A fresh set of Washington state laws officially took effect on July 1, bringing changes that reach into daily life for drivers, workers, retirees and wealthy residents alike. Officials outlined several of the most notable shifts that just kicked in.
Drivers face steeper penalties in construction areas, as work-zone speed camera fines have gone up. The fine for a first infraction rose from nothing to 125 dollars, while any subsequent violations remain at 248 dollars. State transportation officials say the cameras have already been used more than 900 times at around 50 job sites since the program began last year, and it is now expanding.
Some retirees are getting a modest boost. Retired public employees and teachers in plan one of the state's retirement systems will receive a one-time three percent cost-of-living adjustment, though the increase is capped at 110 dollars.
The state is also changing how it treats data centers. A tax break on the sales and use tax for replacing and modernizing equipment has been phased out, amid growing concerns about the impact of large data centers on issues such as water supply and noise.
Job seekers gain new protections around criminal background checks. Employers can no longer automatically reject an applicant because of a criminal record, and they cannot ask about criminal history until after a job offer has been made. The rules apply to employers with 15 or more employees, while smaller businesses have another year to comply.
Wealthy residents are seeing a reversal on the estate tax. In 2025, lawmakers had approved a 35 percent tax on estates worth nine million dollars and up, but a year later leaders acknowledged the move went too far and pushed some wealthy residents out of the state. The top rate has now been rolled back to 20 percent, which still ties Washington with Hawaii for the highest in the nation.
Finally, the state's gas tax rose by two percent on July 1 under a law passed last year. That measure allows an automatic increase every July to account for inflation, bringing the total state gas tax to 56.5 cents per gallon, keeping Washington among the states with the highest gas taxes in the country.