I am an active duty soldier stationed in WA. My state of legal residence has always been CA. The form CA(540NR) wants me to put a prior state of residence but I have none

[ToddL]

You are still a resident of CA and would need to file CA 540, not CA 540NR.

How to fix:

In the Personal Interview of the TurboTax Federal interview, do not select "Lived in another state in 2016". That question only applies if you changed your state of residence in 2016. You will at least have to edit your CA return; if you have the option to "Clear & Start Over" for CA, that is preferable.

Active-duty military are considered to live in their state HOR no matter where they are stationed. Their active-duty pay is considered to be earned in their state HOR. 

If you had non-military income in WA, you would answer "Yes' to the question "Did you earn money in any other states?".

If you only had military pay in WA, answer "No".