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Washington Superior Court Civil Commitment Rules – 2026

Largely a numbering skeleton, and deliberately so: THIRTY of these 35 rules read only "[RESERVED.]". The set's own Introduction explains why — the Involuntary Treatment Act "largely vitiated the need for the prior Mental Proceedings Rules by codifying circumstances in which involuntary commitment is permitted" — so the court kept the rule numbers across its six titles and reserved almost all of them. Three rules carry substantive text: Rule 3.3 on the jury demand, Rule 3.4 on the hearing, and Rule 4.5 on the burden of proof. Rule 2.5 is rescinded. It is published because the reserved numbers ARE the current state of these rules, which is what a practitioner looking for Washington's civil commitment rules needs to know.

Browse all 35 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

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1 General 2 Proceedings For Initial Detention 3 Proceedings For Ninety or One Hundred Eighty-Day Commitment 4 Proceedings For Conditional Release and Revocation or Modification 5 Venue 6 Petitions
Introduction

1 General

Rule 1.1 Notice--General Rule 1.2 Continuance or Postponement Rule 1.3 Reserved Rule 1.4 Alternative Less Restrictive Treatment

2 Proceedings For Initial Detention

Rule 2.1 Summons Rule 2.1 Stds CCR Standards for Indigent Defense (SID) Rule 2.2 Authorization and Notice of Detention Rule 2.2A Notice of Emergency Detention Rule 2.3 Right To Copy Court Files Rule 2.4 Probable Cause Hearing Rule 2.5 Rescinded

3 Proceedings For Ninety or One Hundred Eighty-Day Commitment

Rule 3.1 First Court Appearance Rule 3.2 Preliminary Appearance Rule 3.3 Jury Demand Rule 3.4 Hearing Rule 3.5 Notice of Restrictions

4 Proceedings For Conditional Release and Revocation or Modification

Rule 4.1 Notice of Conditions Rule 4.2 Authorization for Apprehension and Detention Rule 4.3 Petition and Order of Apprehension and Detention--Service Rule 4.4 Petition for Initial Detention Rule 4.5 Burden of Proof

5 Venue

Rule 5.1 General Rule 5.2 Conditional Release Hearing Rule 5.3 Release of Records Rule 5.4 Reserved

6 Petitions

Rule 6.1 Petition for Initial Detention Rule 6.1A Petition for Initial Detention of a Minor Rule 6.2 Petition for Fourteen-Day Involuntary Treatment Rule 6.2A Petition for Fourteen-Day Commitment of Minors Rule 6.3 Petition for Ninety-Day Involuntary Treatment Rule 6.4 Petition for One Hundred Eighty-Day Involuntary Treatment Rule 6.4A Petition for One Hundred Eighty-Day Involuntary Treatment of a Minor Rule 6.5 Petition for Revocation of Conditional Release or Less Restrictive Treatment Rule 6.5A Petition for Revocation of Conditional Release or Less Restrictive Treatment of a Minor