What Gifts Can Washington State Teachers Legally Accept This Holiday Season

I had some great teachers in school and always wanted to give them a gift beyond the traditional apple on their desk.

Before You Buy: Gift Rules for Washington State Teachers Explained

If you know of a great teacher that you want to celebrate this year, there are some rules and laws you need to follow in Washington State if you want to get your teacher a gift.

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School teachers are state employees, and therefore, they have laws and rules in place regarding the acceptance of gifts from students and parents.

Washington State Gift Rules: What Parents Can (and Can’t) Give Teachers

Under Washington state ethics law (RCW 42.52.150):

Teachers (as state employees) generally may not accept gifts with an aggregate value over $50 from a single source in a calendar year.

READ NEXT: 10 Unique X-mas Gifts for A Washington State Lover 

So it looks like $50 bucks might be the limit if you are getting a teacher a holiday gift to say thank you.

State law specifically allows these types of gifts without counting toward the $50 limit or being prohibited:

Unsolicited flowers, plants, or floral arrangements (e.g., a bouquet from a student; not tied to influence).

Unsolicited tokens or awards of appreciation, like plaques, trophies, or desk items

Nominal promotional items (pens, notepads, small swag)

So the good news is you can reward your favorite teacher as long as the gift is under $50.

Maybe that's why the apple works so well for so many years - I'm just sayin