Short answer: A Washington medical cannabis card is the second half of a two-part process. First you need a medical cannabis authorization from a healthcare practitioner, then a certified consultant at a medically endorsed store issues your recognition card after you are entered in the state registry. The card costs a minimum of $1, and it expires on the same date as your authorization: up to one year for adults and six months for patients under 18, according to the Department of Health patient information page and RCW 69.51A.230.
Keep the two things apart. The authorization is the medical step, written by your practitioner. The recognition card is the registry step, issued at a store. You can hold an authorization without a card, and the two come with different limits, which are laid out below. To see how Washington compares with other states, read our Medical Cannabis Card Guide.
This site is a publisher, not a clinic and not a government office. The rules here come from the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Legislature.
How do I get a medical marijuana card in Washington?
The Department of Health lists four steps in this order. Steps 1 and 2 each need their own appointment: first with a practitioner, then with a certified consultant at a medically endorsed store.
- Schedule an appointment with a healthcare practitioner who can authorize medical cannabis. The Department says it does not keep a list of which specific providers chose to authorize it, so ask each office directly. If the practitioner determines you qualify, they may give you a medical cannabis authorization.
- Call a medically endorsed store and book a certified medical cannabis consultant. The consultant may register you in the medical cannabis database and issue your recognition card. Bring your authorization and a government or state-issued ID. The minimum fee is $1.
- Use the card to buy medical cannabis products excise and sales tax free.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 to renew both the authorization and the card before they expire.
At the store, the Department’s FAQ says the consultant will review your authorization for completeness, compare it with your state ID, take a photo of your face and your designated provider if you have one, enter the information into the registry, and then print and laminate your card. The Department of Health’s patient FAQ covers this step by step.
Who can authorize a medical cannabis card, and what qualifies?
The Department of Health says the decision to use cannabis for medical purposes is best made between you and your health care practitioner. Only these provider types may authorize it: naturopathic physician (ND), osteopathic physician (DO), medical doctor (MD), physician assistant (PA), and advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP). Your practitioner is the one who decides whether you qualify. The Department’s FAQ notes that practitioners are permitted to authorize cannabis but are not required to, even if you have a qualifying condition (the FAQ cites RCW 69.51A.060(3)).
The Department lists patients with terminal or debilitating medical conditions. It defines these as conditions severe enough to significantly interfere with activities of daily living and the ability to function, which can be objectively assessed and evaluated, and limited to the following:
- Cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), multiple sclerosis, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, or spasticity disorders
- Intractable pain, meaning pain unrelieved by standard medical treatments and medications
- Glaucoma, either acute or chronic, with increased intraocular pressure unrelieved by standard treatments and medications
- Crohn’s disease with debilitating symptoms unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Hepatitis C with debilitating nausea or intractable pain unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Diseases, including anorexia, that result in nausea, vomiting, wasting, appetite loss, cramping, seizures, muscle spasms, or spasticity, when these symptoms are unrelieved by standard treatments or medications
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
A qualifying condition gives you legal access under Washington law. It is not proof that cannabis helps your condition. The statute also requires your practitioner to tell you about other options for treating the condition and to record in your chart the other measures tried, so expect those questions at your visit.
Can I get a medical marijuana card online in Washington?
Not for the first step. The Department of Health says the law requires you to be physically present for your first doctor visit and to get your initial recognition card from a medically endorsed cannabis store. Renewal can be different. After the first in-person visit, your practitioner may note in your health record that you can renew your authorization by telemedicine, according to the Department’s FAQ. Your designated provider can also renew your card at the store under “compassionate care renewal” when your practitioner determines that renewing in person would cause you severe hardship.
How much does a Washington medical card cost?
There is no single all-in price, because the state card fee, the practitioner visit and the renewal clock are separate figures. The Department of Health’s figures are below.
| Item | Who sets it | Figure the state gives |
|---|---|---|
| Recognition card, first or renewal | State law (RCW 69.51A.230) | Minimum $1 fee; retailers may charge more |
| Replacement card after loss or theft | Store and consultant | Minimum $1; the retailer may charge a higher fee for administrative costs |
| Practitioner visit | Each practitioner | Set by each practitioner; insurance companies are not required to cover medical cannabis |
| Validity, adults 18 and older | State law | Authorization and card valid up to one year |
| Validity, under 18 | State law | Authorization and card valid up to six months |
The Department’s FAQ says insurance companies are not required to cover medical cannabis, so patients pay for healthcare visits whether or not the clinic can bill insurance. It also says there are no formal programs to assist with medical cannabis costs. A medically endorsed retailer may provide cannabis at no charge at its discretion, under WAC 314-55-080, so ask the store if you have limited income. Visit prices are set by each practitioner, so ask the office for its price before you book.
