The operation of a collection agency or out-of-state collection agency without a license as prohibited by RCW 19.16.110 and the commission by a licensee or an employee of a licensee of an act or practice prohibited by RCW 19.16.250 or 19.16.260 are declared to be unfair acts or practices or unfair methods of competition in the conduct of trade or commerce for the purpose of the application of the consumer protection act found in chapter 19.86 RCW.
RCW 19.16.440
Collection agency—Prohibited acts—Unfair and deceptive trade practices under chapter 19.86 RCW.
Known as the Collection Agency Act
The act spans §§ 19–19 (44 sections).
Applied in 16 court decisions — leading case 90 Wash. 2d 355 - Salois v. Mutual of Omaha Insurance (1978)
Most recently applied in 195 Wash. 2d 365 - Fireside Bank v. Askins (March 2020)
2020 c 30 s 3; 1994 c 195 s 11; 1973 1st ex.s. c 20 s 7; 1971 ex.s. c 253 s 35.
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.