How to Get Your GED in Washington State: Cost, Rules and 6 Steps

Getting your GED in Washington comes down to four tests. You can take them one at a time, at a test center or online from home.

The catch? Washington’s age rule is 19, higher than most states, and you must live in Washington when you test.

If it’s been years since school, that’s normal. You don’t need the whole plan today, only the next step.

Washington GED at a glance

Want to compare? See GED cost by state and GED requirements by state.

Who can take the GED in Washington

To take the GED in Washington, you need to be 19, live in Washington, and have no high school diploma. GED.com’s Washington page says “You must be 19 years old to test in Washington.”

You must live in Washington when you test. All test takers must be Washington residents at the time of testing to get the certificate here.

Bring the right ID. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) asks for a current government-issued photo ID showing your name, address, birth date and signature. If it isn’t from Washington, also bring a document with your Washington address.

16, 17 or 18? You must show that you’re not enrolled in any type of high school program. You do that with a Request for Approval to Test form, completed by your school district. If your last high school was in another state, the Washington district where you live completes it, and home-schooled students send a notarized statement instead.

Send it to the testing center you plan to use, or email it to GED@sbctc.edu.

That rule doesn’t apply if you’re in a program in the military, in a correctional facility, or in the Washington Options Program (Open Doors).

No class or practice test is required before you test in person.

How much the GED costs in Washington

GED.com lists Washington at $36 a subject, at a test center or online. That’s $144 for all four (checked October 2026).

One heads-up: SBCTC’s page gives two prices, $36 a test in one place and $30 a test ($120 for all four) in another. Go by the price GED.com shows when you pay.

Retakes cost less at a test center. If you don’t pass a subject there, your retake costs $10, used within a year. GED Testing Service waives its $26 fee, so you pay only the test center’s $10. There’s no wait for your first two retakes, then a 60-day wait after a third try.

Online retakes cost the full $36. You get one, then a 60-day wait.

GED.com’s Washington page doesn’t list a program that pays test fees (checked October 2026).

To add up your own total, with or without GED Ready, use our GED cost calculator.

Can you take the GED online in Washington?

Yes. Washington offers the GED online at the same $36 a subject. GED.com’s online testing table lists it from age 16, but 16- to 18-year-olds still need the approval form.

You need a Likely to Pass (green) GED Ready score in each subject from the last 60 days, a private room with a door you can close, and a computer with a webcam and reliable internet.

Under 18? A parent or guardian must be at your online check-in.

Which should you pick? The price is the same, but a test center gives you $10 retakes and doesn’t require GED Ready first.

How to get your GED in Washington, step by step

Low-cost GED classes in Washington

SBCTC says “Community colleges, technical colleges, and several community-based organizations offer low-cost programs” to help you prepare.

Its list of Basic Education for Adults providers shows which ones offer GED prep, so you can find one near you.

A class isn’t required. You can study on your own and book each test when you’re ready.

Your Washington GED certificate and transcript

Pass all four subjects and you earn your Washington GED certificate. GED.com’s Washington page calls it the Certificate of Educational Competency.

After you pass, you’re emailed an access code to download your certificate. Your first electronic diploma and transcript are free, so save them right away.

Order transcripts and printed copies at GED.com, in your account under My Scores. SBCTC can only confirm that you finished, with a yes or no.