Washington · Child Medical Consent
Washington Child Medical Consent Form
Washington is unusually explicit about this. RCW 7.70.065 sets out a ranked list of who may give informed consent for a patient under the age of majority: an appointed guardian or legal custodian, a court-authorized person for a child in out-of-home placement, the parents, a person holding signed parental authorization to make health care decisions, and then a competent adult relative who signs a declaration under penalty of perjury. A caregiver without that signed authorization drops to the bottom of the list or off it.
Washington puts "a person with signed parental authorization" fourth in a written priority order of people who can consent for a minor, ahead of relatives, so the signed form is what gives your caregiver standing.
Governing law
RCW 7.70.065
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Cites RCW 7.70.065. Formatted for USPS Certified Mail. Instant PDF.
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Washington Child Medical Consent FAQs
Who can consent to medical treatment for a minor in Washington?▾
RCW 7.70.065 lists them in order: an appointed guardian or legal custodian under Title 26 RCW, a person authorized by the court for a child in out-of-home placement, a parent, a person with signed parental authorization to make health care decisions, and a competent adult relative who signs a declaration under penalty of perjury.
Why does the signed authorization matter so much in Washington?▾
Because the statute names it as its own category. A grandparent or aunt without paperwork has to fall back on the relative provision and sign a declaration under penalty of perjury at the point of care. A parent-signed authorization puts them one rung higher and removes that step.
Can a homeless or unaccompanied minor consent in Washington?▾
Yes, in a defined lane. RCW 7.70.065 lets school nurses, counselors and homeless student liaisons consent to nonemergency outpatient primary care for homeless minors not under parental supervision, excluding elective surgery, and lets unaccompanied homeless youth who meet the federal McKinney-Vento definition consent to the same primary care services themselves.
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