# RCW 49.44.090: RCW 49.44.090: Unfair practices in employment because of age of employee or applicant—Exceptions > Washington · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S090 ## Section - **Citation:** RCW 49.44.090 - **Heading:** RCW 49.44.090: Unfair practices in employment because of age of employee or applicant—Exceptions - **Jurisdiction:** Washington - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** Washington Code / Title 49 / Chapter 44 / Section 090 ## Text It shall be an unfair practice: (1) For an employer or licensing agency, because an individual is forty years of age or older, to refuse to hire or employ or license or to bar or to terminate from employment such individual, or to discriminate against such individual in promotion, compensation or in terms, conditions or privileges of employment: PROVIDED, That employers or licensing agencies may establish reasonable minimum and/or maximum age limits with respect to candidates for positions of employment, which positions are of such a nature as to require extraordinary physical effort, endurance, condition or training, subject to the approval of the executive director of the Washington state human rights commission or the director of labor and industries through the division of industrial relations. (2) For any employer, licensing agency or employment agency to print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated any statement, advertisement, or publication, or to use any form of application for employment or to make any inquiry in connection with prospective employment, which expresses any limitation, specification or discrimination respecting individuals forty years of age or older: PROVIDED, That nothing herein shall forbid a requirement of disclosure of birthdate upon any form of application for employment or by the production of a birth certificate or other sufficient evidence of the applicant's true age after an employee is hired. Nothing contained in this section or in RCW 49.60.180 as to age shall be construed to prevent the termination of the employment of any person who is physically unable to perform his or her duties or to affect the retirement policy or system of any employer where such policy or system is not merely a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this section; nor shall anything in this section or in RCW 49.60.180 be deemed to preclude the varying of insurance coverages according to an employee's age; nor shall this section be construed as applying to any state, county, or city law enforcement agencies, or as superseding any law fixing or authorizing the establishment of reasonable minimum or maximum age limits with respect to candidates for certain positions in public employment which are of such a nature as to require extraordinary physical effort, or which for other reasons warrant consideration of age factors. ## Nearby sections - [RCW 49.44.010 RCW 49.44.010: Blacklisting—Penalty.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S010.md) - [RCW 49.44.020 RCW 49.44.020: Bribery of labor representative.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S020.md) - [RCW 49.44.030 RCW 49.44.030: Labor representative receiving bribe.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S030.md) - [RCW 49.44.040 RCW 49.44.040: Obtaining employment by false letter or certificate.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S040.md) - [RCW 49.44.050 RCW 49.44.050: Fraud by employment agent.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S050.md) - [RCW 49.44.060 RCW 49.44.060: Corrupt influencing of agent.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S060.md) - [RCW 49.44.080 RCW 49.44.080: Endangering life by refusal to labor.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S080.md) - [RCW 49.44.085 RCW 49.44.085: Provision requiring an employee to waive right to publicly pursue cause of action is unenforceable.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S085.md) - [RCW 49.44.090 RCW 49.44.090: Unfair practices in employment because of age of employee or applicant—Exceptions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S090.md) - [RCW 49.44.100 RCW 49.44.100: Bringing in out-of-state persons to replace employees involved in labor dispute—Penalty.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S100.md) - [RCW 49.44.120 RCW 49.44.120: Requiring lie detector tests—Penalty.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S120.md) - [RCW 49.44.135 RCW 49.44.135: Requiring lie detector tests—Civil penalty and damages—Attorneys' fees.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S135.md) - [RCW 49.44.140 RCW 49.44.140: Requiring assignment of employee's rights to inventions—Conditions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S140.md) - [RCW 49.44.150 RCW 49.44.150: Requiring assignment of employee's rights to inventions—Disclosure of inventions by employee.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S150.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_WA_T49_C44_S090. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.