The rule
High school sports in Washington are governed by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA). The rule is 18.24.1, Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), under 18.24.0 Amateur Standing, in the 2026-27 WIAA Handbook, with its Q&A; outside summaries cite "18.25," but in the 2026-27 edition the rule is 18.24.1. Everything on this page is taken from the WIAA's own text, linked under Sources.
| Question | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Allowed? | Yes; the handbook gives no start date |
| Who must be told | No one; the rule is silent on notice |
| School and WIAA marks | No school uniform; no marks or logos of the school, WIAA district or WIAA; no affiliation with the team, school, district or state association |
| Banned categories | None listed |
| Limits | The restriction runs August 1 through July 31 or until the day after graduation; separately, performance-based merchandise is capped at $500 per sport per year and performance-based cash is banned (18.24.2) |
| Schools | A member school cannot promote or have any affiliation with any NIL deal |
| Collectives | Not mentioned |
| Agents | Not prohibited (Q&A 18.24.1 Q-1), which also tells college-bound students to verify college rules |
| Penalty | Immediate loss of eligibility |
What the rule says
- The permission, as a restriction. "WIAA Rules do not prohibit student athletes from engaging in certain commercial activities in their individual capacities." The rule then lists what the activity may not use.
- No school identity. No school uniform; no "marks, logos, etc. of the school, WIAA District, or WIAA"; no affiliation with the team, school, district or state association.
- No school involvement. "A Member School cannot promote or have any affiliation with any NIL deal."
- No list of banned categories. The rule restricts identity, not product type.
- When it applies. The restriction runs August 1 through July 31, or until the day after the student's high school graduation.
- Performance pay, separately. Rule 18.24.2 caps performance-based merchandise at $500 per sport per year and bans performance-based cash.
- Agents. The Q&A for 18.24.1: "No, WIAA rules do not prohibit agents," with a note that college-bound students verify college rules.
- The penalty. A student who violates the rule "shall immediately lose eligibility."
- No change in 2026. The 2026 passed amendments contain no NIL changes; the next vote is spring 2027.
What sits on top of it
- Your school and district. A school or district can set a stricter policy than the WIAA. The athletic director is the person who knows it.
- Private and non-member schools. The rule covers WIAA member schools. A school in another association follows that association's rule.
- College rules later. A deal that is fine in high school can still matter to the NCAA, NJCAA or NAIA. At Division I, third-party deals of $600 or more go to NIL Go, and prospects report from the first day of junior year. The NIL guide has the college windows and NIL Go has its own page.
- Agents. The state's athlete-agent law applies to high school athletes; can a high school athlete have an agent? and the state-by-state registration table cover it.
- Taxes. NIL pay is taxable at any age. NIL taxes in plain words.
- The contract itself. What each clause means.
How Leave fits
In Leave, every deal thread carries a rules summary for the athlete's state, level and age, and a disclosure packet for the school comes with a countdown to the deadline. It is a summary, not a ruling; your school decides. Athletes 13 to 17 use Leave through an account a parent or guardian creates, and are visible to businesses only when the guardian has turned that on and the state allows high school NIL. Leave is software, not an agent. You decide, you send.
Questions about high school NIL in Washington
Can high school athletes sign NIL deals in Washington?
Yes. WIAA Rule 18.24.1 says the rules do not prohibit students from commercial activities in their individual capacities, as long as there is no school uniform, no school, district or WIAA marks, and no affiliation with the team, school, district or association.
Do I have to report an NIL deal in Washington?
The WIAA handbook sets no reporting requirement. A school or district can set its own policy; the athletic director knows whether yours does.
Are there banned product categories in Washington?
The WIAA rule lists none. It restricts the use of school and association identity, not the kind of product.
Can a Washington high school athlete have an agent?
The WIAA's own Q&A answers "No, WIAA rules do not prohibit agents," and adds that students bound for college verify the college rules. Washington's athlete-agent law has no registration; it requires an agent to hand the athlete a sworn disclosure form at first contact.
Be your own agent. Leave.