Washington penny rounding law
Optional symmetric rounding of the in-person cash total or change; customers may pay the exact amount. Preempts local rules.
Washington cash rounding calculator
Enter a cash total, or item prices plus your sales tax rate. The result updates as you type.
The rounding rule
The total price (after taxes, fees and discounts) or the change due on an in-person cash transaction may be rounded to the nearest five-cent increment: 1, 2, 6 and 7 cents round down, 3, 4, 8 and 9 round up. A customer with exact change may pay the unrounded total.
Who it applies to
Sellers taking in-person cash payments. State agencies may also round when pennies are not available. Rounding is a matter of statewide concern, so local governments may not treat it as a surcharge or unlawful price difference.
Customer notice
No customer sign is required.
Make a printable Washington cash rounding sign.
Sales tax
Sales and use tax is calculated on the selling price without regard to rounding. Business and occupation tax does not apply to amounts added by rounding up, and no deduction is allowed for rounding down. More on sales tax and cash rounding.
What is not rounded
- Checks and other negotiable instruments, electronic funds transfers, money orders, credit and debit cards and other electronic payments are not rounded.
- Mixed tender: only the cash portion is rounded.
Pennies, enforcement and safe harbors
Customers keep the right to pay the exact unrounded total with exact change.
Compliant rounding is not a violation of state or municipal law, and a rounded total that differs from a displayed price is not actionable under the Consumer Protection Act.
The law
| Law | SHB 2334, Ch. 138, Laws of 2026 |
|---|---|
| Signed | March 23, 2026 |
| Effective | June 11, 2026 (effective June 11, 2026) |
| Status | Law in effect |