1. (1) A request for a hearing shall be in writing;
2. (2) When no deadline for requesting a hearing or interview is provided in Title 46 RCW, or other law or rule of the department, a hearing or interview request must be postmarked or received by the administrative law office within 15 days after notice is given;
3. (3) The hearing request form provided by the department shall include a statement that if the parties or witness(es) are hearing or speech impaired and/or non-English speaking, a qualified interpreter will be appointed at no cost to the parties or witnesses. The form shall include a section where the petitioner may request an interpreter and where they may identify the language and/or nature of the interpretive services needed;

4. (4) The request for hearing shall include the following information with respect to the petitioner:

   1. (a) Full name;
   2. (b) Mailing address;
   3. (c) Daytime telephone number, including area code;
   4. (d) Date of birth; and
   5. (e) Driver's license number.
5. (5) The written request for hearing shall be accompanied by the applicable nonrefundable filing fee, unless the petitioner is entitled to a waiver of the filing fee because of indigence, in which case a request to waive the hearing fee for indigence must be submitted with the hearing request and be on a form approved by the department;
6. (6) When the department denies an application for an indigent fee waiver, the petitioner shall be granted an additional 10 days to submit payment of the hearing fee;
7. (7) Submitting hearing request with fees: The request for a hearing may be submitted to: Department of Licensing, Administrative Law Office, P.O. Box 9048, Olympia, WA 98507-9048;
8. (8) Submitting hearings request without a fee: If there is no filing fee or if the petitioner is entitled to or applies for a waiver of the filing fee because of indigence, the request must be submitted to: Department of Licensing, Administrative Law Office, P.O. Box 9031, Olympia, WA 98507-9031;
9. (9) The request for a hearing may also be submitted online if the petitioner meets the qualifications described on the website at www.dol.wa.gov;

10. (10) If a request for hearing is denied, the department shall notify the petitioner and the petitioner's legal representative, if any, stating the reason(s) for the denial;

    1. (a) The department (or a law judge) may set aside a denial of a hearing due to an untimely request if the petitioner establishes good cause for the failure to timely request a hearing;
    2. (b) In the alternative, the department may grant a review on the merits subject to a preliminary determination on the issue of whether the hearing request was timely filed or, if untimely, whether there was good cause to file a late hearing request. If the petitioner fails to establish the hearing request was timely filed or that there was good cause for a late hearing request, the department's action shall be sustained or affirmed without further review.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.01.110, 46.25.140, chapters 46.20, 46.25, and 46.65 RCW. WSR 26-09-136, s 308-101-080, filed 4/22/26, effective 5/23/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 46.01.110. WSR 25-12-044, s 308-101-080, filed 5/28/25, effective 6/28/25; WSR 18-11-098, § 308-101-080, filed 5/21/18, effective 9/4/18.]