Get help

Popular topics: 

 

Create a WA.gov account

How to create a WA.gov account
Follow these steps to create your WA.gov account.
  1. To create your account, go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/create.
  2. Enter the email you would like to use for your WA.gov account.
    1. Note: this email can be the same as the email for your SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account, but it is not required.
  3. Verify your email by entering the code that was emailed to the email address you signed up with.
  4. Enter your legal name in the name fields.
    1. Note: these characters cannot be used in names: %(){}<>+="
  5. Create a password that meets the requirements shown on the password creation page.
Once your account has been created, you can use it to log in to state services using WA.gov accounts.

You can log in to manage and update your WA.gov account at https://manage.login.wa.gov/update.

Still need help creating your WA.gov account? Go to “Issues creating my account” for more information.
Do I need more than one WA.gov account?

No. You create one WA.gov account and use it for any service that is using WA.gov accounts.  

If a service asks you to create a WA.gov account, that service is ready to use it. In time, all services will be using WA.gov accounts instead of SAW. 

Issues creating my account.

Use this information to help troubleshoot issues you may run into when creating a WA.gov account. 

I did not receive a verification or MFA email. 

  • Verify your WA.gov account email address does not have any typos. 
  • Check your spam or junk folder for an email from WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov>. 
  • Try resending the code again. 
  • Add the WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov> email address to your contact list. Once this is done, request another email. 
  • If you use email forwarding, sign into the original email you’re forwarding from and check for an email from WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov>. Occasionally, email forwarding does not work for all emails. 

The verification or MFA code did not work. 

  • Copy and paste the code instead of typing it, if possible. 
  • If you do type it, double check for similar-looking characters (for example, the number 0 and the letter O, or 5 and S.) 
  • Use the MFA code as soon as you get it. MFA codes expire after 5 minutes. 
  • If more than 5 minutes have passed, request another code. 

I’m having trouble creating a password. 

  • Follow the rules on screen for creating your password.  
  • If your password does not meet all requirements, a red message will appear: “We found an issue with the password you chose.” Please review the requirements and try again. 

Tip: Avoid reusing passwords from your other accounts, such as your banks, email and social media. If your other passwords get hacked, your WA.gov account may be compromised. Don’t include words from your email address. 

I’m getting a notice that an account already exists.  

  • If you have already created a WA.gov account with this email, you will receive a message that says “Account already exists”. Return to the website you are hoping to access and enter your username and password there. 
  • Follow the “reset password” directions if you forgot or need to change your password. 

Washington is transitioning from SAW accounts to WA.gov accounts. During this transition, you may need both accounts. Learn more about the WA.gov account transition. 

My account was blocked and flagged as high risk.  

Sometimes, security will incorrectly flag an account as high risk and block the account until it is assessed. If you are able, you may follow the “Create an account” steps with a different email address to get access while we work to unblock your account. 

Follow the steps below if your account was incorrectly flagged. 

  1. When your account is blocked, a risk fraud error message will be displayed on screen. That message includes a link to get help.  
  2. Get help by submitting a support request. In the description field, explain that you believe your account has been incorrectly blocked.  
  3. WA.gov Support will reach out to confirm you own the email address you would like to create an account with. 
  4. Once confirmed, WA.gov Support will create an account for you with your name and email.  
  5. You will then be able to reset the password on the account and use it from then on to access WA state services. 

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by submitting a support request. 

Logging in with WA.gov account

How to log in to state services using your WA.gov account.

 

  • From the agency’s site, select Log in. 
  • If this is your first time logging in, enter the email address you used to create your WA.gov account. 
  • If you’ve logged in before and updated your profile, you may use your username, email address, or phone number to log in. 
  • Select your preferred verification method and enter the verification code you receive.  
    • Note: verification method will default to email if you have not added other methods. 

 

My email or password is not working.

Review these tips to troubleshoot this issue. 

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by filling out a support request.

I forgot my password.

Follow these steps to reset your password. 

