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The Washington Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), codified in chapter 42.30 RCW, requires that all meetings of governing bodies of public agencies, including cities, counties, and special purpose districts, be open to the public.
The OPMA contains specific provisions regarding regular and special meetings, executive sessions, the types of notice that must be given for meetings, the conduct of meetings, and the penalties and remedies for violations.
A "meeting" under the OPMA occurs when a quorum (majority) of a city council, board of county commissioners, or other governing body (including certain kinds of committees) gathers with the collective intent of transacting the governing body's business. In order to be valid, ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations, orders, and directives must be adopted at meetings conducted in compliance with the OPMA.
Meetings do not have to be in person to be subject to the OPMA. Meetings can occur by telephone, email, or other electronic media.
The following local government bodies are required to comply with the OPMA:
Any action taken at a meeting held in violation of the OPMA is null and void. See RCW 42.30.060(1).
Any member of a governing body who attends a meeting knowing that it violates the OPMA is subject to a potential personal liability of $500 for the first violation and $1,000 for a subsequent one. See RCW 42.30.120(1)(2).
Any person who prevails against an agency in any action in the courts for a violation of the OPMA will be awarded all costs, including attorney fees, incurred in connection with such legal action. See RCW 42.30.120(2).
All members of governing bodies must complete OPMA training within 90 days of taking the oath of office or assuming duties (RCW 42.30.205). A refresher OPMA training is also required every four years. For more information, see the Washington State Attorney General's webpage on Open Government Training.
MRSC and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) have created an OPMA online course to help mayors and councilmembers fulfill these training requirements.
The OPMA establishes some basic procedural requirements that apply to all meetings, whether they are regular or special meetings.
Agency Obligations: A Starting Point. Use these practice tips to guide your agency's OPMA compliance. Updated to reflect legislative changes as of June 2023.
To ensure that agency deliberations and other actions are conducted and taken openly, agencies are required under the OPMA to provide sufficient public notice of meetings of their governing bodies.
Notice Requirements. Use these practice tips as a starting guide for OPMA notice requirements for both regular and special meetings. Updated to reflect legislative changes as of July 2024.
Use the following notification checklist to ensure that your agency provides the required notice for special meetings.
Note that we will post examples that reflect the 2024 public comment notice requirement (RCW 42.30.250) as they become available (this requirement only applies to those situations where public comment must be noticed and is required for a statutorily specified period of time – it does not apply to general public comment at a regular or special meeting).
Meeting agendas must be posted on most agency websites no later than 24 hours in advance of all regular and special meetings (RCW 42.30.077 and RCW 42.30.080). But, who drafts the agenda? And, can it be modified after it’s posted online? If so, how does an agency accomplish this modification? Use the below practice tips for guidance on these questions.
Developing and Modifying Agendas. Use these practice tips as a starting guide for agenda development and modification for both regular and special meetings. Published June 2023.
Minutes must be taken at all regular and special meetings. See RCW 42.30.035.
Minutes. Use these practice tips to review legal and practical tips for taking minutes of special and regular meetings. Published June 2023.
Members of a governing body may also meet in executive session during an open public meeting, but only for one of the reasons specified in and in accordance with the procedures identified in RCW 42.30.110. For further information on executive sessions, see:
Electronic communications by members of a local government’s governing body can implicate the OPMA.
Electronic Communications Practice Tips. Use these practice tips to guide your agency’s OPMA compliance in the context of electronic communications. Updated to reflect legislative changes as of June 2023.
