Washington Concealed Carry Reciprocity Map & Gun Laws

Yes, any adult or anyone who is at least 14 years old and has the permission of a parent or guardian to do so, may purchase or possess a personal protection spray device. Pepper spray can be used by a party about to be injured, or by another lawfully aiding him or her, in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against his or her person, or a malicious trespass, or other malicious interference with real or personal property lawfully in his or her possession, provided the force is not more than is necessary; or to reasonably detain someone who enters or remains unlawfully in a building or on real property lawfully in the possession of such person. The active ingredient of personal protection sprays must be either chloracetophenone (CN) or O chlorobenzylidene malonotrile (CS); or other agents commonly known as mace, pepper mace or pepper gas.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.91.160]

Yes, without a license. Any person who is at least 21 years old and legally entitled to carry a firearm can open carry. Some areas are off-limits, including public schools and state courthouses. Based on the passage of SB 5038, open carry is also prohibited at the Capitol, any state legislative office, any public legislative hearing or meeting and within 250 feet of a permitted demonstrations.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.41.050(2)(a)]

The minimum age to carry concealed handguns in Washington is 21.

Yes. Stun guns and Tasers are legal to purchase and possess for self-defense, without a license. Washington prohibits carrying stun guns and Tasers onto public or private K-12 school property, buses, or facilities, if the devices are meant to be used as weapons to injure someone. The law doesn’t apply to police or school security officers, or to adult non-students who keep stun guns or Tasers in their cars while they're conducting legitimate business at the school. 

However, they are illegal to purchase or possess in Ruston, Washington.

[Wash. Rev. Code § 9.41.280][Ruston Mun. Code  9.11.015]

No. No handgun ammunition types are specifically forbidden in Washington.

Yes, only with a Washington Concealed Pistol License or a license/permit from a state that Washington honors provided: 

• 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.

Without a license, firearms must be transported locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.41.050(2)(a) and 9.41.050(3)(a)]

Yes, with a Washington Concealed Pistol License or a license/permit from a state that Washington honors. See the National Parks webpage for links to each Park in Washington.

[Wash. Admin. Code 352-32-120][Wash Admin. Code 332-52-145][Wash. Admin. Code 220-500-140]

Washington statutes don't specifically address firearms at hotels. Please note that each hotel develops their own policies and the individual hotel should be contacted to inquire about it's concealed carry policy. See the Handguns at Hotels page for additional information.

Yes. Washington allows non-residents to apply for a CPL.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.41.290]

There is no duty to inform a law enforcement officer that you're carrying a concealed firearm in Washington unless the officer asks.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.41.050(1)(9b)]

No. Washington state law does not uphold "No Weapons Allowed" signs.

Washington has a red flag law. An immediate family member of a person or a law enforcement office or agency may file a petition requesting that the court issue an extreme risk protection order prohibiting a person from having in his or her custody or control, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm.

[Wash. Rev. Code § 7.94.030(1)]

Not addressed in state statutes.

As a responsibly armed American, regardless of the laws in your state, it is unwise to carry while under the influence of any substance that could impair your judgement, slow your reaction times, or impact your decision-making abilities. Any decision you make while carrying a firearm could have life-altering consequences.

No, however, per I-1639, as of July 1, 2019, purchasers of semiautomatic rifles are required to show proof of attending a firearm safety training program.

No.

No. However, retail dealers must record and report all retail pistol sales to local police/sheriff and to the State Department of Licensing.

Yes. It is legal for anyone legally entitled to carry a firearm to carry a loaded firearm without a license in a person's place of abode or fixed place of business.  

[Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.41.050 (1)(a)]

An applicant must:

• Be at least 21 years of age;
• Have no pending charges;
• Have no outstanding arrest warrants;
• Have no felony convictions;
• Not be subject to a court order or injunction concerning the possession of firearms;
• Not be free on bond or personal recognizance while awaiting trial, appeal or sentencing for a felony offense;
• Not have been asked to forfeit a firearm within the last 12 months;
• Not have a revoked concealed pistol license; and
• Meet federal law requirements.

