Firearms dealers

AN ACT Relating to protecting the public from gun violence by 1
establishing additional requirements for the business operations of 2
licensed firearms dealers; amending RCW 9.41.100 and 9.41.110; 3
reenacting and amending RCW 9.41.010; and adding new sections to 4
chapter 9.41 RCW. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
Sec. 1. RCW 9.41.010 and 2024 c 289 s 1 and 2024 c 62 s 32 are 7
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 8
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in 9
this section apply throughout this chapter. 10
(1) "Antique firearm" means a firearm or replica of a firearm not 11
designed or redesigned for using rim fire or conventional center fire 12
ignition with fixed ammunition and manufactured in or before 1898, 13
including any matchlock, flintlock, percussion cap, or similar type 14
of ignition system and also any firearm using fixed ammunition 15
manufactured in or before 1898, for which ammunition is no longer 16
manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the 17
ordinary channels of commercial trade. 18
(2)(a) "Assault weapon" means: 19
(i) Any of the following specific firearms regardless of which 20
company produced and manufactured the firearm: 21
S-0056.5
SENATE BILL 5099
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Lovick, Pedersen, Conway, Cortes, Dhingra, Frame, Liias,
Nobles, Saldaña, Salomon, Slatter, Stanford, Valdez, and C. Wilson
Prefiled 12/20/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5099
1 AK-47 in all forms
2 AK-74 in all forms
3 Algimec AGM-1 type semiautomatic
4 American Arms Spectre da semiautomatic carbine
5 AR15, M16, or M4 in all forms
6 AR 180 type semiautomatic
7 Argentine L.S.R. semiautomatic
8 Australian Automatic
9 Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1 and 1927 semiautomatics
10 Barrett .50 cal light semiautomatic
11 Barrett .50 cal M87
12 Barrett .50 cal M107A1
13 Barrett REC7
14 Beretta AR70/S70 type semiautomatic
15 Bushmaster Carbon 15
16 Bushmaster ACR
17 Bushmaster XM-15
18 Bushmaster MOE
19 Calico models M100 and M900
20 CETME Sporter
21 CIS SR 88 type semiautomatic
22 Colt CAR 15
23 Daewoo K-1
24 Daewoo K-2
25 Dragunov semiautomatic
26 Fabrique Nationale FAL in all forms
27 Fabrique Nationale F2000
28 Fabrique Nationale L1A1 Sporter
29 Fabrique Nationale M249S
30 Fabrique Nationale PS90
31 Fabrique Nationale SCAR
32 FAMAS .223 semiautomatic
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1 Galil
2 Heckler & Koch G3 in all forms
3 Heckler & Koch HK-41/91
4 Heckler & Koch HK-43/93
5 Heckler & Koch HK94A2/3
6 Heckler & Koch MP-5 in all forms
7 Heckler & Koch PSG-1
8 Heckler & Koch SL8
9 Heckler & Koch UMP
10 Manchester Arms Commando MK-45
11 Manchester Arms MK-9
12 SAR-4800
13 SIG AMT SG510 in all forms
14 SIG SG550 in all forms
15 SKS
16 Spectre M4
17 Springfield Armory BM-59
18 Springfield Armory G3
19 Springfield Armory SAR-8
20 Springfield Armory SAR-48
21 Springfield Armory SAR-3
22 Springfield Armory M-21 sniper
23 Springfield Armory M1A
24 Smith & Wesson M&P 15
25 Sterling Mk 1
26 Sterling Mk 6/7
27 Steyr AUG
28 TNW M230
29 FAMAS F11
30 Uzi 9mm carbine/rifle
(ii) A semiautomatic rifle that has an overall length of less 31
than 30 inches; 32
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(iii) A conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which 1
an assault weapon can be assembled or from which a firearm can be 2
converted into an assault weapon if those parts are in the possession 3
or under the control of the same person; or 4
(iv) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has the capacity to 5
accept a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following:6
(A) A grip that is independent or detached from the stock that 7
protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. The 8
addition of a fin attaching the grip to the stock does not exempt the 9
grip if it otherwise resembles the grip found on a pistol;10
(B) Thumbhole stock; 11
(C) Folding or telescoping stock; 12
(D) Forward pistol, vertical, angled, or other grip designed for 13
use by the nonfiring hand to improve control; 14
(E) Flash suppressor, flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, 15
sound suppressor, silencer, or any item designed to reduce the visual 16
or audio signature of the firearm; 17
(F) Muzzle brake, recoil compensator, or any item designed to be 18
affixed to the barrel to reduce recoil or muzzle rise;19
(G) Threaded barrel designed to attach a flash suppressor, sound 20
suppressor, muzzle break, or similar item; 21
(H) Grenade launcher or flare launcher; or 22
(I) A shroud that encircles either all or part of the barrel 23
designed to shield the bearer's hand from heat, except a solid 24
forearm of a stock that covers only the bottom of the barrel;25
(v) A semiautomatic, center fire rifle that has a fixed magazine 26
with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds; 27
(vi) A semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a 28
detachable magazine and has one or more of the following:29
(A) A threaded barrel, capable of accepting a flash suppressor, 30
