{"id":69009,"date":"2025-09-10T23:12:59","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T23:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/?post_type=library&#038;p=69009"},"modified":"2025-09-10T23:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T23:13:00","slug":"washington-email-subject-line-ruling","status":"publish","type":"library","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/washington-email-subject-line-ruling","title":{"rendered":"The Washington Email Subject Line Ruling: What This Means for Your Email Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Disclaimer:<\/em><\/strong><em> This blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The content is general in nature and may not reflect the most current legal developments. Bloomreach strongly recommends that you consult with your legal counsel to determine how the Washington email subject line ruling (Brown v. Old Navy, LLC) and other applicable laws apply to your business.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email marketers, beware \u2014 you\u2019ll need to be more careful with how you write your email subject lines moving forward. The Washington Supreme Court recently ruled (in <em>Brown v. Old Navy, LLC)<\/em> that any false or misleading information in email subject lines violates the Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/blog\/texas-senate-bill-140\">Texas SB 140<\/a> ruling for SMS\/MMS, this ruling increases your brand\u2019s compliance risk (and your risk for steep fines) if you send any promotional emails to Washington residents. Let\u2019s go through the ruling in more detail, as well as how you can stay compliant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding Washington\u2019s Email Subject Line Ruling&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While similar state laws exist in California, Georgia, Maryland, and more, the Washington Supreme Court\u2019s interpretation sets one of the broadest standards for email marketing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, any email that reaches Washington residents with false or misleading information can be subject to a <strong>$500 penalty per email (or actual damages, whichever is greater), per recipient<\/strong> \u2014 with no proof of damage required.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some examples of potentially misleading email subject lines:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cToday only\u201d (if the promo lasts longer than a day)\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Claims that a promotion has been \u201cextended\u201d when it hasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offers that appear \u201cnew\u201d but aren\u2019t\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Announcements that the promotion has \u201cended\u201d when it\u2019s ongoing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u201cEnds tonight\u201d when the sale actually continues into the next day.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3-1024x630.png\" alt=\"Example of a noncompliant email subject line based on the Washington state subject line ruling\" class=\"wp-image-69010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3-1024x630.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-3.png 1462w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Court did carve out an exception for \u201cmere puffery\u201d \u2014 subjective or hyperbolic statements (e.g., \u201cbiggest sale of the year\u201d) that are more opinions than verifiable facts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Court emphasized that even under its broad interpretation, use of \u201cmere puffery\u201d or hyperbole in a subject line is not actionable under CEMA. Phrases like <strong>\u201cBest Deals of the Year\u201d<\/strong> are <strong>not<\/strong> misrepresentations and do <strong>not<\/strong> become retroactively false if a later sale is better, because such claims are <strong>subjective<\/strong> and <strong>unverifiable<\/strong>. Only false or misleading objective statements constitute a CEMA violation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who\u2019s Impacted by the Email Subject Line Ruling&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, every business that emails Washington residents needs to follow this ruling. It doesn\u2019t matter where your company is located \u2014 if any email lands in a Washington inbox, it\u2019s subject to CEMA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will have a particular impact on retailers, ecommerce brands, DTC brands, subscription companies, and loyalty programs \u2014 anything that relies on urgency and availability messaging (e.g., \u201cends tonight\u201d or \u201ctoday only\u201d) to promote or sell their products or services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you\u2019re a large-volume sender, you\u2019ll have to be extra careful, since penalties are per email and per recipient, which means fines can quickly rack up if you\u2019re found to be non-compliant.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impact also extends to legal and compliance teams, as they\u2019ll need to include subject line wording in their oversight.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why This Matters for You&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This ruling opens your business up to massive risk, especially if you send to a lot of people. With a penalty of $500 per email, per recipient, even a small error in the subject line can result in trillions of dollars in potential liability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, class action suits may now focus on subject lines alone. This means compliance is more critical than ever. It\u2019s no longer enough to simply pay attention to federal regulations (like CAN-SPAM) \u2014 you also need to consider CEMA and other state laws when creating your marketing campaigns.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Marketers and Retailers Can Do To Stay Compliant&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Washington ruling may add more risk, but this is easily avoided if you implement the right processes. Here\u2019s what you need to do:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review and audit subject lines.<\/strong> Double-check all email subject lines for factual accuracy, and make sure you avoid exaggerations that look like facts.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid misleading timing.<\/strong> Don\u2019t say \u201ctoday only\u201d or \u201cends tonight\u201d unless it\u2019s 100% true.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be careful with how you use puffery.