Washington just made it easier for insurers to close out total loss vehicle claims.
House Bill 2604, signed into law by the governor on March 18, 2026, removes the notarization requirement for documents used to transfer vehicle ownership to an insurer after payment of damages. The bill also allows those documents to be signed electronically and printed on hard copy. It takes effect on June 11, 2026.
The law, now Chapter 101 of the 2026 Laws, passed both chambers without a single opposing vote – 94-0 in the House on February 12 and 47-0 in the Senate on March 6.
For insurers and self-insurers handling total loss claims in Washington, this is a practical change to a process that has carried an additional layer of paperwork. Under the amended law, supporting documents – including a limited power of attorney used solely for this purpose – no longer need to pass through a notary's hands before the department will accept them.
The bill, introduced by Representatives Adison Richards and Andrew Barkis and referred to the Committee on Transportation on January 21, 2026, amends two sections of Washington's Revised Code. The first, RCW 46.12.600, governs how destroyed and total loss vehicles are reported and documented. The second, RCW 11.125.050, sets out how powers of attorney must be executed in the state.
That second amendment is worth paying attention to. Washington's Uniform Power of Attorney Act has historically required that a power of attorney be either notarized or witnessed by two or more competent, unrelated individuals. The new law carves out a narrow exception: a limited power of attorney signed and dated for the sole purpose of transferring ownership of a vehicle to an insurer after payment of damages can skip the notary, be signed electronically, and be printed on hard copy.
The exception applies only to this specific type of transaction and does not change the rules for any other power of attorney in the state.
The existing framework for insurer reporting remains intact. Insurance companies and self-insurers are still required to report a total loss to the department within 15 days after the settlement claim, regardless of where the loss occurred. They can do so electronically through the department's online system, by submitting a certificate of title or affidavit in lieu of title marked "DESTROYED," or by filing a properly completed total loss claim settlement form provided by the department. For vehicles six years or older, the report must still include a statement on whether the vehicle's fair market value immediately before its destruction was at least equal to the market value threshold, currently set at $6,790 and subject to annual adjustments tied to the consumer price index for used cars and trucks in the west region.
