The Washington state declaration form is a court document, numbered FL All Family 135, that lets you give the judge your sworn version of events in writing instead of testifying in person. You download it from the Washington Courts website, fill in the caption, write your statement in the first person, and sign it under penalty of perjury using the exact language Washington law requires. Then you file it with the clerk of the court handling your case and deliver a copy to every other party. Done correctly, the declaration carries the same evidentiary weight as live testimony for most motions, temporary orders, and family law matters.
Where to Get the Form
The blank general-purpose declaration, FL All Family 135, is available on the Washington State Courts forms page at courts.wa.gov.1Washington State Courts. Court Forms – List of All Forms It works for most family law and civil matters where you need to tell the court what happened.
If your case is in superior court, check that county’s website too. Many county courthouses have a facilitator office that helps self-represented parties pick the right form, understand legal terms, and review completed paperwork. Some counties charge for the appointment; Douglas County, for example, charges $30.2Douglas County, WA. Courthouse Facilitator
Set Up the Page Before You Type
General Rule 14 governs the physical format of anything you file. The first page needs a top margin of at least three inches so the clerk has room for the filing stamp. Every other margin on every page must be at least one inch. The text has to be legible, and you cannot use colored pages, highlighting, or any colored markings.3Washington State Courts. GR 14 Format for Pleadings and Other Papers The rule doesn’t specify a font, but a standard readable choice like Times New Roman or Arial at 12 points is what most courts expect.
Fill In the Caption
The caption is the header at the top of the first page. It has three pieces: the name of the court (for example, “Superior Court of Washington, County of King”), the parties’ names on the left exactly as they appear on other documents in your case, and the cause number.4WashingtonLawHelp. How to Format and Fill Out Court Documents and Forms The cause number is the unique tracking number the clerk assigned when the case was opened; it appears on every earlier filing, and the clerk’s office can look it up if you don’t have a copy handy. Errors here can get your filing rejected or misfiled.
Write the Body
Write in the first person. Each paragraph should stick to one topic or event, and every fact should be something you personally saw, heard, or experienced. Repeating what someone else told you is hearsay and is the quickest way to have your declaration stricken. If another person’s account matters to the case, that person needs to write their own declaration. Judges also disregard speculation and emotional editorializing, so keep the tone factual. “He arrived at 9:45 p.m. and the children had not been fed” is useful. “He clearly doesn’t care about the children” is not.
Chronological order works best in most situations because a judge can follow a timeline without effort. If your situation involves several unrelated issues, grouping the facts by topic with a short heading for each can be clearer. Number the paragraphs. It makes it easier for the judge and the other side to point to specific statements.
Sign With the Required Language
The signature block is where most declarations fall apart. Under RCW 5.50.050 and General Rule 13, the statement must end with wording substantially like this:
I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Washington that the foregoing is true and correct.
Directly below that line, write the date you signed, the city and state where you signed, and then your signature.5Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 5.50.050 – Form of Declaration A missing date, missing location, or missing perjury language can result in the court striking the whole declaration.6Washington Courts. General Rule 13 – Use of Unsworn Statement in Lieu of Affidavit You do not need a notary. The perjury certification takes its place.
Signing From Another State
If you sign somewhere else in the United States, the standard perjury language works. Just note the actual city and state where you signed.
Signing From Outside the United States
If you sign from outside the country, the statute requires you to add a sentence stating that you are “physically located outside the geographic boundaries of the United States, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.”7Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 5.50 – Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act Skipping this sentence when you’re abroad gives the other side grounds to challenge the declaration.
Electronic Signatures
General Rule 30 covers how non-attorneys sign electronically filed documents under penalty of perjury. You have two paths. You can print the declaration, sign it by hand, scan it, and upload the scan. If you do that, you must keep the original signed paper for the entire life of the case, including any appeal period, plus 60 more days.8Washington Courts. GR 30 – Electronic Signatures Or you can apply a qualifying electronic signature, which can be an image of your handwritten signature or the “/s/ [Your Name]” format, as long as you executed it intending to sign.
Keep Personal Information Off the Public Record
Court filings are public. General Rule 22 lists “restricted personal identifiers” that should never appear unredacted: Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, telephone numbers, financial account numbers, and any minor child’s Social Security number or date of birth.9Washington Courts. GR 22 – Access to Family Law, Protection Order, Guardianship, and Court Records Redact these before you file.
When you need to attach financial documents like tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, credit card statements, or loan applications, use cover sheet FL All Family 011 (Sealed Financial Source Documents). Write “SEALED” one inch from the top of the first page of each attached document. The other party and the attorneys can still see the sealed documents, but they stay out of the public file.10Washington Courts. Sealed Financial Source Documents If you have safety concerns, you may also cross out address information on the sealed documents.
File With the Clerk
File the completed declaration with the Clerk of the Court in the county where your case is active. Most Washington counties offer electronic filing, and it’s the fastest option. E-filing convenience fees vary. Douglas County charges a flat $5 per bundle.11Douglas County, Washington. File Documents Electronically King County District Court charges 2.49% of the transaction for credit cards, or a $1 flat fee for e-checks.12King County. e-Filing Resources Check your county’s e-filing portal for current fees.
To file in person, bring the original plus at least two copies to the clerk’s window. The clerk stamps the copies with the filing date and hands your set back. Keep one conformed copy for your file and use another to serve the other side.
Serve the Other Parties
After filing, you must deliver a copy to every other party in the case, or to their attorney if they have one. Washington Civil Rule 5 allows several service methods:
- Hand delivery: give the copy directly to the party or the attorney, or leave it at the attorney’s office with a clerk or someone in charge.
- Mail: send it by regular mail with postage prepaid. Service by mail is complete on the third day after mailing, excluding weekends and holidays.
- Electronic transmission: email or fax works only if the recipient has consented in writing or a local court rule authorizes it. Electronic service before 5:00 p.m. on a court business day is complete on transmission; anything sent after 5:00 p.m. or on a weekend or holiday counts as served at 9:00 a.m. on the next business day.
Once service is done, file a proof of service with the court so the judge can confirm the other side got the declaration.13Washington State Courts. CR 5 Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers
Meet the Deadlines
Civil Rule 6 sets the timing. If you filed the motion the declaration supports, you must serve the declaration at least five days before the hearing. If you’re responding to someone else’s motion, your opposing declaration must be served no later than one day before the hearing.14Washington Courts. CR 6 Time Service by mail adds three days, so a moving party serving by mail effectively needs to send it at least eight days out.
When counting days, skip the day the clock started. If the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.
What Happens If You Lie
The perjury language above your signature is not ceremonial. Knowingly making a false statement in a declaration can be charged as perjury in the first degree, a class B felony under Washington law.15Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 9A.72.020 – Perjury in the First Degree Short of criminal charges, a judge who catches a false statement will likely strike the declaration, sanction you, and treat your future filings with skepticism. Stick to facts you personally know to be true. If you’re not sure about something, say so in the declaration rather than presenting it as certain.