Washington § 7.105.080 - Personal jurisdiction over nonresidents.

(1) In a proceeding in which a petition for a protection order under this chapter is sought, a court of this state may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident individual if:

(a) The individual is personally served with a petition within this state;

(b) The individual submits to the jurisdiction of this state by consent, entering a general appearance, or filing a responsive document having the effect of waiving any objection to consent to personal jurisdiction;

(c) The act or acts of the individual or the individual's agent giving rise to the petition or enforcement of a protection order occurred within this state;

(d)(i) The act or acts of the individual or the individual's agent giving rise to the petition or enforcement of a protection order occurred outside this state and are part of an ongoing pattern that has an adverse effect on the petitioner or a member of the petitioner's family or household and the petitioner resides in this state; or

(ii) As a result of the acts giving rise to the petition or enforcement of a protection order, the petitioner or a member of the petitioner's family or household has sought safety or protection in this state and currently resides in this state; or

(e) There is any other basis consistent with RCW 4.28.185 or with the Constitutions of this state and the United States.

(2) For jurisdiction to be exercised under subsection (1)(d) of this section, the individual must have communicated with the petitioner or a member of the petitioner's family, directly or indirectly, or made known a threat to the safety of the petitioner or member of the petitioner's family, while the petitioner or member of the petitioner's family resides in this state.

(3) For the purposes of this section:

(a) "Communicated" or "made known" includes the following means: In person, through publication, by mail, telephonically, through an electronic communication site or medium, by text, or through other social media. Communication on any electronic medium that is generally available to any individual residing in the state is sufficient to exercise jurisdiction under subsection (1)(d) of this section.

(b) An act or acts that "occurred within this state" include an oral or written statement made or published by a person outside of this state to any person in this state by means included in (a) of this subsection, or by means of interstate commerce or foreign commerce.

Effective date—2022 c 268; 2021 c 215: See note following RCW 7.105.900.