<\/strong> Only use puffery (\u201cbiggest ever!\u201d) when it\u2019s clearly an opinion and not a verifiable claim.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geo-segment Washington recipients.<\/strong> Apply stricter filters for subscribers in Washington state to ensure you add an extra step of scrutiny.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collaborate with legal and compliance teams.<\/strong> Get a legal review of every promotional claim before launch.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Implement monitoring tools. <\/strong>Use automated systems to flag risky language before you send.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Train your teams.<\/strong> Educate your marketing staff on new CEMA risks so subject lines are always crafted with compliance in mind.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-1024x630.png\" alt=\"Compliance checklist for marketers based on the Washington email subject line ruling\" class=\"wp-image-69013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-1024x630.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-300x185.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-4.png 1462w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/products\/engagement\">Bloomreach Engagement<\/a> customers, the platform has features to help you stay compliant, including approvals, scenario workflows, and geo-segmentation. However, keep in mind that liability falls on the sender, not the platform, so you\u2019ll also want to implement the above processes to avoid drawing significant penalties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep Your Email Marketing Compliant&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Washington ruling makes it clear that email subject lines are no longer \u201cjust marketing copy\u201d \u2014 they\u2019re legal minefields.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In light of the stricter liability and heavy penalties that come with the ruling, your brand needs to double down on accuracy, which means it\u2019s more important than ever to build cross-team compliance checks into every campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn more about how you can build compliant email campaigns (and build them more effectively in Bloomreach Engagement) in our upcoming best practices webinar \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/webinars\/engagement\">register today<\/a>!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Official Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <strong>Brown v. Old Navy, LLC<\/strong> (Wash. Sup. Ct. <strong>Apr 17, 2025<\/strong>): Majority\/Dissent &amp; docket <strong>No. 102592-1<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courts.wa.gov\/opinions\/index.cfm?fa=opinions.showOpinion&amp;filename=1025921MAJ&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington Courts<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <strong>RCW 19.190.020(1)(b)<\/strong> \u2013 Unpermitted or misleading email; subject-line rule. <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/rcw\/default.aspx?cite=19.190&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Legislative Information Center<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <strong>RCW 19.190.040<\/strong> \u2013 Damages (<strong>$500<\/strong> per message or actual damages). <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/rcw\/default.aspx?cite=19.190.040&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Legislative Information Center<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The content is general in nature and may not reflect the most current legal developments. Bloomreach strongly recommends that you consult with your legal counsel to determine how the Washington email subject line ruling (Brown [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":69016,"template":"","ew-regions":[],"ew-solutions":[],"library_type":[513],"library_blog_tag":[357,365,449],"industry":[],"channel":[268],"topic":[287],"class_list":["post-69009","library","type-library","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","library_type-blog","library_blog_tag-best-practices","library_blog_tag-marketing-automation","library_blog_tag-privacy-and-security","channel-email","topic-customer-data"],"acf":{"library_blog_banner_content":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_text":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_href":"","library_blog_banner_cta1_new_tab":false,"library_blog_banner_cta2_text":"","library_blog_banner_cta2_href":"","library_blog_banner_cta2_new_tab":false,"library_blog_banner_bg_color":"#EAF7FE","library_blog_banner_cta_text_color":"#FFF","library_blog_banner_cta_bg_color":"#019ACE","library_blog_banner_cta2_text_color":"#000","library_blog_banner_cta2_bg_color":"#FFF","library_blog_chatgpt_content":"Learn how to ensure email subject line compliance","library_blog_chatgpt_cta_href":"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\/?hints=search&prompt=Based+on+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomreach.com%2Fen%2Fblog%2Fwashington-email-subject-line-ruling%2C+help+me+understand+how+to+ensure+email+subject+line+compliance+for+my+business.+Ask+me+questions+about+my+current+email+practices%2C+subject+line+strategies%2C+and+geographic+reach.+Then+explain+how+solutions+like+Bloomreach+can+help%2C+along+with+other+best+practices.","library_blog_chatgpt_cta_text":"Ask ChatGPT"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library\/69009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/library"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/126"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library\/69009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69022,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library\/69009\/revisions\/69022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ew_regions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ew-regions?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"ew_solutions","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ew-solutions?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"library_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library_type?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"library_blog_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/library_blog_tag?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"channel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/channel?post=69009"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bloomreach.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=69009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}