No, Washington's Crime Victims Compensation Program does not pay for crime scene cleanup, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)1 says. The program may help with other costs, such as medical and dental treatment, grief counseling, partial wage loss replacement and funeral expenses. For the cleanup, ask your own insurer what your policy covers: Washington's Insurance Commissioner2 says you can tell them you do not want to file a claim and just want to know if a potential loss is covered.
The program does not pay for cleanup
The Crime Victims Compensation Program's page at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I)1 lists what it does not pay for. Crime scene cleanup is on that list, along with identity theft and loss or damage of personal property. The same page also says some damaged personal items may be reimbursed: eligible items may include eyeglasses or contacts, prosthetics or hearing aids, and clothing or footwear.
This page explains what the program can help with, and what to ask your insurer about cleanup.
What the program can help with
L&I's program page1 says the program may pay for medical and dental treatment, medication, mental health treatment and grief counseling. It may also pay for partial wage loss replacement, funeral expenses, and expenses not covered by other insurance, such as medical co-pays, but not crime scene cleanup. How much it covers depends on your insurance and your situation, and the same page lists the maximum amounts it may pay.
If someone in your family was killed, L&I's page for families of homicide victims3 says funeral expenses include burial, cremation, a cemetery plot, a headstone and the funeral service. The same page says the program reimburses these costs, up to a maximum that depends on the date of injury, to the family member who paid or to the person responsible for paying. It says payment can be made directly to the service provider if the program receives written authorization from the family member.
L&I's page for families of homicide victims3 also says immediate family members of homicide victims may receive up to 12 grief-counseling sessions, and must use insurance coverage for counseling if it is available. State law, RCW 7.68.080, allows more than 12 sessions when a licensed mental health provider finds that more are needed as a direct result of the homicide's near-term effects, and that they would help the person. The spouse, registered domestic partner or dependent children of the person who died may be eligible for limited wage replacement benefits.
Your own insurance comes first
State law, RCW 7.68.130, says victims must use their private insurance coverage before benefits will be considered.
Life insurance is treated a little differently: L&I's page for families of homicide victims3 says payment is secondary to other insurance, as with its other benefits, but the first part of life insurance proceeds is exempt from that rule. State law, RCW 7.68.130, also says the first part of private life insurance proceeds is not considered for any reduction in benefits, and sets that amount.
Who can apply
L&I's program page1 says that to qualify, you must have a physical injury or mental health trauma from a gross misdemeanor or felony crime in Washington State. It says common reasons it denies a claim include no police report filed and no signature on the application. If the victim died, RCW 7.68.070 says the victim's family or beneficiary are eligible for benefits in accordance with chapter 7.68 RCW.
The same L&I program page1 says a claim may be denied if the injury happened while the injured person was committing a felony, during incarceration, or as a result of their consent, provocation or incitement, or if they owe restitution or fines from a violent offense or crime against another person. State law, RCW 7.68.0604, makes an exception to the consent, provocation or incitement rule when an injury from the crime caused the victim's death. The program page also says circumstances vary and the laws are complex, and that to find out if you qualify, you should file a claim.
Reporting and filing deadlines
The crime has to be reported to law enforcement. L&I's program page1 says to report it within one year of the crime, or within one year from when it reasonably could have been reported, and to cooperate with the investigation. State law, RCW 7.68.0604, sets the same window: twelve months, for a report by the victim or someone on their behalf to a local police department or sheriff's office.
Then apply within three years of the crime being reported to law enforcement, L&I1 says. In certain circumstances, it allows up to five years from the police report. For a victim who was a minor at the time of the crime, the same page says the application must be filed within two years of their 18th birthday.
State law has different rules for some people who were harmed as children. RCW 7.68.0604 says that for adults who were victims of crimes as children, their rights begin when they discover, or reasonably should have discovered, the elements of the crime. It also says a person identified as a minor victim of sex trafficking may file an application for benefits at any time.
If someone in your family was killed
L&I's page for families of homicide victims3 says the Crime Victims Application for Benefits - Homicide Claims (F800-120-000) is available online from the program. It says health-care providers or the funeral home can also help you obtain the form, and to call the program if you have any questions or need assistance. It also says the form may be faxed or emailed directly to the program, and the fax number, email address and number to call are on that page.
To determine what benefits it can pay on a homicide claim, L&I's page for families of homicide victims3 says it needs a copy of the death certificate, copies of bills or receipts for funeral and burial expenses, and information on any life insurance. It also says the first part of any life insurance proceeds, up to an amount it lists, is exempt from the rule that other insurance pays first.
The itemized statement for burial expenses has its own deadline: that L&I page3 says the program must receive it within 24 months of claim allowance or release of remains for burial. This applies to claims with a date of injury on or after July 23, 2017.
How to apply for an injury claim
When we checked on October 26, 2026, L&I's apply page5 said its online application portal was down for repair and maintenance, and to use the other filing instructions on that page. The steps below use the Application for Benefits - Injury Claims (F800-042-000).
- Get the form. Download it as a PDF from L&I's apply page5. Victim witness advocates at your local county prosecutor's office and health-care providers also have it.
- Fill it in, then sign and date it. L&I's apply page5 says incomplete information could delay the decision on your claim.
- Send it. Email the completed PDF as an attachment, or fax it, using the address and number on L&I's apply page5. If you don't have online access, the same page says you can print the form and send it by mail or fax.
Language help and next steps
The Application for Benefits - Injury Claims (F800-042-000) also comes in Cambodian, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Somali, on L&I's forms page.
L&I's apply page5 lists a phone line for checking the status of your application. If you disagree with a decision, L&I's program page1 says to send a protest within 90 days of receiving the decision.
Questions to ask your insurer about cleanup
Start by asking your insurance agent or company what your policy covers. Washington's Insurance Commissioner2 says you can tell them you do not want to file a claim and just want to know if a potential loss is covered by your policy. If the loss is due to a crime, it says to notify the police and keep a copy of the report.
The Insurance Commissioner's page on how home insurance works says personal property coverage includes your furnishings and personal items, such as your TV, clothing and dishes. On what is usually not covered, the Insurance Commissioner's page on how renter insurance works says renter insurance typically doesn't cover structural damage: the building is the landlord's or property management company's responsibility, and their policy covers the structure but not your belongings. So one question to ask is whether your coverage applies to what happened.
If you rent, the Insurance Commissioner's page on renter claims says not to throw damaged things away yet, because your insurance company may want to inspect them before you get rid of them. If your property is contaminated and unsafe to handle, it says to ask your insurance company what to do.
Usually covered: Homeowner insurance protects your home and belongings from damage caused by specific risks, says the Insurance Commissioner’s page on how home insurance works. Insurance companies can’t deny your claim if a covered loss is due to domestic abuse and you didn’t help cause the loss; if you file a claim for a property loss, you’ll also need to file a police report, says the Commissioner’s page on domestic abuse and insurance.
Usually not covered: A policy may exclude losses caused by intentional or fraudulent acts of anyone it insures, under RCW 48.18.550.
Ask your insurer: “What does my policy cover for cleanup after a crime, a serious injury or a suicide in my home, and do any exclusions apply?” Source: Filing a homeowner insurance claim (Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner)2
Where to find more help
Washington's Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) serves as a voice within government for the needs of crime victims. OCVA says its funding opportunities are not available to individual victims and survivors. If you need a referral to a local program, it points you to its Crime Victim Resource Directory, which lists the victim services OCVA currently funds.
We read every source on October 26, 2026. If a source didn't say it, this page doesn't say it.