forward handgrip, or silencer; 31
(B) A second hand grip; 32
(C) A shroud that encircles either all or part of the barrel 33
designed to shield the bearer's hand from heat, except a solid 34
forearm of a stock that covers only the bottom of the barrel; or35
(D) The capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location 36
outside of the pistol grip; 37
(vii) A semiautomatic shotgun that has any of the following:38
(A) A folding or telescoping stock; 39
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(B) A grip that is independent or detached from the stock that 1
protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. The 2
addition of a fin attaching the grip to the stock does not exempt the 3
grip if it otherwise resembles the grip found on a pistol;4
(C) A thumbhole stock; 5
(D) A forward pistol, vertical, angled, or other grip designed 6
for use by the nonfiring hand to improve control; 7
(E) A fixed magazine in excess of seven rounds; or8
(F) A revolving cylinder shotgun. 9
(b) For the purposes of this subsection, "fixed magazine" means 10
an ammunition feeding device contained in, or permanently attached 11
to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed 12
without disassembly of the firearm action. 13
(c) "Assault weapon" does not include antique firearms, any 14
firearm that has been made permanently inoperable, or any firearm 15
that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.16
(3) "Assemble" means to fit together component parts.17
(4) "Barrel length" means the distance from the bolt face of a 18
closed action down the length of the axis of the bore to the crown of 19
the muzzle, or in the case of a barrel with attachments to the end of 20
any legal device permanently attached to the end of the muzzle.21
(5) "Bump-fire stock" means a butt stock designed to be attached 22
to a semiautomatic firearm with the effect of increasing the rate of 23
fire achievable with the semiautomatic firearm to that of a fully 24
automatic firearm by using the energy from the recoil of the firearm 25
to generate reciprocating action that facilitates repeated activation 26
of the trigger. 27
(6) "Conviction" or "convicted" means, whether in an adult court 28
or adjudicated in a juvenile court, that a plea of guilty has been 29
accepted or a verdict of guilty has been filed, or a finding of guilt 30
has been entered, notwithstanding the pendency of any future 31
proceedings including, but not limited to, sentencing or disposition, 32
posttrial or post-fact-finding motions, and appeals. "Conviction" 33
includes a dismissal entered after a period of probation, suspension, 34
or deferral of sentence, and also includes equivalent dispositions by 35
courts in jurisdictions other than Washington state.36
(7) "Crime of violence" means: 37
(a) Any of the following felonies, as now existing or hereafter 38
amended: Any felony defined under any law as a class A felony or an 39
attempt to commit a class A felony, criminal solicitation of or 40
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criminal conspiracy to commit a class A felony, manslaughter in the 1
first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, indecent liberties 2
if committed by forcible compulsion, kidnapping in the second degree, 3
arson in the second degree, assault in the second degree, assault of 4
a child in the second degree, extortion in the first degree, burglary 5
in the second degree, residential burglary, and robbery in the second 6
degree; 7
(b) Any conviction for a felony offense in effect at any time 8
prior to June 6, 1996, which is comparable to a felony classified as 9
a crime of violence in (a) of this subsection; and10
(c) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense 11
comparable to a felony classified as a crime of violence under (a) or 12
(b) of this subsection. 13
(8) "Curio or relic" has the same meaning as provided in 27 14
C.F.R. Sec. 478.11. 15
(9) "Dealer" means a person who or business that has engaged in 16
the ((business of selling)) wholesale or retail sale of firearms ((at 17
wholesale or retail )), frames, or receivers, or who has, or is 18
required to have, a federal firearms license under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 19
923(a). ((A person who does not have, and is not required to have, a 20
federal firearms license under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 923 (a), is not a dealer 21
if that person makes only occasional sales, exchanges, or purchases 22
of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a 23
hobby, or sells all or part of his or her personal collection of 24
firearms.)) For the purposes of this section, a dealer does not 25
include persons who or businesses that have sold 10 or fewer 26
firearms, frames, or receivers, either finished or unfinished, in a 27
12-month period.28
(10) "Detachable magazine" means an ammunition feeding device 29
that can be loaded or unloaded while detached from a firearm and 30
readily inserted into a firearm. 31
(11) "Distribute" means to give out, provide, make available, or 32
deliver a firearm or large capacity magazine to any person in this 33
