GR 7

Local Rules--Filing and Effective Date

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GR 7
LOCAL COURT RULEMAKING
(a) Generally. One copy of rules of court authorized by law to be adopted or amended by
courts other than the Supreme Court must be filed with the state Administrative Office of the
Courts. New proposed rules and amendments must be filed on or before July 1, to be effective
September 1 of the same year. Promulgation or amendment of rules that describe only the
structure, internal management and organization of the court but do not affect courtroom
procedures are not governed by the time limitations above.
(b) Review and Comment
(1) No court may adopt an amended or new local rule without first distributing the proposal
and allowing at least 30 days for comment. The court shall distribute the proposal by posting it
on the court’s website and sending the proposal to the county prosecutor, the county clerk, a
representative of the county public defender, and the local bar association (with a request that the
association notify its members). The court may also take other actions to distribute the proposal.
(2) The court shall direct that all comments on the proposal be submitted in writing to the
court by a deadline the court sets. The court shall post on its website all comments it receives.
(3) After the comment period closes and the court considers any comments, the court may
adopt, amend, or reject the proposal or take such other action as the court deems appropriate.
(c) Form. All local rules shall be consistent with rules adopted by the Supreme Court, and
shall conform in numbering system and in format to these rules to facilitate their use. Each rule
and amendment filed shall state its effective date in brackets following the rule. Prior to adopting
a local rule, the court may informally submit a copy of its local rule to the Administrative Office
of the Courts for comments as to its conformity in number and format to the Official Rules of
Court, and suggestions with reference thereto.
(d) Distribution. On or before September 1 of each year, the Administrator for the Courts
shall distribute all local rules, and amendments thereto, to the state law library, the libraries of the
three divisions of the Court of Appeals, all county law libraries, Washington law school libraries,
and to such other places as are deemed appropriate by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
(e) Availability of Local Rules. The clerk of the court adopting the rules shall maintain a
complete set of current local rules, which shall be available for inspection and copying.
(f) Emergency Rules.
(1) In the event a court other than the Supreme Court deems that an emergency exists which
requires a change in its rules, such court shall, in addition to filing the rules or amendments as
provided in section (a), distribute them to all county law libraries.
(2) A rule or amendment adopted on an emergency basis shall become effective
immediately on filing with the Administrative Office of the Courts. The rule or amendment
shall remain effective for a period of 90 days after filing, unless readopted in accordance with
section (f)(1) or submitted as a permanent rule or amendment under section (a) within the
90-day period.
(g) Filing Local Rules Electronically. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall
establish the specifications necessary for a court to file its local court rules electronically.
[Adopted effective January 1, 1981; Amended effective September 1, 1991; March 19, 1993;
November 25, 2003; July 30, 2019; February 1, 2021.]

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