# Washington Table of Authorities: RAP 10.3, 10.4 and 18.17

> Washington appellate tables under RAP 10.3, citation form under RAP 10.4, and RAP 18.17 limits. Current 2026 rules, illustrative entries, and PDF-to-Word steps.

*Updated: 2026-10-14*

**A Washington state appellate brief should contain a table of cases, statutes, and other authorities with the brief pages where each is cited.** RAP 10.3(a)(2) calls for alphabetical case entries; RAP 10.3(b) and (c) carry the table requirement into respondent and reply briefs. RAP 10.4 points to the citation standards and to RAP 18.17 for format and length. The table of authorities is excluded from RAP 18.17’s word limits. These are Washington Supreme Court and Court of Appeals rules—not Ninth Circuit rules. [Generate a Washington table of authorities](/table-of-authorities-generator?court=wa#tool) from your brief's PDF with the Washington preset.

> **Build your Washington table from the final PDF:** Review your brief's authorities and cited pages, then export a finished Word table. Add the matching .docx and text-based PDF for insertion into your own document. Confirm Washington and recheck the assembled PDF; the preset does not restyle citations or certify RAP compliance. Free. No account. Your brief stays in your browser, never uploaded.

[Build my Washington table](/table-of-authorities-generator?court=wa#tool)

Free. No account. Your brief stays in your browser, never uploaded.

**Washington appellate TOA at a glance**

- Table contents: RAP 10.3(a)(2), a table of cases, statutes, and other authorities, with pages where cited; cases alphabetically arranged.
- Scope: appellant or petitioner briefs, respondent briefs, and reply briefs under RAP 10.3; other filings have their own content provisions.
- Ordinary computer-generated principal briefs: 12,000 words. Appellant replies: 6,000 words. The TOA is excluded from the word count.
- Citation format: RAP 10.4(g) refers to the Reporter of Decisions’ format under GR 14(d). Use the current style sheet, effective September 1, 2026.
- Format: RAP 18.17 governs appellate margins, spacing, font, and electronic PDF submission. A table preset does not format or certify the whole brief.
- Official sources verified October 7, 2026, including the September 1, 2026 amendments to RAP 10.3, RAP 18.17, and the Reporter of Decisions style sheet.

## What RAP 10.3 requires—and which court it covers

> “A table of contents, with page references, and a table of cases (alphabetically arranged), statutes and other authorities cited, with references to the pages of the brief where cited.” — RAP 10.3(a)(2)

The rule places the tables after the title page. A respondent’s brief should conform to section (a), and a reply should conform to specified portions of section (a), expressly including the tables in subsection (2). Prepare each table from that brief’s actual citations. The reply’s shorter length allowance is not a table exemption. RAP 10.3(e) also directs amicus briefs to conform to section (a), with stated adjustments.

Under RAP 1.1(d), the rules apply to both the Washington Supreme Court and Court of Appeals unless a different application is indicated. Court of Appeals divisions may also have supplementary General Orders under RAP 1.1(i). A Superior Court motion is not a RAP 10.3 appellate brief. Nor is a Ninth Circuit appeal: use the [Ninth Circuit guide](/ninth-circuit-table-of-authorities) for that federal court, even if the underlying case arose in Washington.

Identify the filing as well as the court. A petition for Supreme Court review under RAP 13.4 and a supplemental brief under RAP 13.7 are not ordinary 12,000-word principal briefs. RAP 18.17(c)(10) and (12) set 5,000-word limits for those filings, respectively; consult their specific content rules and any court order rather than borrowing every feature of an ordinary appeal brief.

**Washington requirements and review checks**

| Item | Official provision | Practical check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Table contents and placement | RAP 10.3(a)(1)–(2) | Tables follow the title page. List cited cases, statutes, and other authorities with brief-page references. |
| Case order | RAP 10.3(a)(2) | Alphabetize cases. The provision does not prescribe a complete category sequence or numeric sort for every other authority type. |
| Respondent and reply | RAP 10.3(b), (c) | Include the table in each brief, using that document’s citations and pagination. |
| Citation form | RAP 10.4(g); GR 14 Appendix 1 | Check current Reporter of Decisions forms, including Wn.2d, Wn.3d, Wn. App., and Wn. App. 2d. |
| Principal and appellant reply limits | RAP 18.17(c)(2)–(3) | 12,000 and 6,000 words for word-processed briefs; 50 and 25 pages for typewritten or handwritten briefs, absent permission for overlength. |
| Word-count exclusions | RAP 18.17(b), (c) | Exclude the TOA and the other listed items; use the required word-count certification above the signature line. |
| Margins | RAP 18.17(a)(1) | At least 2 inches on the left and 1½ inches on the right, top, and bottom. |
| Font and spacing | RAP 18.17(a)(2) | Word-processed text uses 14-point serif equivalent to Times New Roman or sans serif equivalent to Arial. Text is double-spaced; footnotes and block quotations may be single-spaced. |
| Electronic filing | RAP 18.17(a)(1) | Submit PDF and follow the receiving court’s electronic filing instructions. A .docx table is a preparation output, not the filing itself. |
| Record references | RAP 10.4(f) | Distinguish CP, RP, AR, and Ex references from legal authorities; check record citations separately. |

## Use the current Washington citation sheet, not an old parallel-citation template

RAP 10.4(g) says citations should conform to the Reporter of Decisions’ format under GR 14(d). The current style sheet, effective September 1, 2026, uses the Twentieth Edition of the Bluebook as its basic citation resource with Washington exceptions. Exception 9 instructs filers to cite the official Washington reports if the case is published there; otherwise, cite the regional reporter. For non-Washington cases, it directs use of the regional reporter if available, otherwise the official reports. Do not assume an older example’s Pacific Reporter parallel citation is a current requirement.