state, with or without consideration, whether the distributor is in-34
state or out-of-state. "Distribute" includes, but is not limited to, 35
filling orders placed in this state, online or otherwise. 36
"Distribute" also includes causing a firearm or large capacity 37
magazine to be delivered in this state. 38
(12) "Domestic violence" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 39
10.99.020. 40
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(13) "Family or household member" has the same meaning as in RCW 1
7.105.010. 2
(14) "Federal firearms dealer" means a licensed dealer as defined 3
in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 921(a)(11). 4
(15) "Federal firearms importer" means a licensed importer as 5
defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 921(a)(9). 6
(16) "Federal firearms manufacturer" means a licensed 7
manufacturer as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 921(a)(10).8
(17) "Felony" means any felony offense under the laws of this 9
state or any federal or out-of-state offense comparable to a felony 10
offense under the laws of this state. 11
(18) "Felony firearm offender" means a person who has previously 12
been convicted or found not guilty by reason of insanity in this 13
state of any felony firearm offense. A person is not a felony firearm 14
offender under this chapter if any and all qualifying offenses have 15
been the subject of an expungement, pardon, annulment, certificate, 16
or rehabilitation, or other equivalent procedure based on a finding 17
of the rehabilitation of the person convicted or a pardon, annulment, 18
or other equivalent procedure based on a finding of innocence.19
(19) "Felony firearm offense" means: 20
(a) Any felony offense that is a violation of this chapter;21
(b) A violation of RCW 9A.36.045; 22
(c) A violation of RCW 9A.56.300; 23
(d) A violation of RCW 9A.56.310; 24
(e) Any felony offense if the offender was armed with a firearm 25
in the commission of the offense. 26
(20) "Firearm" means a weapon or device from which a projectile 27
or projectiles may be fired by an explosive such as gunpowder. For 28
the purposes of RCW 9.41.040, "firearm" also includes frames and 29
receivers. "Firearm" does not include a flare gun or other 30
pyrotechnic visual distress signaling device, or a powder-actuated 31
tool or other device designed solely to be used for construction 32
purposes. 33
(21)(a) "Frame or receiver" means a part of a firearm that, when 34
the complete firearm is assembled, is visible from the exterior and 35
provides housing or a structure designed to hold or integrate one or 36
more fire control components, even if pins or other attachments are 37
required to connect the fire control components. Any such part 38
identified with a serial number shall be presumed, absent an official 39
determination by the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and 40
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explosives or other reliable evidence to the contrary, to be a frame 1
or receiver. 2
(b) For purposes of this subsection, "fire control component" 3
means a component necessary for the firearm to initiate, complete, or 4
continue the firing sequence, including any of the following: Hammer, 5
bolt, bolt carrier, breechblock, cylinder, trigger mechanism, firing 6
pin, striker, or slide rails. 7
(22) "Gun" has the same meaning as firearm. 8
(23) "Import" means to move, transport, or receive an item from a 9
place outside the territorial limits of the state of Washington to a 10
place inside the territorial limits of the state of Washington. 11
"Import" does not mean situations where an individual possesses a 12
large capacity magazine or assault weapon when departing from, and 13
returning to, Washington state, so long as the individual is 14
returning to Washington in possession of the same large capacity 15
magazine or assault weapon the individual transported out of state.16
(24) "Intimate partner" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 17
7.105.010. 18
(25) "Large capacity magazine" means an ammunition feeding device 19
with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or any 20
conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which such a 21
device can be assembled if those parts are in possession of or under 22
the control of the same person, but shall not be construed to include 23
any of the following: 24
(a) An ammunition feeding device that has been permanently 25
altered so that it cannot accommodate more than 10 rounds of 26
ammunition; 27
(b) A 22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device; or28
(c) A tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-action 29
firearm. 30
(26) "Law enforcement officer" includes a general authority 31
Washington peace officer as defined in RCW 10.93.020, or a specially 32
commissioned Washington peace officer as defined in RCW 10.93.020. 33
"Law enforcement officer" also includes a limited authority 34
Washington peace officer as defined in RCW 10.93.020 if such officer 35
is duly authorized by his or her employer to carry a concealed 36
