What Seller Disclosure Paperwork Does a Buyer Get When Buying a Home in Pullman, Washington Versus Moscow, Idaho?

In both Pullman and Moscow the seller completes a written property disclosure form and the buyer gets a short window to rescind after receiving it, but the rules differ by state. For a Washington home such as one in Pullman, chapter 64.06 RCW requires the seller to deliver a completed, signed, and dated seller disclosure statement not later than five business days after mutual acceptance, unless the parties agree otherwise. The buyer then has three business days, or as otherwise agreed, to approve it or rescind by written notice. For an Idaho home such as one in Moscow, the Idaho Property Condition Disclosure Act (Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 25) requires the seller to deliver a signed and dated form within ten days of accepting the buyer's offer, and the buyer has three business days after receipt to rescind in a signed written notice that names a specific objection. Both statutes list exempt transfers, such as foreclosures and certain estate transfers, and Washington lets a buyer expressly waive receipt of the statement. Both forms are the seller's statement of what the seller knows and are not a warranty. This reports what the statutes say as of November 3, 2026 and is not legal advice.

The context on the Palouse

Data as of November 3, 2026, from the Washington Legislature and Idaho Legislature statute pages, one federal page, and Jordan's July 5, 2026 seller guide for the Form 17 name. Washington. Chapter 64.06 RCW, Real Property Transfers, Sellers' Disclosures, covers improved residential real property, defined as property with one to four residential dwelling units plus certain other property types. The seller completes the statutory form in RCW 64.06.020. Its sections cover title, water, sewer or on-site sewage system, structural, systems and fixtures, homeowners' association and common interests, environmental, and full disclosure by sellers, followed by a buyer's acknowledgment. Answer choices are Yes, No, and Don't know, and the form says the disclosures rest on the seller's actual knowledge. RCW 64.06.020 says the statement is for disclosure only, is not part of the written agreement, and is not a warranty by the seller or any real estate licensee. For never occupied new construction the structural and systems and fixtures questions are not required. Jordan's July 5, 2026 seller guide calls the Washington statement Form 17, while the RCW text calls it the seller disclosure statement. Under RCW 64.06.030 the seller delivers it not later than five business days after mutual acceptance, or as otherwise agreed. The buyer has three business days, or as otherwise agreed, to approve it or rescind in the buyer's sole discretion by written notice, and is entitled to immediate return of deposits less agreed disbursements. If no written rescission arrives in that time, the statement is deemed approved. Under RCW 64.06.040 the seller must deliver an amendment if the seller learns, from a source other than the buyer or someone acting for the buyer such as an inspector, of additional information or an adverse change that makes a disclosure inaccurate. No amendment is needed if the seller restores accuracy at least three business days before closing. Otherwise the buyer may accept the amendment or rescind within three business days after receiving it. If the seller never provides the statement, the buyer's rescission right runs until the earlier of three business days after receipt or closing, and after closing the seller's duty to deliver the statement and the buyer's rights under the chapter end. Under RCW 64.06.050 a seller is not liable for an error the seller had no actual knowledge of, and RCW 64.06.070 says the chapter does not extinguish a buyer's other rights or remedies against the seller or the seller's agent under common law, statute, or contract. RCW 64.06.010 lists transfers the chapter does not apply to, including a foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure, certain transfers to a parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child, transfers by a personal representative of an estate or a trustee in bankruptcy, and a transfer where the buyer has expressly waived receipt. A buyer may not waive the Environmental section if any answer in it would be yes. RCW 64.06.022 requires the seller to make available a short notice that the property may lie close to a farm or working forest. As of November 3, 2026, the RCW 64.06.020 page also shows a version that takes effect January 1, 2027. Compared with the