*Consult with an attorney if you have any questions about your eligibility. If you don’t have an attorney, you can find one by contacting the State Bar of Washington.

5 years

Link to sample application

Contact your local sheriff's office with documentation of your new address. The fee for a replacement license is $10.

Moving to Washington and interested in applying for a resident license? How soon can you apply?Washington issues resident and non-resident licenses, so you can apply for your license at any time. Washington law requires that once a person becomes a resident of Washington, he or she must obtain a Washington concealed pistol license to continue carrying a concealed pistol. He or she must apply in person at a local law enforcement office.

Moving from Washington and have a Washington resident license? Does that license transfer to your new state? Is there a grace period during which your Washington license remains valid?If a person with a Washington concealed pistol license establishes residency in another state, the license is valid until it expires provided the individual contacts the local sheriff's office with documentation of their new address.

• Public or private elementary or secondary school premises, except that permittees are exempt while picking up or dropping off a student or by any non-student at least age 18 who has secured the firearm within an attended vehicle or concealed from view within a locked unattended vehicle while conducting legitimate business at the school;
• School-provided transportation;
• Areas of other facilities while being used exclusively by public or private schools.

[RCW 9.41.280]

• Correctional facilities;
• Law enforcement facilities;
• Any area of a building used in connection with court proceedings, including courtrooms, jury rooms, judge’s chambers, offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting areas, and corridors adjacent to areas used in connection with court proceedings;
• Restricted access areas of public mental health facilities;
• The grounds of any state institution for the care and treatment of mental illness;
• Any portion of an establishment classified by the state liquor and cannabis board as off-limits to persons under 21 years of age; and
• Secured areas in airports.
• polling places

[RCW 9.41.300]

• Licensed child care facilities and emergency respite centers [Wash. Admin. Code 110-145-1660];
• Colleges/universities control firearm policies
  • University of Washington [Wash. Admin. Code 478-124-020(2)(e)];
• All facilities operated by the Office of Administrative Hearings [Wash. Admin. Code 10-20-010(1)];
• Outdoor music festivals [Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 70.108.150];
• Racing Association grounds [Wash. Admin. Code 260-20-075];
• Licensed pregnant and parenting teen residential programs and their facilities;
• Overnight youth shelter & residence operated by the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration;
• Anytime while riding a snowmobile [Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 46.10.495]; and
• Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law or state law or regulation.

On March 23, 2022, Gov. Jay Inslee signed HB 1630 into law, restricting the possession of weapons in certain locations. These include open carry and concealed carry at school board meetings and ballot counting area. Open carry is prohibited at local government meetings and at election-related sites. It will go into effect on July 1, 2022.

It is illegal to own a switchblade or other spring-blade knife in the state of Washington. It is legal to open carry any type of weapon, so long as it is not carried in a way that may cause alarm, although open carry is prohibited at the Capitol, any state legislative office, any public legislative hearing or meeting and within 250 feet of permitted demonstrations. It is illegal to carry a dirk, dagger or other dangerous weapon concealed. It is illegal to possess any weapon in elementary or secondary schools or school buses. Other places where knives are prohibited include law enforcement facilities, jails, correction facilities, court facilities, and any portion of an establishment classified by the state liquor and cannabis board as off-limits to persons under 21 years of age. Municipalities may have additional restrictions including Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver which prohibit the open or concealed carry of any "dangerous knife" which is defined as a knife with a blade longer than 3 and ½ inches.

 [RCW 9.41.250, 9.41.270, 9.41.280 and 9.41.300]

Yes. It is illegal to obstruct the lawful taking of fish, shellfish, or wildlife.

[Wash. Rev. Code 77.15.210]

Yes, Any person engaging in a lawful outdoor recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or horseback riding, only if, considering all of the attendant circumstances, including but not limited to whether the person has a valid hunting or fishing license, it is reasonable to conclude that the person is participating in lawful outdoor activities or is traveling to or from a legitimate outdoor recreation area.

[Wash. Rev. Code 9.41.060]