pistol. 37
(27) "Lawful permanent resident" has the same meaning afforded a 38
person "lawfully admitted for permanent residence" in 8 U.S.C. Sec. 39
1101(a)(20). 40
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(28) "Licensed collector" means a person who is federally 1
licensed under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 923(b). 2
(29) "Licensed dealer" means a person who is federally licensed 3
under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 923(a). 4
(30) "Loaded" means: 5
(a) There is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm;6
(b) Cartridges are in a clip that is locked in place in the 7
firearm; 8
(c) There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the firearm, if the 9
firearm is a revolver; 10
(d) There is a cartridge in the tube or magazine that is inserted 11
in the action; or 12
(e) There is a ball in the barrel and the firearm is capped or 13
primed if the firearm is a muzzle loader. 14
(31) "Machine gun" means any firearm known as a machine gun, 15
mechanical rifle, submachine gun, or any other mechanism or 16
instrument not requiring that the trigger be pressed for each shot 17
and having a reservoir clip, disc, drum, belt, or other separable 18
mechanical device for storing, carrying, or supplying ammunition 19
which can be loaded into the firearm, mechanism, or instrument, and 20
fired therefrom at the rate of five or more shots per second.21
(32) "Manufacture" means, with respect to a firearm or large 22
capacity magazine, the fabrication, making, formation, production, or 23
construction of a firearm or large capacity magazine, by manual labor 24
or by machinery. 25
(33) "Mental health professional" means a psychiatrist, 26
psychologist, or physician assistant working with a psychiatrist who 27
is acting as a participating physician as defined in RCW 18.71A.010, 28
psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner, psychiatric 29
nurse, social worker, mental health counselor, marriage and family 30
therapist, or such other mental health professionals as may be 31
defined in statute or by rules adopted by the department of health 32
pursuant to the provisions of chapter 71.05 RCW. 33
(34) "Nonimmigrant alien" means a person defined as such in 8 34
U.S.C. Sec. 1101(a)(15). 35
(35) "Person" means any individual, corporation, company, 36
association, firm, partnership, club, organization, society, joint 37
stock company, or other legal entity. 38
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(36) "Pistol" means any firearm with a barrel less than 16 inches 1
in length, or is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single 2
hand. 3
(37) "Rifle" means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or 4
remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or 5
redesigned, made or remade, and intended to use the energy of the 6
explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire only a single 7
projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.8
(38) "Sale" and "sell" mean the actual approval of the delivery 9
of a firearm in consideration of payment or promise of payment.10
(39) "Secure gun storage" means: 11
(a) A locked box, gun safe, or other secure locked storage space 12
that is designed to prevent unauthorized use or discharge of a 13
firearm; and 14
(b) The act of keeping an unloaded firearm stored by such means.15
(40) "Semiautomatic" means any firearm which utilizes a portion 16
of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge 17
case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull 18
of the trigger to fire each cartridge. 19
(41)(a) "Semiautomatic assault rifle" means any rifle which 20
utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the 21
fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a 22
separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge.23
(b) "Semiautomatic assault rifle" does not include antique 24
firearms, any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable, or 25
any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide 26
action. 27
(42) "Serious offense" means any of the following felonies or a 28
felony attempt to commit any of the following felonies, as now 29
existing or hereafter amended: 30
(a) Any crime of violence; 31
(b) Any felony violation of the uniform controlled substances 32
act, chapter 69.50 RCW, that is classified as a class B felony or 33
that has a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years;34
(c) Child molestation in the second degree; 35
(d) Incest when committed against a child under age 14;36
(e) Indecent liberties; 37
(f) Leading organized crime; 38
(g) Promoting prostitution in the first degree;39
(h) Rape in the third degree; 40
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(i) Drive-by shooting; 1
(j) Sexual exploitation; 2
(k) Vehicular assault, when caused by the operation or driving of 3
a vehicle by a person while under the influence of intoxicating 4
liquor or any drug or by the operation or driving of a vehicle in a 5
reckless manner; 6
(l) Vehicular homicide, when proximately caused by the driving of 7