version in effect until then, the only change to the form text is one added Environmental question about whether the property includes a family burial ground, mausoleum, or columbarium. Idaho. The Idaho Property Condition Disclosure Act, Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 25, applies to a person who intends to transfer residential real property, defined as property improved with one to four dwelling units or an individually owned unit in a structure of any size. The seller completes the Seller Property Disclosure Form in section 55-2508 or an alternative form that includes the information in section 55-2506 and the mandatory statements in section 55-2507, so the form a Moscow buyer receives may not look like the statutory one. Section 55-2506 says the form is designed to let the seller disclose material matters about physical condition, including the source of water supply, the sewer system, the roof, foundation, walls, and floors, and the known presence of hazardous materials. The statutory form asks about annexation and city services, whether appliances and service systems work, problems with basement water, foundation, roof condition and age, well, septic system, plumbing, drainage, electrical, and heating, conditions that may affect the ability to clear title such as encroachments, easements, zoning violations, and lot line disputes, hazardous materials or pest infestations, substantial additions or alterations made without a building permit, and any other problems. It says it is a statement of what the seller knows, is not a warranty, and is not a substitute for any inspections. Under section 55-2509 the seller delivers a signed and dated copy within ten days of accepting the buyer's offer, and the buyer acknowledges receipt by signing and dating a copy and returning it. Section 55-2510 allows delivery in person, by ordinary mail, by certified mail with return receipt requested, or by fax. Under section 55-2515 a buyer who receives the form or an amendment after entering the agreement may rescind in a written, signed, and dated document that specifically identifies the disclosure objected to, within three business days after receiving the form. The buyer is entitled to the return of deposits and incurs no legal liability to the seller from rescinding, and if no signed notice arrives within the three days the right to rescind is waived. Under section 55-2513 the seller may amend in writing at any time after delivery and must amend before closing if the seller discovers that information has changed, and the buyer's right to rescind is limited to the amendments. Section 55-2512 says information made inaccurate by something that happens after delivery is not a violation, and an unknown item may be given as a clearly identified, reasonable approximation. Section 55-2511 says the seller and the seller's agents are not liable for an error that was not within the seller's personal knowledge or was based on timely information from public agencies or other listed persons, where ordinary care was used. Section 55-2517 says no transfer is invalidated solely because someone failed to comply, and a person who willfully or negligently violates the chapter is liable for the buyer's actual damages. Section 55-2514 says the chapter does not limit other disclosure obligations under the Idaho Code or Idaho common law. Section 55-2505 lists 16 exempt transfers, including transfers under court order, foreclosure related transfers, transfers by a fiduciary in an estate, guardianship, conservatorship, or trust, transfers between co-owners, to a spouse or lineal relative, between spouses in a divorce, to or from a governmental entity, and from a decedent's estate. It also exempts new construction that has never been inhabited, but sellers of that new construction must still answer the annexation and city services questions. Federal. For most homes built before 1978 in either state, the EPA page, last updated May 27, 2026, says that before a homebuyer signs a contract, federal law requires sellers, landlords, real estate agents, and property managers to give buyers the Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home pamphlet, disclose known lead-based paint information, provide available records and reports, and provide a Lead Warning Statement. The same list on the page includes providing homebuyers a 10-day period to conduct a paint inspection or risk assessment. The page says the parties may mutually agree in writing to lengthen or shorten that period, homebuyers may waive the opportunity, and foreclosure sales and housing built after 1977 are among the exclusions.

