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This is a public domain web site. It is governed by the Public Disclosure Act (RCW 42.17.250-348) which makes this information, and any information you submit to this site, freely available for public inspection and copying.
Specifically, RCW 42.17.260(1) requires, "Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying, all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of [RCW 42.17.260(6)], RCW 42.17.310, 42.17.315, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records."
Some of those exceptions that apply to our web site are noted below.
RCW 42.17.310(1)(ss) provides, the following are exempt from public inspection and copying: "Credit card numbers, debit card numbers, electronic check numbers, card expiration dates, or bank or other financial account numbers supplied to an agency for the purpose of electronic transfer of funds, except when disclosure is expressly required by law."
Therefore, we will keep confidential any financial information you provide to us to complete an online financial transaction.
Our online credit card form automatically encrypts your confidential information in transit from your computer to ours using the Secure Sockets Layer protocol (SSL) with an encryption key length of 128-bits. Even before you register or log in to our site, our server checks that you're using an approved browser that uses SSL 3.0 or higher.
Once your information reaches us, it resides on a server that is heavily guarded both physically and electronically. Our servers sit behind an electronic firewall and are not directly connected to the Internet, so your private information is available only to authorized computers such as our credit-card-processing bank. Once your credit card transaction is processed and validated, your credit card information is deleted from our web servers.
RCW 42.17.310(1)(l) provides, the following is exempt from public inspection and copying: "Any library record, the primary purpose of which is to maintain control of library materials, or to gain access to information, which discloses or could be used to disclose the identity of a library user."
Therefore, we will keep confidential any information you provide to us to complete a user transaction at the Washington State Library or the Washington State Archives. Such transactions include the online searching and ordering of materials or the referral of research questions for response by a librarian or archivist.
We may be compelled to disclose information during the investigation of fraud or illegal activity, or during the course of civil litigation. For example, exempt records may be released upon service of a search warrant, subpoena duces tecum, or other lawful court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction in Washington State.
Our computer server generates "traffic logs" which automatically collects the following information about visitors to our web site:
The information we collect is used to improve the content of our web site and help us understand which pages are most popular and which need to be improved or eliminated. The webmaster analyzes our web site logs to continually improve the value of your surfing experience. Our web site logs are not personally identifiable, and we make no attempt to link them with the individuals that browse our web site.
In addition, we collect any information you choose to send to us via this web site:
Your e-mail messages and form responses are helpful to the Secretary of State who desires to maintain and improve the quality of our web services. Your comments about this site help us to enhance the experience of our visitors.
At this time, this website does use "persistent" cookies that stay on your PC after you exit our web site. We use persistent cookies as a part of an anonymous analysis of website usage to help improve the usability of our website.
Our web site does use "session" cookies so you can complete online transactions without logging onto every page you must visit to successfully complete a business transaction; and to determine how users navigate throughout our web site so we can improve it for future users.
Cookies are simple text files stored by your web browser. They provide a method of distinguishing among visitors to a web site, eliminating the need for passwords, customizing pages for better browser compatibility, and storing information from previous visits. You can set up your browser to warn you if a cookie is offered or to refuse the cookies altogether. You can delete cookie files from your computer by using your file manager or file explorer program.
Cookies do not compromise your privacy or security. Cookies store a randomly generated identifying tag on your computer. If you have further questions about cookies, the Computer Incident Advisory Capacity unit that monitors computer problems for the U.S. Department of Energy issued a study on March 12, 1998 of the risks to users of cookies, titled "Information Bulletin I-034: Internet Cookies."
This site contains numerous links to other web sites maintained by others and outside of the control of the Office of the Secretary of State. Portions of this website may not be current. Despite our penchant for accuracy, this website may also contain inadvertent errors. The machine translation of our web site into alternative languages is not 100% accurate. Neither the Office of Secretary of State, nor any division, program, employee, or consultant of this office warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published on this web site, nor endorses any products or services linked from this web site, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. Any person or entity who relies on any information obtained from this web site does so at their own risk.
This is a public domain web site. Most of the information on this site is not copyrighted. You may use, share or copy such information appearing on this site. Of course, it would be appropriate to give credit to the Office of the Secretary of State as the source of this information.
Our site may contain text, artwork, photos or other content that is copyrighted by others and is being used with the express permission of the copyright holder. Therefore, it is recommended that you contact our Webmaster or Communications Director for permission to use information contained on this site.
We use Bobby, a comprehensive web accessibility software tool, designed to help detect and repair barriers to accessibility and encourage compliance with existing accessibility guidelines such as U.S. Government Section 508 and World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Access Initiative (WAI).
We provide text alternatives for images and multi-media (such as audio, streaming video and Flash). While we use tables for layout purposes, we use accessible table tags for data tables where the format of the table conveys useful information.
If you find parts of our website inaccessible for any reasons, please contact our Webmaster by e-mail at [email protected], or by telephoning the phone number (or by writing to the address) that appears at the bottom of every web page. We will endeavor to provide our content to you in a usable alternative format.
For our speech and hearing impaired users, our Webmaster can receive TDD/TTY communications by dialing (800) 422-8683. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The special relay service numbers can only be used if you have the appropriate TDD/TTY equipment, a device equipped with a typewriter-style keyboard and operated through a standard telephone. For those customers who need to communicate with us, but do not have TDD/TTY equipment, your local phone company may provide a free relay service.
Our web site is a general audience site with content appropriate for all age groups. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. We do not voluntarily publicly disclose, distribute or disseminate information received online or by email to third parties. Users are cautioned that any information volunteered by children online or by email may be subject to a public records request under the Public Disclosure and will be treated as if received from an adult.
We can be reached via e-mail at [email protected], by telephoning the phone number (or by writing to the address) that appears at the bottom of every web page or calling (800) 422-8683 for TDD/TTY communications.
This document was last updated April 6, 2009.