Washington Gun Laws

Basics

Weapons laws (Chapter 9.41 RCW)
Washington does not have general pistol or firearm licensing requirements. Retail dealers must record and report all retail pistol sales, but other guns are not required to be registered. You may not own a machine gun or short barreled shotguns (SBS). Short barreled rifles (SBRs) and suppressors are legal. There is no 'assault weapons' ban. Private firearm sales are illegal. Concealed carry permits are shall issue and open carry is legal without a permit to anyone 21 and older (pistols). 10+ round magazines (unless grandfathered) are banned after July 1, 2022.

"Loaded" means, 9.41.010(14):

There is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm;
Cartridges are in a clip that is locked in place in the firearm;
There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the firearm, if the firearm is a revolver;
There is a cartridge in the tube or magazine that is inserted in the action; or
There is a ball in the barrel and the firearm is capped or primed if the firearm is a muzzle loader.

Marijuana
Marijuana is a Schedule I Controlled Substance under federal law. The ATF has found that users of marijuana are prohibited persons (see below) and may not possess firearms. Question 11.e. on the ATF Form 4473 used for firearm purchases specifically asks if buyers are marijuana users.

Gun Free Zones

The perimeter of the premises of any specific location covered by 9.41.300(1) shall be posted at reasonable intervals to alert the public as to the existence of any law restricting the possession of firearms on the premises.

Jails/prisons
You cannot carry a firearm into restricted access areas of a jail, or of a law enforcement facility, or detention centers, 9.41.300(1)(a). It is illegal if a person knowingly possesses or has under his or her control a deadly weapon on or in the buildings or adjacent grounds subject to the care, control, or supervision of a state correctional institution. Concealed pistol licensees may check their weapons with prison authorities, 9.94.043.

Courthouses 9.41.300(1)(b)
Firearms may not be carried in courthouses, including offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting areas, and corridors. This does not include common areas of egress or ingress open to the general public. The restricted areas do not include common areas of ingress and egress to the building, when it is possible to protect court areas without restricting ingress and egress to the building. The restricted areas shall be the minimum necessary.

The local legislative authority must provide either a stationary locked box sufficient in size for pistols and key to a weapon owner for weapon storage, or shall designate an official to receive weapons for safekeeping, during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building. The locked box or designated official shall be located within the same building used in connection with court proceedings. The local legislative authority shall be liable for any negligence causing damage to or loss of a weapon either placed in a locked box or left with an official during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building.

Public Buildings 9.41.300(1)
You may not carry in:

Restricted access areas of a public mental health facility(c); and
That portion of an establishment off-limits to persons under 21, (d).

Firearms are not permitted at on the grounds of any racing association, WAC 260-20-075.

State Capitol WAC 200-200-215
No person shall carry any firearm or other dangerous weapon except concealed pistol licensees.

Foster Homes, Group Homes, and Shelters WAC 388-145-1660(1)
Guns, ammunition, and other weapons are not permitted on the premises such a facility.

Local Public Buildings 9.41.300
Municipalities may restrict the possession of firearms in any stadium or convention center, except for concealed pistol licensees or at gun shows, (2)(b).

Administrative Hearing Facilities WAC 10-20-010
Firearms are prohibited in all facilities owned, leased, or operated by the office of administrative hearings and in rooms where the office of administrative hearings is conducting an administrative hearing. This prohibition applies to all parties or witnesses at hearings, all office of administrative hearings employees, and all other persons present including concealed pistol licensees. This prohibition does not apply to lawful firearms or other lawful weapons while confined to private motor vehicles in parking areas at hearings facilities.

4OPEN CARRY AT/NEAR PROTESTS PROHIBITED: Open carry is banned at permitted protests or within 250 feet. Concealed carry is not. See bill text here.

Open carry at election related places, school board, and municipal meetings is banned (RCW 9.41). See bill text here.

Shop safes

Music festivals
You may not carry a firearm on the site of an outdoor music festival (70.108.140), except: "Outdoor music festival" or "music festival" or "festival" means an assembly of persons gathered primarily for outdoor, live or recorded musical entertainment, where the predicted attendance is two thousand persons or more and where the duration of the program is five hours or longer. This does not include government sponsored fairs, any regular place of worship, stadium, athletic field, arena, auditorium, coliseum, or other similar places of assembly which do not exceed by more than 250 people the maximum seating capacity of the structure. (70.108.020)

Bar/restaurant carry, 9.41.300(d)
Firearms are prohibited in the portion of an establishment classified by the state liquor control board as off-limits to persons under 21 years of age. This would allow carrying in the dining portion of restaurants (not the bar), but not over-21 only establishments. There is no law prohibiting consumption of alcohol while carrying a firearm. This does not apply to the proprietor of the premises or his or her employees while engaged in their employment. There are no laws prohibiting consumption of alcohol while carrying a firearm.

