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Washington Firearm Laws - Complete Guide

Comprehensive analysis of Washington gun laws, permit requirements, carry regulations, knife laws, and recent legislative updates for responsible gun owners.

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Washington Gun Laws at a Glance

Washington is not a constitutional carry state. Concealed carry requires a Concealed Pistol License (CPL). The state has strong firearm preemption (firearms only), but has enacted extensive “sensitive place” restrictions, a 10‑round magazine sales/import ban (2022), and an assault‑weapon sales ban (2023). As of 2024, a 10‑day waiting period and safety‑training proof apply to all firearm purchases. Courts recognize no duty to retreat in self‑defense (case law). A new permit‑to‑purchase system is enacted but does not take effect until May 1, 2027.

  • CPL (Shall‑Issue): Concealed carry requires a CPL; open carry legal with major location limits.
  • Waiting Period + Training: 10‑day waiting period and recent safety‑training proof for all firearm purchases.
  • Assault‑Weapon & Magazine Rules: Sales of defined “assault weapons” and 10+ round magazine sales/imports are prohibited; possession of pre‑ban mags not banned by state law.
  • Preemption & Sensitive Places: State preempts firearm regulation, while banning carry in many specified locations (courts, schools, bars, voting sites, libraries, zoos, aquariums, transit facilities, and more).
  • Red Flag Law (ERPOs): Prevents gun ownership and new purchases by dangerous individuals
  • Self‑Defense: No duty to retreat (case law); reimbursement of costs when acquitted on self‑defense grounds.
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Areas of Restriction

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Federal Prohibited Locations

Schools, Federal buildings

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State-Specific Restrictions

public libraries, mass‑transit facilities, local government (open carry); outdoor music festivals (all firearms).

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Private Property Rights

Owners/tenants may prohibit carry by posting or direct notice; refusal to leave after notice is trespass

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Intoxication Prohibitions

No firearms in bar areas; forfeiture and other penalties if carrying under the influence; always avoid carry when impaired

Concealed Carry

Permit Required (Concealed Pistol License – CPL)

Eligibility Requirements

You must have a CPL to carry a concealed pistol in Washington. Applicants generally must:

  • Age: 21+
  • Legal Eligibility: Not prohibited from possessing firearms under state/federal law
  • ID & Residency: Provide valid government ID (nonresidents may apply at any WA agency that accepts applications)
  • Fingerprints/Background: Submit fingerprints and pass state/federal checks

 

CPL Limitations

  • Sensitive Places: Carry is banned in numerous locations (see Prohibited Locations)
  • Intoxication/Conduct: Weapons misuse (brandishing, threatening display) is criminal; intoxication can trigger forfeiture and other penalties
  • Reciprocity Caveat: Washington honors some out‑of‑state licenses per statute; always verify before travel. Other states’ recognition of WA’s CPL varies.

Advantages of Licensed Carry

  • Interstate Recognition: Enables carry in some other states (verify destination rules)
  • Vehicle Carry: Allows a loaded pistol in a vehicle (see Transportation Rules)
  • Proof of Eligibility: Useful during encounters and purchases
  • Shall‑Issue Timeline: Issuing agency generally must issue within statutory timelines if qualified

 

Application Requirements

  • Age: 21+
  • Background Check: State and federal checks with fingerprints
  • Training Course: None required for a CPL (separate purchase‑training proof is required to buy any firearm)
  • Proficiency Demonstration: None for a CPL
  • Fee: Set by statute with local cost recovery (confirm with issuing agency)

 

Disqualifying Factors

  • Felony convictions and specified disqualifying misdemeanors
  • Domestic‑violence convictions or qualifying protection orders
  • Certain mental‑health adjudications/commitments (until rights restored)
  • Unlawful controlled‑substance use or other federal disqualifiers
  • Falsified application or failure to meet ID/background requirements

This state has a Red Flag law, which allows authorities to restrict a resident’s ability to own or purchase a gun. These are enforced through Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

Emergency orders are one-sided and only last until a court hearing, when the “red flag” person can present their case, and the judge decides if a final order is necessary. 

ERPOs are registered nationally in the NICS, and prevent any new purchases that require a background check.

  • Effective Date: 2016
  • Petitioners: Law enforcement; family/household
  • Orders: Emergency 14 days; final up to 12 months (renewable)
  • Firearm Surrender: Required within 48 hours per court order
  • Purchase Denial: Orders entered in NICS

Open Carry

Handgun Open Carry

Permitted with significant location limits. Washington generally allows open carry for lawful adults; however, open carry is prohibited on state Capitol grounds, in many municipal buildings/meetings, and at permitted public demonstrations. Brandishing or carrying “in a manner that warrants alarm” is unlawful.