Practical steps

1. Identify which state's law applies. A Pullman home sale falls under Washington's chapter 64.06 RCW and a Moscow home sale falls under the Idaho Property Condition Disclosure Act, Idaho Code Title 55, Chapter 25, unless the transfer is one of the exempt transfers each statute lists.
2. Write down the date the seller accepts your offer, since the seller's delivery deadline starts there in both states. Washington requires delivery not later than five business days after mutual acceptance unless otherwise agreed, and Idaho requires delivery within ten days of the seller's acceptance.
3. When the form arrives, read every page and every attachment. The Washington form tells the seller to explain any yes answer to an asterisked item on attached sheets and to date and sign each page, and the Idaho form has the seller certify that the information is true and correct to the best of the seller's knowledge.
4. Record the day the form is received and count three business days. That is the rescission window in both states. Washington counts from receipt of the statement and lets the parties agree to a different period, and Idaho counts from the date the buyer or the buyer's agent receives the form. Washington treats silence as approval, and Idaho treats silence as a waived right to rescind.
5. Note how each statute describes a rescission notice. Washington calls for written notice of rescission delivered to the seller within the window. Idaho calls for a written, signed, and dated document that names the specific disclosure objected to, delivered to the seller or the seller's agent in person, by ordinary mail, by certified mail with return receipt requested, or by fax.
6. Acknowledge receipt. In Idaho, section 55-2509 has the buyer sign and date a copy of the form and deliver a signed and dated copy to the seller or the seller's agent or subagent. The Washington statutory form includes a buyer's acknowledgment section with signature and date lines.
7. Watch for amendments before closing. Washington requires an amendment when the seller learns new information or an adverse change from a source other than the buyer's side, and Idaho requires an amendment before closing if the seller discovers a change, with the Idaho rescission right limited to the amendment.
8. For a home built before 1978, know what the federal lead-based paint rule adds. The EPA page says that before a buyer signs a contract, federal law requires the pamphlet, the seller's disclosure of known information, available records and reports, and a Lead Warning Statement, and it lists a 10-day period for the buyer to conduct a paint inspection or risk assessment. The parties can change that period in writing and the buyer can waive it.
9. Take any question about what a statute means for your specific contract to a licensed attorney, since this summary reports statute text and is not legal advice.

Common mistakes

• Assuming Washington and Idaho work the same way. Washington sets delivery at five business days after mutual acceptance and lets the buyer decide in the buyer's sole discretion, while Idaho sets delivery at ten days after the seller accepts the offer and requires the rescission notice to name a specific objection.
• Missing the three business day window. Washington deems the statement approved if no written rescission arrives, and Idaho says the right to rescind is waived.
• Treating the form as a warranty or an inspection. RCW 64.06.020 says the Washington statement is not a warranty and is not part of the written agreement, and the Idaho form says it is not a warranty and not a substitute for any inspections.
• Assuming every answer is verified fact. The Washington form rests on the seller's actual knowledge and offers a Don't know choice, and the Idaho form says that, unless otherwise advised and other than having lived at or owned the property, the seller has no greater knowledge than a careful inspection by the buyer would give.
• Assuming every sale comes with a disclosure form. RCW 64.06.010 and Idaho Code 55-2505 list exempt transfers, such as foreclosures and certain transfers by an estate representative or fiduciary, and Washington lets a buyer expressly waive receipt, although the Environmental section cannot be waived if any answer in it would be yes.
• Overlooking Idaho's annexation questions on new construction. Section 55-2505 exempts never inhabited new construction from the form, but its sellers must still answer the annexation and city services questions.
• Overlooking the federal lead-based paint disclosure on a home built before 1978. The EPA page says that before a buyer signs a contract, federal law requires the pamphlet, the disclosure of known information, available records and reports, and a Lead Warning Statement, and it lists a 10-day period for a paint inspection or risk assessment.

Related questions

• Which sales in Washington and Idaho are exempt from the seller disclosure statement?
• What happens if a seller amends the disclosure after I have accepted an offer?
• What happens if the seller does not know the answer to a question on the disclosure form?
• What does the lead-based paint disclosure require for a home built before 1978?
• What annexation and city services questions does the Idaho seller disclosure form ask?
• What happens if a seller never delivers the disclosure form before closing in Washington versus Idaho?

A note on scope

This article is general information, not legal, tax, lending, insurance, inspection, or title advice. For those questions, work with the relevant licensed professional.

Next step

Jordan Vorderbrueggen can walk through which disclosure forms come with a specific Pullman or Moscow listing and when each deadline starts after an accepted offer. Call or text 509-288-0082. This page reports statute text as of November 3, 2026, each purchase agreement is different, and none of it is legal advice. You can also contact Jordan.

About the author

Jordan Vorderbrueggen writes about buying and selling homes in Pullman, Moscow, and across the Palouse with Woodbridge Real Estate. Hard to Spell, Tough to Beat.