The style sheet lists **Wash., Wn.2d, and Wn.3d** for Washington Reports and **Wn. App. and Wn. App. 2d** for Washington Appellate Reports. It calls for italic case names wherever used. Its code abbreviations include RCW and WAC; presently effective statutes and codes do not receive a parenthetical year under exception 13. Check the actual source and any relevant historical version before editing a citation. A Washington preset does not automatically restyle the citations in your brief or determine whether an authority remains good law.

## Illustrative Washington table of authorities

The following small example concerns appellate review and constitutional fines issues. The authorities are real, but the brief pages are hypothetical. It is not an actual filing, a substantive legal argument, or a representation that these authorities resolve your case. The official Washington opinion linked in the sources identifies the cases used below; the table uses official-reporter citations consistent with the current style sheet.

**TABLE OF AUTHORITIES — illustrative entries and hypothetical pages**

| Authority | Brief page(s) |
| --- | --- |
| **Cases** |  |
| *City of Seattle v. Long*, 198 Wn.2d 136 (2021) | 10, 14–16 |
| *State v. Gunwall*, 106 Wn.2d 54 (1986) | 17–19 |
| **Constitutional provisions** |  |
| Const. art. I, § 14 | 10, 16–19 |
| U.S. Const. amend. VIII | 10, 14–16 |
| **Rules** |  |
| RAP 2.5(c)(1) | 8–9 |

The number 136 in *Long* is the case’s opening reporter page. An argument pinpoint such as 162–163 directs the reader to a passage in that case. Neither belongs in the TOA’s brief-page column: if your citation appears on brief page 14, the table records 14. Add statutes or regulations only when cited in your own brief, and keep separate provisions distinct where they identify different authorities. More entry layouts appear in the [TOA format guide](/table-of-authorities-format) and [worked example](/table-of-authorities-example).

## Build the table from the PDF, review it, and finish the Word brief

- **Set the Washington brief layout first.** Apply RAP 18.17 margins, font, and spacing before exporting your working filing PDF. Keep the cover, tables, and body in their intended order. Confirm the printed page labels rather than relying only on the PDF viewer’s sheet count.
- **Open the app and add the PDF.** Choose or confirm the Washington preset. A PDF input produces a finished .docx table. If you have the original Word brief, add its .docx together with the matching selectable-text PDF so the finished table can go into that document.
- **Review the case identities and citation forms.** Check Wn.2d versus Wn.3d and Wn. App. versus Wn. App. 2d. Merge full and short forms only after confirming they name the same case. Edit a mistaken table title, but also correct the source brief if its underlying citation is wrong.
- **Verify the complete page list.** Use the PDF preview to check each page, including footnotes and later short-form references. Add a missing authority, remove a wrong page, and review other-authority entries manually. Do not count the authority’s own printed TOA entry as a substantive citation.
- **Keep CP and RP references out of the table.** Under RAP 10.4(f), CP means clerk’s papers, RP the report of proceedings, AR administrative records, and Ex exhibits. These references belong in the brief’s record support, not as cases or statutes in the TOA.
- **Export to Word.** Download the formatted .docx table for insertion, or use “Insert the finished table into my Word file” when you have added the matching Word file and PDF. That option inserts a normal-text table using the PDF’s page references.
- **Re-export the assembled brief and check again.** Table insertion or Washington’s large margins may change wrapping and pagination. Export a fresh PDF, inspect the table’s layout and page column, and regenerate against the new pagination if anything moved. Check court-specific electronic filing instructions before submitting.

The .docx-only route is different: it writes native TA fields and a TOA field for **Word for Windows** to build and update. Mac users can take either finished-table route without relying on those fields. PDF-only analysis can use on-device OCR for scanned pages; the combined Word-plus-PDF insertion route requires a text-based PDF and does not support scans. The table preset does not create required PDF bookmarks, certify word counts, or make the assembled brief comply with every appellate rule.

