Our presiding officer will review the request and the make a final decision.    

Under WAC 284-180-530, either side can request a review by submitting a petition to our Hearings Unit.

You need to submit a request within 21 days of the initial decision. Otherwise, the decision becomes final.  

How to request a review 

Complete and submit a petition for review of an initial order within 21 days of the initial decision.

Completing your petition 

To submit your petition, follow the steps below: 

  1. Fill out the petition and give your reason(s) for requesting a review. 
  2. Attach a copy of the initial decision and any evidence or documents the presiding officer should consider. 
  3. After completing the petition, email it to our Hearings Unit at hearingsu@oic.wa.gov.
  4. Serve a copy of the petition and any documents you submitted with it to all parties to the case. Under WAC 284-180-540(2), you need to serve them electronically.   

You need to submit your petition electronically. If the other documents are too large to submit by email, contact us for help.  

Responding to the petition

If you're not the side requesting a review, you can submit a response and any evidence or documents the presiding officer should consider. After receiving the petition, you have seven days to email a response to our Hearings Unit at hearingsu@oic.wa.gov. Under WAC 284-180-540(2), you need to serve your response to all parties the petition lists.  

How we review decisions

Our presiding officer will review and decide your case. They will consider the following evidence:  

  • The initial decision 
  • The record from the appeal, including any recordings of hearings
  • Each side's records or documents

The presiding officer may ask either side for more evidence. That side has seven days provide the evidence to the presiding officer and the other side. 

Usually, the presiding officer decides the case by reviewing records and documents. However, they may also schedule a time for both sides to give testimony by phone.

In some cases, there may be a good reason to change the review from a brief adjudicative proceeding to a formal proceeding. This can occur either on motion of one of the parties, or by order of the presiding officer alone.

When we'll make a decision

Unless they postpone the case, the presiding officer will make a final decision within 20 days of receiving of the petition. Under RCW 34.05.491(5), if they don't make a final decision, the initial decision becomes final.  

Where to find petitions and final decisions

Look up petitions for review and final orders through our consumer toolkit. You can search by: 

  •  Name or order number (click the “Orders” tab) 
  •  Company (click the “Agency and Company Lookup” tab)