State desk
Ranks 32nd of 50 on the Liberty Index.
Where Washington stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 15 Washington outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Washington in red. Free to cite with attribution.
A permit is required; authorities must issue a concealed-pistol license to qualified applicants meeting objective criteria.
Washington is 1 of 15 states with this rule
29 · Constitutional (Permitless) Carry6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Washington levies no tax on wage or salary income. It taxes long-term capital gains only, which is why it is counted separately from the eight states with no individual income tax at all.
Washington is the only state with this rule
8 · No Income Tax15 · Single Flat Rate26 · Graduated Brackets
Washington charges 60.17 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 4 of 50, which is among the highest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 78.57 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 63.17 cents.
Washington is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Near the Middle17 · Among the Lowest
Abolished in 2023.
Washington is 1 of 23 states with this rule
23 · Retains the death penalty4 · Retains it, executions paused
Not a right-to-work state; union-security agreements are permitted.
Washington is 1 of 24 states with this rule
26 · Right-to-Work
State minimum wage is $17.13, above the federal $7.25 floor; adjusted annually for inflation.
Washington is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Vote-by-mail state; in-person voters are asked for ID but may sign an affidavit if lacking one.
Washington is 1 of 8 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID14 · Photo ID Requested4 · Strict Non-Photo ID14 · No Document Required
No ESA, voucher, or tax-credit scholarship program.
Washington is 1 of 17 states with this rule
17 · Universal / Near-Universal16 · Limited Program
NCSL lists Washington among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present; NCSL also names it in the judicial-decision group.
Washington is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Every registered voter is automatically mailed a ballot for all elections; no request is required.
Washington is 1 of 8 states with this rule
29 · No-Excuse Absentee13 · Excuse Required
Washington's unemployment rate was 4.8% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 percentage points from 4.9% in August. It ranks 45th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.). A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.7%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Washington is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court