  1. Enter your WA.gov account email, username, or phone number on the log in screen and click continue.
  2. Click Forgot password?  
  3. Verify your WA.gov account email, username, or phone number you would like to use to reset your password. Click continue.  

  4. If an account exists for that email, you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.  

My account was blocked after too many login attempts.

If your account was blocked after too many login attempts, you will receive an email at the account registered with your WA.gov account. Follow these steps to unblock your account.  

  1. The email includes a button to unblock the account. 
  2. Click the button to unblock the account or copy and paste the button URL into your browser.  
  3. Once clicked, you will see a confirmation page that explains your account has been unblocked.  
  4. After the account is unblocked, you can log in again.  
  5. You can then update your account by logging into: http://manage.login.wa.gov/update 

If you did not receive a block notice, please be sure to check your spam and junk folders. Please also make sure you are checking the correct email address. 

I did not receive an MFA email. 

  • Verify your WA.gov account email address does not have any typos. 
  • Check your spam or junk folder for an email from WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov>. 
  • Try resending the code again. 
  • Add the WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov> email address to your contact list. Once this is done, request another email. 
  • If you use email forwarding, sign into the original email you’re forwarding from and check for an email from WA.gov Accounts <no-reply.login@watech.wa.gov>. Occasionally, email forwarding does not work for all emails. 

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by filling out a support request.

Managing my WA.gov account

I need to update my account information.

To change your account details, go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in to your Login.wa.gov account. You can change the following details: 

  • Name 
  • Add or change a username, this can be used to log in. 
  • Change the email for the account, this can be used to log in or for MFA. 
  • Add or change a phone number, this can be used to log in or for MFA. 
  • Add or change an authenticator app, this can be used for MFA. 
  • Change your account’s password. 
  • Delete the account you are logged into. 

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by filling out a support request. 

How do I change my email for my WA.gov account?
  1. Go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in.  
  2. Once logged in, click Update profile in the top menu options. 
    1. Note: Before you can update your profile, you may need to complete a multi-factor authentication (MFA) challenge.  
  3. Update your Email and then, click Update. 
  4. If you are updating your Email, a confirmation verification code email from no-reply@login.wa.gov will be sent to the new email address. Enter your verification code from your new email to complete the update. You will not see the change to your WA.gov account profile until you have clicked the Verify link. 
  5. If you successfully entered your verification code you will receive a “Success” screen, letting you know you have successfully made the update. You will also receive an email confirmation at your old email address. 
How do I change my phone number for my WA.gov account?
  1. Go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in.  
  2. Once logged in, click Update profile in the top menu options. 
    1. Note: Before you can update your profile, you may need to complete a multi-factor authentication (MFA) challenge. 
  3. Update your Phone number by entering only numbers including the country code and then, click Update.  
    1. Below are the most used country codes: 
      1. +1 for USA 
      2. +1 Canada and 20+ Caribbean/regional nations.  
      3. +52 Mexico 
      4. +44 United Kingdom (UK) 
      5. +91 India 
      6.  +86 China 
      7. +49 Germany 
    2. Note: Do NOT enter the “+” when entering the country code. Do not use any characters other than numbers.  
How do I change my password for my WA.gov account?
  1. Go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in.  
  2. Once logged in, click Change password in the top menu options. 
    • Note: Before you can change your password, you may need to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication challenge (MFA) challenge. 
  3. Enter your “New Password”. Your password must be at least 10 characters, and include the following attributes:  
    • Contains at least one capital letter. 
    • Contains at least one lowercase letter. 
    • Contains at least one of these special characters: !@#$%^& or * 
    • Contains at least one number. 
    • Does not repeat the same character more than twice in a row. 
    • Does not contain your name. 
    • Does not contain your email. 
  4. Click Submit. 
  5. If you successfully entered your new password, you will receive a “Success” screen, letting you know you have successfully made the update. 
How do I add an Authenticator application to my account?

This feature lets you use a mobile authenticator application, such as Google Authenticator or Okta Verify, to access Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) codes. You must have an authenticator application installed on your mobile device to continue. 

