Is firearms legal in Washington?

Q: Is firearms legal in Washington?

Firearms in Washington is legal only under specific conditions. Washington requires a Concealed Pistol License to carry concealed, and it is shall-issue: the police chief or county sheriff must issue within 30 days — 60 days for newer residents — unless the applicant is disqualified. The minimum age is 21. No safety-training certificate is required to obtain the CPL (RCW 9.41.070, including the version taking effect May 1, 2027).

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WASHINGTON · FIREARMS

Firearms

Conditional: Washington requires a Concealed Pistol License to carry concealed, and it is shall-issue: the police chief or county sheriff must issue within 30 days — 60 days for newer residents — unless the applicant is disqualified.

Conditional

Summary

Washington requires a Concealed Pistol License to carry concealed, and it is shall-issue: the police chief or county sheriff must issue within 30 days — 60 days for newer residents — unless the applicant is disqualified. The minimum age is 21. No safety-training certificate is required to obtain the CPL (RCW 9.41.070, including the version taking effect May 1, 2027).

Source: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.070 · Updated July 6, 2026

Washington Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Washington →Conditional
Washington requires a Concealed Pistol License to carry concealed, and it is shall-issue: the police chief or county sheriff must issue within 30 days — 60 days for newer residents — unless the applicant is disqualified.
Open Carry in Washington →Conditional
Open carry of a loaded handgun is generally legal in Washington in most public places at 21 or older, without a Concealed Pistol License (CPL).
Magazine Capacity in Washington →Conditional
In Washington you may possess a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, but manufacturing, importing, distributing, or selling one is banned.
Gun Possession in Washington →Restricted
Washington has a red-flag law (Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or ERPOs), prohibits the sale and manufacture of certain semi-automatic "assault weapons" (2023), and bans the sale of large-capacity magazines.
Transporting Firearms in Washington →Conditional
In Washington, a handgun in a vehicle must be unloaded without a Concealed Pistol License (CPL); a CPL is required to carry a loaded handgun in a vehicle.
Duty to Inform Police in Washington →Conditional
Washington has no proactive duty to volunteer that you are armed, but every concealed-pistol licensee must have the Concealed Pistol License (CPL) in immediate possession while carrying concealed and must display it to any police officer who demands it (RCW 9.41.050(1)(b)); violation is a class 1 civil infraction, not a crime.
Suppressors & Silencers in Washington →Conditional
Suppressors are legal in Washington once they are registered with the federal government.
Reciprocity — where is my Washington permit honored? →
State-by-state map of which states honor a Washington concealed-carry permit.

Other Washington laws

Firearms in nearby states

Browse all state laws →

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