Can an 18-year-old get a medical marijuana card in Washington?
Yes. The Department of Health says a practitioner may authorize cannabis for any patient, regardless of age, if it is medically appropriate under the law and the profession’s standard of care (RCW 69.51A.030). At 18 you are an adult. Registration is voluntary for adults, but patients aged 18 to 20 must register and have a recognition card to buy from a medically endorsed store, and they may not buy from a store without that endorsement. Without registration, you do not receive registration benefits such as tax exemptions.
Patients under 18 are different. They must have a designated provider, who must be their parent or legal guardian, and both must be entered in the Medical Cannabis Registry. Their authorization is valid for up to six months.
Do I need a card, or just an authorization?
An authorization alone is enough to be a patient, but the recognition card unlocks the higher limits and the tax exemption. The Department of Health’s patient information page lists the difference:
| Item | Registered, with recognition card | Authorization only, not registered |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase limits | 3 oz usable; 48 oz solid infused; 216 oz liquid infused; 21 g concentrate, from a medically endorsed store | Only the non-patient amounts: 1 oz usable; 16 oz solid infused; 72 oz liquid infused; 7 g concentrate |
| Tax at a medically endorsed store | Excise and sales tax free on DOH medical cannabis products | No registration benefits, such as tax exemptions |
| High-THC medical products | Available where a medically endorsed store offers them | Must be entered in the registry to buy them |
| Plants grown at home | 6 plants; up to 15 if the authorization says so | 4 plants |
| Usable cannabis from your plants | 8 oz; 16 oz when 15 plants are allowed | 6 oz |
| Buying plants, clones or seeds from a licensed producer | Allowed; requires registry entry and a recognition card | Requires registry entry and a recognition card |
The tax exemption applies when you buy DOH medical cannabis products from a medically endorsed store. It is not a blanket saving on everything you buy. Also, no more than 15 plants may be grown or located in a housing unit, even if several qualifying patients or designated providers live there, except for a registered cooperative.
How many plants can a medical patient grow in Washington?
With a recognition card, the Department of Health says you may grow six plants for personal medical use and possess up to 8 ounces of usable cannabis from them. If your practitioner determines you need more, the authorization can allow up to 15 plants, and then you may possess 16 ounces. Without a card, the limit is four plants and 6 ounces of usable cannabis. If you want to buy immature plants, clones or seeds, the Department’s FAQ says only registered patients and designated providers holding a card may buy them from a licensed producer, under RCW 69.50.325.
Is a medical card worth it, and what are the downsides?
Whether it is worth it depends on what you buy and how you plan to grow. The Department says registered patients get higher purchase limits, the tax exemption at a medically endorsed store, the chance to grow more plants, access to high-THC medical products when available, the right to buy plants from licensed producers, and the option to join a cooperative. The Department also says medical cannabis products meet its standards, have passed more stringent testing standards and may be more beneficial to patients.
The downsides are real, and they are the reason to decide with your numbers in front of you:
- You need appointments with a practitioner and a store consultant, and the first visit and first card must be in person.
- You pay for the visit, and insurance does not have to cover it.
- Adults renew every year and patients under 18 every six months. Washington law does not allow a lifetime authorization, even for a terminal condition.
- Registry information is confidential and exempt from public disclosure, and RCW 69.51A.230 says it shall not be shared with the federal government or its agents unless the patient or designated provider is convicted in state court for violating the chapter or chapter 69.50 RCW.
- Law enforcement officials engaged in a specific investigation can confirm the validity of your card, according to the Department’s registry FAQ.
- Possession and plant limits apply, and designated providers have their own strict rules.
Designated providers: who can help me buy or grow
The Department of Health says a designated provider (DP) “isn’t a doctor, but someone the patient designates to purchase medical cannabis product or grow the cannabis on their behalf.” A DP must be 21 or older, named on your authorization, issued their own authorization on tamper-resistant paper, entered in the registry with their own card, and the DP for only one patient at a time. A DP may not consume cannabis obtained for your medical use or give it to anyone else. You can remove a DP by creating a patient account in the Medical Cannabis Registry. To name a new DP, you must return to your practitioner for a new authorization for yourself and the new DP (Department of Health patient information page).