School Carry
You may not carry onto, or to possess on, public or private elementary or secondary school premises, school-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used by public/private schools except that permittees are exempt while picking up or dropping off a student or by non-students in vehicles, 9.41.280. "GUN-FREE ZONE" signs shall be posted around school facilities giving warning of the prohibition of the possession of firearms on school grounds.

This does not apply to :

Concealed handgun licensees while picking up or dropping off a student;
Any non-student at least 18 legally when the firearm is secured within an attended vehicle or concealed from view within a locked, unattended vehicle while conducting legitimate business at the school;
Any non-student at least 18 who when the unloaded firearm (a handgun) is secured in a vehicle while conducting legitimate business at the school;
Any person who is involved in a convention, showing, demonstration, lecture, or firearms safety course authorized by school authorities;
Any person participating in a firearms or air gun competition approved by the school.

Colleges/universities
Colleges and universities almost universally have the same prohibition on students possessing weapons and requiring weapons to be kept entirely within vehicles by licensees only. Generally, most campuses permit concealed pistol licensees to store a firearm in their vehicle on campus. Some campuses allow firearms to be stored with security/police and some have exemptions for legitimate teaching purposes. Restrictions are too numerous to list individually; check local campus policy or search the Admin. Code. Campus policies generally only apply to students, non-students without business may be asked to leave.

The State School for the Blind/Deaf is a prohibited carry location, WAC 148-140-080.

Can I carry a gun near a school? Don't I have to be 1000 feet away?
This is a federal law that is not enforced by Washington law enforcement and there is no applicable similar Washington law (unlike some states). You generally will not be prosecuted unless you are doing something else illegal, such as involved in gang activity or drug violations, that interest federal law enforcement. The law was intended to apply to drug dealers and gang members, not the law abiding citizen.

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 basically states that one cannot "knowingly to possess a firearm [...] in "a school zone." 'School zone' is defined as "in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or (B) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school." It includes all public roads and sidewalks within that 1,000 foot buffer zone. It does not apply on private property, to a licensed concealed firearm permittee (state law does prohibit guns on campuses except with written authorization), or an unloaded weapon in a locked container/rack.

The law was found unconstitutional in its original version, so, to skirt the constitutional issue, the language was altered to say that it was a matter of 'interstate commerce' as all guns have moved in interstate travel as part of manufacturing and shipping and thus under the authority of Congress.

Car carry 9.41.050
You may not carry a loaded pistol in a vehicle without a concealed pistol license, (2)(a). Unlicensed open carry in a vehicle is illegal, unless the pistol is unloaded. A vehicle may not be left unattended unless the unloaded pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle, (3)(a).

Concealed car carry (2)(a)
Concealed pistol licensees may carry a loaded pistol in a vehicle, including open carry, when:

The pistol is on the licensee's person;
The licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there; or
The licensee is away from the vehicle and the pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

Additionally, the attorney general, found in an opinion, that "[...] it is clear that a loaded pistol need not be carried on one's person when that person is in the vehicle."

Buses, trains, mass transit
You are prohibited from carrying a firearm on a bus, train, or other form of mass transit (a vehicle, 9.41.050) in a manner that is illegal, 9.91.025(f). Therefore, firearms would need to be unloaded or the carrier a concealed pistol licensee to carry openly or concealed.

Airports 9.41.300(e)
You may not carry in the restricted access areas (beyond the TSA checkpoints) of a commercial service airport, including passenger screening checkpoints at or beyond the point at which a passenger initiates the screening process. These areas do not include airport drives, general parking areas and walkways, and shops and areas of the terminal that are outside the screening checkpoints and that are normally open to unscreened passengers or visitors to the airport. Any restricted access area shall be clearly indicated by prominent signs indicating that firearms and other weapons are prohibited in the area. There are no "exemptions" or free passes for "mistakes"; the TSA does not have a sense of humor has had travelers arrested and/or prosecuted. Check your bags! Even loose ammunition, empty magazines, spent cases, and miscellaneous gun parts have caused problems and prosecutions for travelers. Learn more about the TSA regulations.

Snowmobile carry
You may not carry any loaded weapon upon, nor hunt from, any snowmobile except by permit issued by the director of fish and wildlife, 46.10.495.

Home carry
It is legal to carry a loaded firearm, concealed or unconcealed, in your own home or on your own property without a permit, 9.41.050 (1)(a).