Carry Methods

  • On Foot: Open carry legal unless in a prohibited/sensitive place or otherwise unlawful
  • Vehicles: A loaded pistol in a vehicle requires a CPL and must be on your person, you must stay with the vehicle, or it must be locked and out of view
  • Without a CPL in Vehicles: Pistols must be unloaded; long guns must be unloaded in vehicles
  • Sensitive Places: Open carry often banned where concealed carry with CPL may still be allowed; always check posted rules

 

Long Gun Open Carry

General Provisions

  • On Foot: Lawful where not otherwise prohibited; avoid alarming display
  • Vehicles: Loaded rifles/shotguns in vehicles are illegal; transport unloaded (see Transportation Rules)
  • Hunting/Field Rules: Follow Fish & Wildlife regulations (seasons, spotlighting, etc.)
  • Sensitive Places: Respect all posted and statutory bans

Federal Requirements Applied in Washington

Background Check Process

  • Licensed Dealer Sales: Universal background checks via the WSP firearms background check system
  • Private Sales: Private transfers must go through an FFL (limited family exceptions)
  • Out‑of‑State Purchases: Follow federal interstate rules; dealer involvement as required
  • Prohibited Persons: Federal and state disqualifiers enforced (felonies, DV, certain orders, etc.)

 

Age Requirements

  • Handguns: 21+ from dealers; under 21 face strict possession limits
  • Semiautomatic Rifles: 21+ to purchase; under‑21 possession narrowly limited
  • Long Guns (Other): 18+ generally for non‑semiauto rifles/shotguns from dealers
  • Ammunition: Dealers typically 18+ for rifle/shotgun ammo; 21+ for handgun ammo

Washington‑Specific Purchase Laws

Waiting Periods

  • State Waiting Period: 10 days for all firearm purchases; can extend if background is pending
  • Safety Training to Purchase: Proof of recent (e.g., within 5 years) firearm‑safety training required to buy any firearm
  • WSP System: Purchases processed through the WSP background system

 

Purchase Limitations

  • Assault‑Weapon Sales Ban: Sale/manufacture/import of defined “assault weapons” prohibited (possession of lawfully owned firearms unaffected)
  • Magazine Limit: 10+ round magazine sales/import/manufacture prohibited (possession of pre‑ban magazines not banned by state law)
  • Registration: No general firearm registration (dealer records/background data retained by agencies per statute)
  • Permit to Purchase (Future): A statewide permit‑to‑purchase is enacted with effective date May 1, 2027 (central issuance, fingerprints, training); not yet required

Prohibited Locations

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Absolutely Prohibited Locations

  • Courthouses, jails, and secure mental‑health facilities: Weapons prohibited; narrow official exceptions
  • Airport sterile areas: Firearms prohibited
  • K‑12 schools: Possession on facilities and buses prohibited (limited exceptions)
  • Child‑care/early‑learning premises: Weapons prohibited (limited exceptions)
  • Voting facilities & elections offices: Weapons prohibited (exceptions for certain concealed carry with CPL may apply)
  • Bar areas (21+ sections): Carry prohibited in areas restricted to 21+
  • Outdoor music festivals: All firearms prohibited

 

Government Buildings

  • State Capitol grounds: Open carry prohibited (other rules may apply inside buildings)
  • Municipal buildings & meetings: Open carry prohibited; posted screening/restrictions may apply
  • Libraries, zoos, aquariums, mass‑transit facilities: Weapons prohibited
  • Stadiums/convention centers & screened public events: Weapons prohibited where controlled access and screening are provided

Business Prohibition Authority

  • Signs or Direct Notice: Owners/tenants may ban firearms via posting or verbal notice
  • Trespass Enforcement: Refusal to leave after notice is criminal trespass
  • Leases/Events: Landlords and event organizers may set additional rules
  • Parking Areas: No statewide “parking‑lot” protection; employer policies may apply

General Storage Requirements

Unsafe Storage Crime: 

Washington criminalizes unsafe storage when a prohibited person or minor gains access and harms or threatens others. Secure storage is strongly recommended.

