Can I adopt my stepchild if I work out of state but live in Washington?

Yes, if your home is in Washington, you can pursue a stepparent adoption here even though your job is out of state. Washington sets no minimum residency period, and the Superior Court venue provision in RCW 26.33.030 refers to the county where the petitioner resides or the adoptee is domiciled. Nothing in that provision is framed around where you work.

Residency in Washington:

• There is no required waiting period of residency before you can file.
• The residency and venue statute is RCW 26.33.030.
• Because venue is tied to where the petitioner resides, your home address is the key fact. If your work situation is unusual, such as long rotations away or a home base in another state, the Superior Court clerk in your county can confirm how the court will view it.

Where you file:

• Stepparent adoptions are filed in the Superior Court of the Washington county where you live.
• Washington has 39 counties, and each clerk's office can tell you its local filing steps.

Things your work schedule may touch:

• Background checks: Washington requires criminal background checks for adoptive parents.
• Home study: The preplacement and post-placement report rules are in RCW 26.33.220. If you are away often, ask the clerk how scheduling works in your county.
• Hearing: The court schedules a hearing and gives notice to those whose consent is required. Ask the clerk whether you need to be present in person, since that depends on the court.

Consent and the other parent:

• A child who is 14 or older must consent (RCW § 26.33.160).
• If the other parent has not been involved, Washington sets no fixed number of months for abandonment. The court looks at the parent's overall conduct (RCW § 26.33.120).
• Contested cases or an unknown parent depend on specific facts, so an attorney or the court clerk is the right source for those questions.

Timeline and cost:

• A stepparent adoption in Washington typically takes 3-6 months.
• Court filing fees run about $200-$500, and the total typically comes to under $1,000.