(1) Beginning July 1, 2027, retailers are prohibited from selling or distributing covered portable batteries or battery-containing products in or into the state of Washington unless the producer of the covered batteries or battery-containing products participates in an approved battery stewardship plan.
(2) Beginning January 1, 2028, retailers are prohibited from selling or distributing a large format battery, a covered battery, or a battery-containing product in or into the state of Washington unless they meet the marking requirements under WAC 173-905-310.
(3) Beginning July 1, 2029, retailers are prohibited from selling or distributing covered medium format batteries or battery-containing products in or into the state of Washington unless the producer of the covered batteries or battery-containing products participates in an approved battery stewardship plan.
(4) Retailers may use the list of producers on the department's website to verify compliance with subsections (1) through (3) of this section.
(5) A retailer selling covered batteries or battery-containing products in or into the state of Washington may request education and outreach materials from the stewardship organization to inform their customers about end-of-life management options for covered batteries.
(6) A retailer is not required to make retail locations available to serve as collection sites for a battery stewardship program.
(7) A retailer that serves as a collection site for a battery stewardship program must comply with the requirements for collection sites contained in a battery stewardship organization's approved plan and the requirements in WAC 173-905-520.
(8) A retailer may not charge a specific point-of-sale fee to consumers to cover the administrative or operational costs of the battery stewardship program.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 70A.555.040, 70A.555.060, 70A.555.070, 70A.555.100, and 70A.555.130. WSR 26-01-103 (Order 23-09), s 173-905-200, filed 12/16/25, effective 1/16/26.]