  1. Go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in. 
  2. Once logged in to WA.gov, click Authenticator app in the top menu options. 
  3. Open the authenticator application on your device. 
  4. On your device, select either the “+” or Add a Code. 
  5. On your device, select either Scan a QR Code or Enter a setup key. 
  6. On the WA.gov page, either scan the QR code or enter the setup key displayed on the screen. 
  7. After successfully linking your WA.gov account to your authenticator, a six-digit Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) code will appear on your device next to your login ID, confirming that the process was successful. 
  8. Click Finish on WA.gov to complete the process.  
  9. The next time you log in and are asked to complete the multi-factor authentication challenge, you will have the option to use your mobile authentication application to provide the auto-generated codes. 
How do I delete my account?

CAUTION: Deleting your account may cause you to lose access to state services. 

  1. Go to https://manage.login.wa.gov/update and log in. 
  2. Once logged in, click Update profile in the top menu options. 
    1. Note: Before you can update your profile, you may need to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication challenge (MFA) challenge.  
  3. Click the red Delete button at the bottom of the page. 
  4. You will go to a “Confirm Delete” page. Click Delete if you want to proceed deleting your account. This is a permanent action. 
  5. Note: Once deleted, access to your deleted account can no longer be restored.  
What is my account name?

Your account name by default is the email address you signed up with. 

  • If you have added a phone number or a username to your account, you can also use either of those as an account name. 

If you are not sure if you have an account, try to create a new one with the email address you’d like to use here https://manage.login.wa.gov/create. 

  • If your account already exists, the login page will tell you. Use the email you tried here to log in. 
  • If you cannot remember your password, use the “forgot password” link. 

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by filling out a support request. 

Managing my SAW and WA.gov account

I need help with my SAW account. 

For help with your SAW account, visit our SAW account information or the get help resources on SecureAccess Washington. 

I already have an account but it’s not working.

Check that you are using the correct login information for the state service. If the service you are trying to access has transitioned to WA.gov accounts, you will need a WA.gov account to access this service. Your SAW account will not work. 

To get started, visit https://manage.login.wa.gov/create/ to set up your new account.  

Some services that have transitioned to WA.gov accounts include: 

WA.gov accounts will replace SAW accounts. Other state services will continue to use SAW until they transition to WA.gov accounts.  

Still need help with your WA.gov account? Get help by filling out a support request.

Help finding information

Look up a government agency.
  1. From the Contact menu, select Government Agencies, for an alphabetical list of Washington State agencies. 
  2. Select an agency name to visit that agency’s website. Each listing includes the agency’s phone number and links to key resources. 

Note: Agencies that begin with “Department of …” are listed under the main subject name (for example, H for Health), not under the letter D. 

Contact a government employee. 
  1. From the Contact menu, select Government Employees to open the state employee look up tool. 
  2. Enter an employee's first or last name, or the name of a state government agency, then select Search. 
  3. From the search results, you can select the employee’s phone number or visit their agency’s website. 
Contact my elected officials. 

You can search your elected officials on the Votewa.gov website. To access your elected officials, you will need to enter your first name, last name, and date of birth. Once you’ve completed this step, you can view your elected officials by clicking on the link in the right-hand column. 

Find your elected officials 

Find your legislative district 

There are many options available for contacting the Governor. For more information, please visit Contacting the Governor's Office. 

I need help getting unemployment.

For questions pertaining to unemployment benefits or job seeking, please contact the Employment Security Department (ESD). 

I need voting or election assistance. 

For voting or election related-issues and questions, please contact the Secretary of State (SOS) - Elections Division or your County Elections Department. 

Get help with business licensing or taxes. 

For business licensing or tax-related questions, please contact the Department of Revenue (DOR). 

Get help with vehicle or professional licensing. 

For questions relating to vehicle licensing or a professional license, please contact the Department of Licensing (DOL).  

I need help with consumer protection. 

For assistance with matters of consumer protection, please contact the Office of the Attorney General's (ATG) Consumer Resource Center