The State of Washington has updated the application form (March 2010) and rules for submitting state record fish.
The new application page is here:  http://wdfw.wa.gov/outreach/fishing/bigfish.htm
and the new requirements are listed on the application itself, which is here:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/outreach/fishing/bigfishapplication.pdf

Here are some of the key rules:
"... 2. To be considered for a state record certificate, a fish cannot have been frozen prior to or at the time of weight certification or when verified by WDFW personnel. Evidence of freezing will result in immediate rejection of the application.
3. To be considered for a state record certificate, a sport fish must be weighed on a scale certified for commercial use. These may be found at local grocery, hardware, post office or feed supply stores (see Part B). The fish should be weighed as soon as possible after capture to minimize weight loss from dehydration.
4. After official weighing, it is the responsibility of the angler to contact a WDFW Area or District Fish Biologist for positive identification and inspection of the fish within 7 days of capture. The actual fish must be submitted for the approval process. Wrap the fish loosely in moist paper towels and keep cool if you cannot submit the fish for verification the same day as capture. The verification inspection may require extensive evaluation, including measurements, scale samples and weight verification (Part C).
5. The angler must submit the Record Sport Fish application with Sections A and B completed to a WDFW Area or District Fish Biologist at the time of inspection. (see internet link to state map with names, addresses and phone numbers of biologists)
6. To be considered for a state record certificate, the application must be accompanied by a clear, untouched original color photograph of the fish and angler who caught it, and a second photo of a side view with the fish lying beside a yardstick or tape measure. The photographs will be part of the application and will not be returned. Digital photographs will be accepted in original file format on a computer compact disc (CD). Altered photographs will cause rejection of the application.
7. Upon complete review of the application, the applicable Regional Fish Program Manager will submit the application, with a recommendation for final processing, to the State Record Sport Fish Program Coordinator in Olympia. If approved, a certificate signed by the Fish Program Assistant Director will be issued to the record-catching angler by the program coordinator. At that time, the program coordinator will update the record sport fish official list on the WDFW web site. ..."

Hi Chuck,

I think the answer to your question is yes, but you couldn't legally transport the fish away from the body of water it was caught in. That is why the state assumes you have to kill your catch to get it certified. A certified scale can't be moved without proper calibration, so I don't believe there is a reliable way to get a certified weight without transporting the fish to the scale's location.

It's one of the problems with wanting to release a record alive. You would have to break the law to get the weight certified.

But, you would still want to check with a local WDFW office to make sure I am correct.

Chris

What sucks is this scenario......You break the state law "transporting live fish" so your record goes bye-bye for breaking state law. This actually happened in CA like 12 years ago with a guy who caught a 24 lb fish. He transported it to the grocery store for weighing on a certified scale and drove the fish back to the lake and released it alive. No record for him as he broke the law.