewer improvement, and weed.

When to report

Incumbents: Individuals holding office on January 1 must file for the previous calendar year. File this annual report no later than April 15.

Incumbents who leave office prior to the new year: File a final report electronically either within 60 days of leaving office, or during the January 1 through April 15 reporting period of that following year. Include information for the portion of the calendar year for which the official or officer was in office.

Appointees: File within two weeks after being appointed to a state position. Report covers the previous 12 months.

Candidates: File within two weeks of becoming a candidate. Report covers the previous 12 months.

Becoming a candidate

A person becomes a candidate - and subject to the disclosure law - at the time he or she first:

  • receives contributions;
  • makes campaign-related expenditures;
  • reserves space or purchases advertising to promote his or her candidacy;
  • authorizes someone else to do any of these three activities on his or her
  • behalf;
  • states publicly that he or she is seeking office (even if the candidacy is
  • conditioned on some future occurrence, like receiving endorsements or
  • raising a certain amount of money); or
  • officially files for office.

No one is required to file multiple F-1 reports in a calendar year, regardless of how many offices a person holds that have the F-1 filing requirement. Newly elected officials and recent appointees are required to file the annual report due between January 1 - April 15, even when their initial report was filed near the end of the previous calendar year.

Where to Report

File the F-1 with the Public Disclosure Commission. Officials may use agency computers and staff to fulfill the annual F-1 filing requirement.

 

File Online

 

Officials serving in these local jurisdictions have dual filing requirements:

  • King County Board of Ethics requires county elected officials to file annually by April 15. An F-1 with an original signature or the county's Statement of Financial and Other Interests will be accepted. Additionally, a nominee for appointment to any county elective office, except judicial, must file within two weeks of nomination. For more information, visit the King County Board of Ethics website at www.kingcounty.gov/ethics or contact the Board's staff at (206) 263-7821or program.ethics@kingcounty.gov
  • Pierce County requires appointed county department directors to file financial disclosure forms with the county's Human Resources Department. Get more information at Pierce County's website;
  • Seattle requires city elected officials and candidates for city offices to file a Statement of Personal Financial Affairs with the Seattle City Clerk. For more information, visit the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission's website; and

PDC staff is not aware of all local requirements. Candidates and officials should contact their jurisdiction to confirm.