Personal jurisdiction is the authority a court has to make legally enforceable orders related to a person or entity and the property of the person or entity, and usually arises when a person has been sued in a lawsuit. For a court to have personal jurisdiction, the person or entity generally (1) must be a resident of the state in which the court is located; (2) as a nonresident, must have initiated sufficient minimum contacts with the state in which the lawsuit is filed; or (3) must have agreed to be governed by the laws of the state (in a contract or website terms) in which the lawsuit is filed.

In Washington State, personal jurisdiction refers to the power of a Washington court to issue decisions that legally bind a person or entity. For a court in Washington to have personal jurisdiction, typically one of the following conditions must be met: (1) the individual or entity must be a resident of Washington; (2) if they are a nonresident, they must have established sufficient minimum contacts with the state, such as conducting business, owning property, or committing a tort within the state; or (3) they must have consented to the jurisdiction, which can occur through a contractual agreement or by accepting the terms of service on a website that stipulates Washington law governs disputes. These principles are consistent with the due process requirements of the U.S. Constitution, which ensure that jurisdiction is exercised fairly and that defendants have adequate notice and opportunity to be heard.