Plastic bag fee increases to 12 cents

Starting January 1, 2026, retailers and restaurants must collect a minimum of 12 cents for reusable plastic film bags given to customers. The charge for paper bags will remain a minimum of 8 cents. (RCW 70A.530.020)

How bag fees work 

When a customer chooses to purchase a bag from a grocery store, retailer, or restaurant, the law requires a minimum charge of 8 cents for paper bags or 12 cents for plastic bags. Businesses are allowed to charge more than the minimum fees to help recoup the higher costs of compliant paper and plastic bags. Bag fees are treated as taxable retail sales – the fee is reclaimed by the business. Customers using food benefits, such as WIC, TANF, SNAP or EBT, are not subject to the required pass-through charges for bags. Food banks are exempt from the law.

BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag With a higher fee, the intent of the single-use bag ban is to remind customers to bring their own bags to the store. The Department of Ecology recommends people keep reusable bags in their cars, backpacks, purses, or places where they’ll be handy when needed. Businesses can help remind customers to bring their own bag by posting signs in parking lots or posters on windows. “BYOB” posters are available to print on Ecology’s bag ban webpage. Providing used produce or merchandise boxes to customers can serve as a great alternative to bags and gives cardboard boxes a chance to be reused before being recycled.

For more information and resources on the bag ban

Visit our webpage at Ecology.wa.gov/BagBan

The webpage features current requirements of the Single-use Plastic Bag Ban and resources translated across 18 languages. For further questions and assistance, contact bagban@ecy.wa.gov

Accessibility

To request ADA accommodation for disabilities, or printed materials in a format for the visually impaired, email Ecology's ADA Coordinator or call 360-407-6831, 711 (relay service), or 877-833-6341 (TTY). Visit https://ecology.wa.gov/accessibility.​