Law in the books is a relatively simple concept. It is the law as it is written."Law on the books" refers to the written laws that a nation or state must abide by, while "Law in action" describes how a law is applied or enforced. Because of this, law "on the books" is not the same as law "in action. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is the compilation of all permanent laws now in force. I'm just wondering if anyone has a link to a 'cheat sheet' of things people here should know, especially pertaining to interactions with law enforcement. A hate crime offense is a class C felony. The short answer is that Washington has issued no guidance on whether CPAs can fill out these forms. The ACLU dares to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side.