Does a medical card protect me from arrest?
RCW 69.51A.040 says the medical use of cannabis under the chapter is not a crime, and a qualifying patient or designated provider who complies with the chapter may not be arrested, prosecuted, or subject to other criminal sanctions or civil consequences for possession, manufacture, or delivery of cannabis under state law. The protection applies only if these conditions are met:
- You are entered in the medical cannabis authorization database and hold a valid recognition card, or, if you are not entered and have no card, you hold a valid authorization.
- You possess no more than the amounts allowed under RCW 69.51A.210.
- You show your card, or your authorization if you have no card, to any law enforcement officer who questions you about your medical use.
- You keep a copy of your card or authorization, and you post your contact information prominently next to any plants, concentrates, infused products or usable cannabis at your residence.
- The officer has no evidence that a designated provider converted your cannabis for their own use, or that you sold, donated, or supplied cannabis to another person.
- A designated provider has not served more than one qualifying patient within a fifteen-day period.
The section covers possession under state law when the conditions are met, and cooperative members are covered under RCW 69.51A.250.
How do I renew my medical marijuana card in Washington?
Renewal runs in order. First renew your authorization with your practitioner, then book a certified consultant at a medically endorsed store for a new card. Your card carries the same expiration date as your authorization. If you lose your authorization, call the practitioner who issued it for a replacement, because copies are not valid. If your card is lost or stolen, only a certified consultant can issue a new one, and the minimum fee is $1 (Department of Health FAQ).
Since June 30, 2025, the Department’s Medical Cannabis Registry has replaced the older Airlift system. Patients can create an account to manage their card, including removing themselves or their designated provider from the registry, use an electronic recognition card, view account activity, and receive card expiration notifications.
Can I use another state’s card or move with my card?
Washington’s pages say patient status does not transfer when you move, because each state has different medical cannabis regulations. If you move here, you follow the steps on the patient information page. If you hold another state’s card and are visiting, confirm with the Department of Health at 360-236-4819 or MedicalCannabis@doh.wa.gov before you rely on it.
Can anyone buy from a dispensary in Washington?
The Department of Health says any adult aged 21 or older can buy a combination of up to one ounce of usable cannabis, 16 ounces of solid infused product, 72 ounces of liquid infused product, or seven grams of concentrate from a licensed retail cannabis store. Patients aged 18 to 20 need a registered recognition card to buy from a medically endorsed store. Any licensed retail store may sell medical cannabis other than high-THC products, and high-THC medical products may only be sold by a medically endorsed store to a qualifying patient or designated provider entered in the registry.
Where do I find a medical card or store near Tacoma, Spokane or Vancouver, WA?
The Department of Health’s Medical Cannabis program page reports 321 medically endorsed stores out of 459 licensed stores, with figures updated in July 2026. To find one near you, use the Department’s medically endorsed retail store list, then call the store ahead of time to book a certified consultant. For a practitioner, the Department says it does not have a list of which providers authorize medical cannabis, so ask the office directly.
Watch out for sites that sell a “card” or copy state forms
Be cautious with any site that charges for a card or sells you a copy of the state form. The Department’s pages describe a card issued in person: a certified consultant at a medically endorsed store reviews your authorization and ID, takes your photo, and prints and laminates the card, for a minimum $1 fee. The authorization must be an original on tamper-resistant paper issued by your practitioner, and copies are not valid. The Department says it does not request, receive or retain authorization forms, so do not mail or fax yours to the Department of Health. Keep your form in a safe place at home.
Medical cards, work and drug testing
A medical card does not settle what an employer can test or do. Read our medical marijuana card at work guide before you apply if drug testing is part of your job.
Public use, flying and the 2026 law
For questions about public use, flying out of Seattle, or any change to the law in 2026, call the Department of Health at 360-236-4819 or email MedicalCannabis@doh.wa.gov before you plan around it.
Before you go
- Ask the practitioner’s office for its visit price and whether it will bill insurance.
- Call the store to book a consultant, and bring your authorization and state ID.
- Ask the store whether it charges more than the $1 minimum.
- Confirm with the Department of Health before relying on another state’s card.
- Put the renewal date on your calendar: one year for adults, six months under 18.
By HealthDataConsortium.org Research Team
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your doctor or qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