No guns signs
Signs do not have the force of law. Private property owners can choose to prohibit firearms and exclude carriers. Failure to leave or disarm when requested would be simple trespassing.

Indian reservations
Indian tribes can make their own laws regarding firearms and recognition of concealed weapon permits and allowance for open carry and recognition of concealed handgun licenses varies from reservation to reservation. Tribes cannot enforce tribal law on non-tribal members, though they can enforce state and federal law. It is impossible to provide general rules or advice when it comes to reservations. Reports of illegal stops, searches, seizures, and arrests by tribal police can be found online. Individual reservation police or authorities should be contacted for guidance and tribal law.

Emergency Powers 43.06.220(1)(e)
The governor after proclaiming a state of emergency and prior to terminating such, may, in the area described by the proclamation issue an order prohibiting the possession of firearms or any other deadly weapon by a person in a place other than that person's place of residence or business.

Child care facilities
SB 5434 (not yet codified)
CCW holders and those dropping off (as long as the gun stays concealed in the vehicle) are exempt.

(1) It is unlawful for a person to carry onto, or to possess on, licensed child care center premises, child care
center-provided transportation, or areas of facilities while being used exclusively by a child care center:
(a) Any firearm;
(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply to:
(b) Any person in possession of a pistol who has been issued a license under RCW 9.41.070, or is exempt
from the licensing requirement by RCW 9.41.060, while picking up or dropping off a child at the child
care center;
(c) Any person at least eighteen years of age legally in possession of a firearm or dangerous weapon that is
secured within an attended vehicle or concealed from view within a locked unattended vehicle while
conducting legitimate business at the child care center;

Federally Prohibited Places

Firearms, loaded or unloaded, concealed or openly carried, are prohibited in the following places

Inside federal facilities (including courthouses and offices like a Social Security office);
On military bases (military personnel should refer to DoD policy and post orders regarding storing personal weapons on base);
The Post Office property (includes the parking lot), but not post-office windows in stores (contract stations);
VA hospitals/facilities including federal veterans' cemeteries (carrying).

Firearms are banned in "a building or part thereof owned or leased by the Federal Government, where Federal employees are regularly present for the purpose of performing their official duties" and includes essentially all parts of federal court facilities (18 USC § 930). 'No weapons' signs must be posted at federal facilities in order for someone to be convicted (but you may be arrested).

Interstate Transportation Protection 18 USC § 926A
This section was intended to protect innocent passage of travelers who might have a firearm prohibited by local jurisdiction. For instance, a resident of a frontier state driving through California with an 'assault weapon' to another free state. The trip must be from one free state to another, the firearm unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment. In the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

Airports/Aircraft 49 CFR 1540.111 and 49 USC § 46505
Under federal law (local laws may differ), firearms are prohibited beyond the TSA checkpoints. You also cannot attempt to enter a TSA checkpoint while armed, even by mistake.

Military Bases
Self-defense firearms are generally prohibited on base. Almost uniformly, civilians may not possess firearms on base. Service-members may be required to store their weapons as their commanding officer directs. Check individual base and service branch regulations.

National Parks
Section 512, Credit CARD Act of 2009 (and 54 USC § 104906) changed federal law to make park firearm regulations reflect state law. Typically, the only restrictions on firearm carry are state and local laws. If it is legal elsewhere in the state, it is legal in the park and sections that conflict with state law regarding carrying and possessing firearms (but not shooting bans) do not apply. So though on National Park Service lands (National Parks, Monuments, etc.) carrying a firearm or possessing loaded firearms are prohibited in vehicles (unless one has a special park permit, usually for hunting), this does not apply if the state allows open and/or concealed carry, or loaded/unloaded firearms in vehicles.

The park buildings (visitor centers, offices, etc.) are still federal facilities and off-limits to firearms. Discharge of firearms, except when lawfully hunting, is generally prohibited. Discharge of firearms, except when lawfully hunting, is generally prohibited. The same applies for National Wildlife Refuges, 16 USC § 1a–7b.

National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in Washington have no ban on the carry of firearms.

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State Preemption of Local Laws

General 9.41.290

The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state, including the registration, licensing, possession, purchase, sale, acquisition, transfer, discharge, and transportation of firearms, or any other element relating to firearms or parts thereof, including ammunition and reloader components. Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law, as in RCW 9.41.300, and are consistent with this chapter. Such local ordinances shall have the same penalty as provided for by state law. Local laws and ordinances that are inconsistent with, more restrictive than, or exceed the requirements of state law shall not be enacted and are preempted and repealed, regardless of the nature of the code, charter, or home rule status of such city, town, county, or municipality.

