(1) A person is guilty of assault in the fourth degree if, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first, second, or third degree, or custodial assault, he or she assaults another.

Attorney's Note

Under the Washington Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class C felonyup to 5 yearsup to $10,000
gross misdemeanorup to 364 daysup to $5,000
For details, see Wash. Rev. Code § 9A.20.021

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Terms Used In Washington Code 9A.36.041

  • person: may be construed to include the United States, this state, or any state or territory, or any public or private corporation or limited liability company, as well as an individual. See Washington Code 1.16.080
(2) Assault in the fourth degree is a gross misdemeanor, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(3)(a) Assault in the fourth degree occurring after July 23, 2017, and before March 18, 2020, where domestic violence is pleaded and proven, is a class C felony if the person has two or more prior adult convictions within ten years for any of the following offenses occurring after July 23, 2017, where domestic violence was pleaded and proven:
(i) Repetitive domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030;
(ii) Crime of harassment as defined by RCW 9A.46.060;
(iii) Assault in the third degree;
(iv) Assault in the second degree;
(v) Assault in the first degree; or
(vi) A municipal, tribal, federal, or out-of-state offense comparable to any offense under (a)(i) through (v) of this subsection.
For purposes of this subsection (3)(a), “family or household members” for purposes of the definition of “domestic violence” means spouses, domestic partners, former spouses, former domestic partners, persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have lived together at any time, persons sixteen years of age or older who are presently residing together or who have resided together in the past and who have or have had a dating relationship, and persons sixteen years of age or older with whom a person sixteen years of age or older has or has had a dating relationship. “Family or household member” also includes an “intimate partner” as defined in RCW 10.99.020.
(b) Assault in the fourth degree occurring on or after March 18, 2020, where domestic violence against an “intimate partner” as defined in RCW 10.99.020 is pleaded and proven, is a class C felony if the person has two or more prior adult convictions within ten years for any of the following offenses occurring after July 23, 2017, where domestic violence against an “intimate partner” as defined in RCW 10.99.020 or domestic violence against a “family or household member” as defined in (a) of this subsection was pleaded and proven:
(i) Repetitive domestic violence offense as defined in RCW 9.94A.030;
(ii) Crime of harassment as defined by RCW 9A.46.060;
(iii) Assault in the third degree;
(iv) Assault in the second degree;
(v) Assault in the first degree; or
(vi) A municipal, tribal, federal, or out-of-state offense comparable to any offense under (b)(i) through (v) of this subsection.

NOTES:

Effective date2022 c 268; 2021 c 215: See note following RCW 7.105.900.
Effective date2020 c 29: See note following RCW 7.77.060.
Effective date1986 c 257 §§ 3-10: See note following RCW 9A.04.110.
Effective date1987 c 188: See note following RCW 9A.36.100.
Severability1986 c 257: See note following RCW 9A.56.010.