Regulation · Data protection
Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493)
Washington's biometric-privacy law (RCW 19.375, enacted by HB 1493, 2017) bars enrolling a biometric identifier (data from automatic measurements of biological characteristics - voiceprints, fingerprints, retinas, irises, and other unique physical patterns) in a database for a commercial purpose without notice and consent. Enforced by the Attorney General via the Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.375.030); no private right of action. Robot-operation nexus: humanoid robots with perception systems enrolling biometric identifiers fall within its scope. Scoped formFactors=['humanoid'].
Jurisdiction: United States/Washington State · Effective 2017-07-23
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /regulations/washington-biometric-privacy.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/regulations/9b3d1c83-7097-4b88-9bd1-47609ac63995
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Sources (3)
Status history
- In effect · 2017-07-23 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5b-4 biometric/workplace state laws)
Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375 / HB 1493) in effect since 2017; AG-enforced via the Consumer Protection Act (humanoid-perception nexus).
Common questions
- What does Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) cover?
- Washington's biometric-privacy law (RCW 19.375, enacted by HB 1493, 2017) bars enrolling a biometric identifier (data from automatic measurements of biological characteristics - voiceprints, fingerprints, retinas, irises, and other unique physical patterns) in a database for a commercial purpose without notice and consent. Enforced by the Attorney General via the Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.375.030); no private right of action. Robot-operation nexus: humanoid robots with perception systems enrolling biometric identifiers fall within its scope. Scoped formFactors=['humanoid'].
- Where does Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) apply?
- Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) is recorded as a data_protection applying in Washington State on the DEPLOY registry.
- When did Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) take effect?
- Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) is recorded as effective July 23, 2017 on the DEPLOY registry.
- Is Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) still in effect?
- Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) is currently in effect and applies to covered operators in the named jurisdiction.
- What types of robots does Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) apply to?
- Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493) is recorded as applying to humanoid robots on the DEPLOY registry.
- Which robot models on the DEPLOY registry fall under Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493)?
- 8 robot models on the DEPLOY registry match the form-factor scope of Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493): 4NE-1, AEON, ALLEX, Adam and 4 others. Form-factor scope match does not by itself establish compliance status; review the underlying primary sources for each operator.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-05-31
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-05-31
Architectural position
Cohort: humanoid
Sources by quality tier
- 3
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Washington biometric privacy law (RCW 19.375; HB 1493).Canonical ID 9b3d1c83-7097-4b88-9bd1-47609ac63995