Attorney General Opinion on Preemption

Open carry in parks case, Chan v. Seattle

Except as specifically provided below, municipalities (cities, counties, towns, etc.) cannot regulate firearms at all.

Regulations Allowed 9.41.300

(2) Cities, towns, counties, and other municipalities may enact laws and ordinances:
(a) Restricting the discharge of firearms in any portion of their respective jurisdictions where there is a reasonable likelihood that humans, domestic animals, or property will be jeopardized. Such laws and ordinances shall not abridge the right of the individual guaranteed by Article I, section 24 of the state Constitution to bear arms in defense of self or others; and
(b) Restricting the possession of firearms in any stadium or convention center, operated by a city, town, county, or other municipality, except that such restrictions shall not apply to:
(i) Any pistol in the possession of a person licensed under RCW 9.41.070 or exempt from the licensing requirement by RCW 9.41.060; or
(ii) Any showing, demonstration, or lecture involving the exhibition of firearms.
(3)(a) Cities, towns, and counties may enact ordinances restricting the areas in their respective jurisdictions in which firearms may be sold, but, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a business selling firearms may not be treated more restrictively than other businesses located within the same zone. An ordinance requiring the cessation of business within a zone shall not have a shorter grandfather period for businesses selling firearms than for any other businesses within the zone.
(b) Cities, towns, and counties may restrict the location of a business selling firearms to not less than five hundred feet from primary or secondary school grounds, if the business has a storefront, has hours during which it is open for business, and posts advertisements or signs observable to passersby that firearms are available for sale. A business selling firearms that exists as of the date a restriction is enacted under this subsection (3)(b) shall be grandfathered according to existing law.
(4) Violations of local ordinances adopted under subsection (2) of this section must have the same penalty as provided for by state law.

Who cannot possess a firearm?

State Prohibited Persons 9.41.040
Previously been convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity;
Convicted of any felony;
One of the following crime committed by one family or household member against another:

Assault in the fourth degree;
Coercion, stalking, reckless endangerment;
Criminal trespass in the first degree; or
Violation of the provisions of a protection order or no-contact order restraining the person or excluding the person from a residence.
Under a domestic restraining order;
After having previously been involuntarily committed for mental health treatment;
If the person is free pending trial, appeal, or sentencing for a serious offense as defined in 9.41.010.

Parolees (9.41.045)

Federal Prohibited Persons
The following are federally prohibited persons:

Anyone under indictment or information in any court for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; (felony case is in court--you've been arrested, but not yet convicted)
Anyone convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year; (a felon)
A fugitive from justice;
An unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance; (including marijuana, medicinal or not)
Anyone adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to any mental institution;
An illegal alien;
Anyone discharged from the military under dishonorable conditions;
Anyone who has renounced his or her United States citizenship;
Anyone subject to a court order restraining the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of the intimate partner;
Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Minors

As per 9.41.040(2)(a)(iv), a person under 18 years of age may not possess a firearm, except, except:

In attendance at a hunter's safety course or a firearms safety course;
Engaging in practice in the use of a firearm or target shooting at an established range or any other area where the discharge of a firearm is not prohibited;
Engaging in an organized competition;
Participating in or practicing for a performance by an organized group;
Hunting or trapping under a valid license;

(This includes traveling with any unloaded firearm in the person's possession to or from any activity described above)

In an area where the discharge of a firearm is permitted, is not trespassing, and the person either:

Is at least 14, has been issued a hunter safety certificate, and is using a lawful firearm other than a pistol;
Is under the supervision of a parent, guardian, or other adult approved for the purpose by the parent or guardian.

On real property under the control of his or her parent, other relative, or legal guardian and who has the permission of the parent or legal guardian to possess a firearm;
At his or her residence and who, with the permission of his or her parent or legal guardian, possesses a firearm for the purpose of exercising the rights specified in self-defense;
Is a member of the armed forces of the United States, national guard, or organized reserves, when on duty

You must be 21 to possess a pistol in a public place. Adults 18 to 20 may possess a pistol at their residence, business, or property, 9.41.240.

Concealed Firearm Permit Reciprocity (9.41.073)

Washington recognizes other states permits when:

The licensing state does not issue concealed pistol licenses to persons under twenty-one years of age; and
The licensing state requires mandatory fingerprint-based background checks of criminal and mental health history for all persons who apply for a concealed pistol license.

This section applies to a license holder from another state only while the license holder is not a resident of this state. A license holder from another state must carry the handgun in compliance with the laws of this state.

State AG's Page

All citations Revised Code of Washington (RCW) unless otherwise noted.