Child Access Prevention

  • Minor Access Consequences: Criminal liability can attach if a minor accesses an unsecured firearm and harms/threatens others
  • Education & Locks: Use safes/cable locks; store ammo separately; teach safe handling
  • Dealer Requirements: Dealers must post/supply storage information under state law
  • Loss/Theft Reporting: Owners are encouraged/required to follow statutory reporting rules

Vehicle Storage

General Provisions

  • With a CPL: A loaded pistol may remain in a vehicle if on your person, you stay with the vehicle, or it’s locked and out of view
  • Without a CPL: Pistols in vehicles must be unloaded; store secured and out of sight
  • Long Guns: Must be unloaded in vehicles
  • Employer/Facility Rules: Obey posted security and screening requirements

Transportation Rules

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CPL Holders

  • Loaded Pistol: Allowed in vehicles if carried on‑person, attended, or locked/out of view
  • Concealed or Open: Either is lawful outside prohibited places
  • Location Bans Apply: Sensitive places still control
  • Long Guns: Keep unloaded in vehicles

 

Without a CPL

  • Pistols: Unloaded during vehicle transport; secure from easy access
  • Long Guns: Unloaded in all vehicles
  • No Sensitive‑Place Carry: Do not bring firearms into banned locations
  • Hunting/Field: Follow Fish & Wildlife transport rules

Federal Safe Passage (FOPA)

  • Lawful Origin and Destination: Legal possession at both locations
  • Unloaded and Secured: Ammunition separated from firearm
  • Inaccessible Storage: Locked container or vehicle trunk
  • Continuous Journey: Minimal, necessary stops only

Self-Defense Laws

Castle Doctrine

Home Protection

  • No Duty to Retreat at Home: Retreat not required where you have a right to be
  • Reasonable‑Belief Standard: Force (including deadly force) must be reasonably necessary to stop imminent death, serious injury, or certain violent felonies
  • Defense of Premises: Force may be used to stop unlawful entry/attack on occupied property
  • No Automatic Presumption: Washington does not provide a blanket presumption of deadly‑force justification solely from unlawful entry

 

Vehicle and Workplace

  • Extended Principles: Same necessity/reasonableness standards apply in occupied vehicles and workplaces
  • Aggressor/Provocation Limits: Initial aggressors generally lose justification
  • Evidence Matters: Totality of circumstances (threat, disparity, location, retreat options) considered
  • Reimbursement: If acquitted by reason of self‑defense, defendants may be reimbursed for legal costs

Stand Your Ground (by Case Law)

Public Places

  • No Duty to Retreat: Recognized by Washington courts when you are lawfully present and not the aggressor
  • Deadly‑Force Threshold: Reasonable belief of imminent death, serious injury, or certain violent felonies
  • Defense of Others: Same standards apply to protecting third parties
  • Brandishing Limits: Threatening display outside lawful defense is criminal

 

Legal Protections

  • Justification Statutes: Self‑defense defined in state law; special reimbursement provision for acquitted defendants
  • Reporting/Cooperation: Call 911 promptly and follow lawful police commands
  • Civil Exposure: No blanket civil immunity; civil suits remain possible if force is unjustified
  • Intoxication Caveat: Being under the influence while in places where a CPL is required can trigger firearm forfeiture and other penalties

Knife and Blade Laws

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Maximum Legal Blade Length

  • State Maximum: No general statewide blade‑length limit
  • Local Preemption: No statewide knife preemption; many cities (e.g., Seattle) impose additional limits—check local ordinances

 

Categories of Knives

Washington regulates certain knives as “dangerous weapons” and restricts spring‑blade (switchblade) knives.

 

Prohibited and Federally Regulated Knives

  • Switchblades/Spring‑Blade Knives: Illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess under state law
  • Ballistic Knives: Heavily restricted under federal law
  • Federal Interstate Ban: Switchblade/ballistic knives face federal commerce restrictions 

 

State-Specific Legal Knives

  • Gravity/Balisong Knives: Not specifically banned by state statute; local rules may apply
  • Assisted‑Opening Knives: Generally treated as ordinary folders unless banned locally
  • Concealed/Disguised Knives: May implicate “dangerous weapon” rules depending on design and use

 

Generally Legal Knives

  • Pocket/Folding Knives: No statewide length limit; verify local carry rules
  • Fixed/Utility Knives: Legal to own; local carry restrictions common

Carry Restrictions

  • Concealed Carry of Knives: No statewide ban on ordinary folders; switchblades remain prohibited statewide
  • Open Carry: Generally lawful; avoid alarming display and obey local rules
  • Restricted Locations: Schools, certain government facilities, and posted/screened venues

 

Local Ordinance Preemption

  • Preemption Status: No state preemption for knives—local restrictions vary (blade length, fixed‑blade bans, etc.)

 

Significant Differences from Gun Laws

  • No Permitless Concealed Carry for Pistols: CPL needed for pistols; many knife carries don’t require a permit but can be restricted locally
  • Local Variance: Knives subject to local rules despite firearm preemption
  • School/Government Rules: “Dangerous weapon” prohibitions apply to many knives in sensitive places

Recent Updates

New Laws