Washington § 26.44.186 - Child forensic interview recordings disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding subject to protective order — Civil penalties and sanctions.

Full text of Washington Revised Code of Washington § 26.44.186 — Child forensic interview recordings disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding subject to protective order — Civil penalties and sanctions., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 26.44.186. Child forensic interview recordings disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding subject to protective order — Civil penalties and sanctions.

(1) Any and all audio and video recordings of child forensic interviews disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding must be subject to a protective order, or other such order, unless the court finds good cause that the interview should not be subject to such an order. The protective order shall include the following: (a) That the recording be used only for the purposes of conducting the party's side of the case, unless otherwise agreed by the parties or ordered by the court; (b) that the recording not be copied, photographed, duplicated, or otherwise reproduced except as a written transcript that does not reveal the identity of the child; (c) that the recording not be given, displayed, or in any way provided to a third party, except as permitted in (d) or (e) of this subsection or as necessary at trial; (d) that the recording remain in the exclusive custody of the attorneys, their employees, or agents, including expert witnesses retained by either party, who shall be provided a copy of the protective order; (e) that, if the party is not represented by an attorney, the party, their employees, and agents, including expert witnesses, shall not be given a copy of the recording but shall be given reasonable access to view the recording by the custodian of the recording; and (f) that upon termination of representation or upon disposition of the matter at the trial court level, attorneys and other custodians of recordings promptly return all copies of the recording.
(2) A violation of a court order pursuant to this section is subject to a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars, in addition to any other appropriate sanction by the court.
(3) Nothing in this section is intended to restrict the ability of the department or law enforcement to share child welfare information as authorized or required by state or federal law.
[ 2018 c 171 s 6.]

Notes

Effective date—2018 c 171: See note following RCW 26.44.188.

Source: official Washington text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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Frequently Asked Questions About Washington § 26.44.186

What does Revised Code of Washington § 26.44.186 cover?

Section 26.44.186 ("Child forensic interview recordings disclosed in a criminal or civil proceeding subject to protective order — Civil penalties and sanctions.") is part of the Revised Code of Washington, the codified statutory law of Washington. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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