A recent statutory time extension for both preliminary plats and final plats may not apply to newly approved plats.

Recently, the Legislature temporarily extended the statutory expiration date on both preliminary and final plats from five-years to seven-years. But notice the word temporary.  The statutory extension to seven-years is scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2014, after which the Subdivision Statute is scheduled to revert back to preserving plat approvals for only five-years (assuming the legislature chooses not to extend this temporary grace through a future amendment to the RCW).

So what does this mean if you have a five-year preliminary or final plat approval?

If your five-year approval is set to expire between June 10, 2010 and January 1, 2013, the Subdivision Statute now provides you an additional two-years before your plat expires. If your five-year approval is set to expire between January 2, 2013 and December 31, 2014, the Subdivision Statute only preserves your plat until December 31, 2014.  After the sunset date, the protections of the Subdivision Statute revert back to five-years and your plat may be expired. If your five-year plat approval is set to expire after December 31, 2014 (in other words, you received approval after January 1, 2010), the Subdivision Statute will not preserve your plat approval beyond five-years. 

If any of the above scenarios apply to you, inquire with the local jurisdiction about formalizing your new expiration date or determining when your plat expires under local code.