## Washington-specific errors worth catching

- **Using federal rules because the case is in Washington.** The Ninth Circuit, Washington Supreme Court, and Washington Court of Appeals are different courts. Choose the receiving court before choosing the preset.
- **Applying trial-court page format to an appellate brief.** RAP 10.4(g) expressly says GR 14(a)–(b)’s format requirements do not apply to appellate briefs; RAP 18.17 supplies the appellate format.
- **Relying on a pre-September 2026 citation sheet.** Check the current official-report instruction rather than treating old Pacific Reporter parallels as mandatory.
- **Treating every Supreme Court submission as a principal brief.** Petitions for review and supplemental briefs have separate content rules and 5,000-word limits under RAP 18.17.
- **Copying the opening brief’s table into the reply.** RAP 10.3(c) keeps the tables, but the reply’s authorities and page references must match the reply.
- **Putting CP 123 or RP 45 in the TOA.** Those are record references. Their page numbers are not citation locations in the brief.
- **Using passim without checking the page-reference instruction.** RAP 10.3 does not expressly discuss passim. Explicit pages are the more useful choice; silence is not a court endorsement of a preset setting.
- **Trusting pre-insertion pagination.** A longer table or a change to the required margins can move citations. Recheck the actual PDF you will file, not just the earlier PDF used to generate the table.

## Frequently asked

**Does a Washington reply brief need a table of authorities?**

Yes. RAP 10.3(c) says a reply should conform to subsection (a)(2), which covers the tables, along with the other listed subsections. Prepare the table from the reply itself rather than reusing the principal brief’s page references.

**Is the TOA included in Washington’s 12,000-word brief limit?**

No. RAP 18.17(b) and (c) expressly exclude words in the table of authorities, along with other listed material. The ordinary appellant, petitioner, or respondent brief limit is 12,000 words; the appellant’s reply limit is 6,000 words. Other filing types and cross-appeal briefs have their own provisions.

**Do Washington briefs still require Pacific Reporter parallel citations?**

Do not rely on an older parallel-citation rule. The official Reporter of Decisions style sheet effective September 1, 2026 directs citation to the official Washington reports if available, otherwise to the regional reporter. RAP 10.4(g) refers filers to that citation format. Check the current sheet and the source for the particular authority.

**Does RAP 10.3 apply in both the Washington Supreme Court and Court of Appeals?**

RAP 1.1(d) makes the appellate rules apply to both courts unless otherwise indicated. Still identify the document: a merits brief, petition for review, and supplemental brief have different content or length provisions. Court of Appeals General Orders and case-specific orders also need review.

**Can a Washington TOA use passim?**

RAP 10.3(a)(2) requires references to the brief pages where authorities are cited but does not expressly address passim. Use explicit page references for a checkable table and review any applicable court instructions; do not treat the rule’s silence as express permission.

**Will selecting Washington automatically format the brief and update its citations?**

No. The preset supplies table settings. It does not restyle the brief’s citations, apply the entire RAP 18.17 layout, supply PDF bookmarks, validate good law, or certify filing compliance. Review the table, finish the document, and re-export the PDF to check page references after insertion.

**Can I make the Washington table on a Mac?**

Yes. Use a PDF to create a finished .docx table, or add a matching .docx and selectable-text PDF to insert a normal-text table into the Word file. The separate .docx-only field-code workflow requires Word for Windows to build and update its table.

**Official sources verified October 7, 2026**

- [Washington Courts: RAP 10.3 — Content of Brief](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_10_03_00.pdf): Tables, alphabetical case order, page references, respondent/reply scope, and amicus briefs. Current PDF includes the September 1, 2026 amendment.
- [Washington Courts: RAP 10.4 — Preparation and Filing of Brief](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_10_04_00.pdf): Cross-reference to RAP 18.17, record-reference abbreviations, and citation-format requirements. Current PDF lists September 1, 2024 as its latest amendment.
- [Washington Courts: RAP 18.17 — Word Limitations and Preparation](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_18_17_00.pdf): Appellate margins, font, spacing, PDF submission, word-count exclusions, certification, and document-specific limits. Amended effective September 1, 2026.
- [Washington Courts: Reporter of Decisions Style Sheet, GR 14 Appendix 1](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/GR/GA_GR_14_Appendix.pdf): Current citation guidance effective September 1, 2026: official-report preference, Washington abbreviations, italic case names, and code citation conventions.
- [Washington Courts: RAP 1.1 — Scope of Rules](https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_rules/pdf/RAP/APP_RAP_01_01_00.pdf): Application to the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, distinct review proceedings, and supplementary Court of Appeals General Orders.
- [Washington Courts: State v. Tatum, No. 82900-9-I, published slip opinion](https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/829009.pdf): Official-hosted source identifying Long, Gunwall, constitutional provisions, and RAP 2.5(c)(1) used in the illustrative table. Linked to verify example authorities, not to certify their current treatment; the opinion’s notice directs readers to the final official reports.

**Related guides**

- [Open the app](/table-of-authorities-generator): Build and review the table from your own brief.
- [Table of authorities by state](/table-of-authorities-by-state): Find the correct state appellate rule.
- [TOA format](/table-of-authorities-format): Categories, full citations, and the page column.
- [TOA example](/table-of-authorities-example): See a larger illustrative table.
- [California table of authorities](/california-table-of-authorities-rules): A different West Coast state appellate rule.
- [Ninth Circuit table of authorities](/ninth-circuit-table-of-authorities): Use federal appellate requirements for a Ninth Circuit brief.
- [Massachusetts table of authorities](/massachusetts-table-of-authorities): Compare explicit each-page references and cover-to-end numbering.