any vehicle by any person while under the influence of intoxicating 8
liquor or any drug as defined by RCW 46.61.502, or by the operation 9
of any vehicle in a reckless manner; 10
(m) Any other class B felony offense with a finding of sexual 11
motivation, as "sexual motivation" is defined under RCW 9.94A.030;12
(n) Any other felony with a deadly weapon verdict under RCW 13
9.94A.825; 14
(o) Any felony offense in effect at any time prior to June 6, 15
1996, that is comparable to a serious offense, or any federal or out-16
of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state 17
would be a felony classified as a serious offense;18
(p) Any felony conviction under RCW 9.41.115; or19
(q) Any felony charged under RCW 46.61.502(6) or 46.61.504(6).20
(43) "Sex offense" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 21
9.94A.030. 22
(44) "Short-barreled rifle" means a rifle having one or more 23
barrels less than 16 inches in length and any weapon made from a 24
rifle by any means of modification if such modified weapon has an 25
overall length of less than 26 inches. 26
(45) "Short-barreled shotgun" means a shotgun having one or more 27
barrels less than 18 inches in length and any weapon made from a 28
shotgun by any means of modification if such modified weapon has an 29
overall length of less than 26 inches. 30
(46) "Shotgun" means a weapon with one or more barrels, designed 31
or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the 32
shoulder and designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to 33
use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire 34
through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single 35
projectile for each single pull of the trigger. 36
(47) "Substance use disorder professional" means a person 37
certified under chapter 18.205 RCW. 38
(48) "Transfer" means the intended delivery of a firearm to 39
another person without consideration of payment or promise of payment 40
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including, but not limited to, gifts and loans. "Transfer" does not 1
include the delivery of a firearm owned or leased by an entity 2
licensed or qualified to do business in the state of Washington to, 3
or return of such a firearm by, any of that entity's employees or 4
agents, defined to include volunteers participating in an honor 5
guard, for lawful purposes in the ordinary course of business.6
(49) "Undetectable firearm" means any firearm that is not as 7
detectable as 3.7 ounces of 17-4 PH stainless steel by walk-through 8
metal detectors or magnetometers commonly used at airports or any 9
firearm where the barrel, the slide or cylinder, or the frame or 10
receiver of the firearm would not generate an image that accurately 11
depicts the shape of the part when examined by the types of X-ray 12
machines commonly used at airports. 13
(50)(a) "Unfinished frame or receiver" means a frame or receiver 14
that is partially complete, disassembled, or inoperable, that: (i) 15
Has reached a stage in manufacture where it may readily be completed, 16
assembled, converted, or restored to a functional state; or (ii) is 17
marketed or sold to the public to become or be used as the frame or 18
receiver of a functional firearm once finished or completed, 19
including without limitation products marketed or sold to the public 20
as an 80 percent frame or receiver or unfinished frame or receiver.21
(b) For purposes of this subsection: 22
(i) "Readily" means a process that is fairly or reasonably 23
efficient, quick, and easy, but not necessarily the most efficient, 24
speedy, or easy process. Factors relevant in making this 25
determination, with no single one controlling, include the following: 26
(A) Time, i.e., how long it takes to finish the process; (B) ease, 27
i.e., how difficult it is to do so; (C) expertise, i.e., what 28
knowledge and skills are required; (D) equipment, i.e., what tools 29
are required; (E) availability, i.e., whether additional parts are 30
required, and how easily they can be obtained; (F) expense, i.e., how 31
much it costs; (G) scope, i.e., the extent to which the subject of 32
the process must be changed to finish it; and (H) feasibility, i.e., 33
whether the process would damage or destroy the subject of the 34
process, or cause it to malfunction. 35
(ii) "Partially complete," as it modifies frame or receiver, 36
means a forging, casting, printing, extrusion, machined body, or 37
similar article that has reached a stage in manufacture where it is 38
clearly identifiable as an unfinished component part of a firearm.39
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(51) "Unlicensed person" means any person who is not a licensed 1
dealer under this chapter. 2
(52) "Untraceable firearm" means any firearm manufactured after 3
July 1, 2019, that is not an antique firearm and that cannot be 4
traced by law enforcement by means of a serial number affixed to the 5
firearm by a federal firearms manufacturer, federal firearms 6
importer, or federal firearms dealer in compliance with all federal 7
laws and regulations. 8
(53) "Washington state patrol firearms background check program" 9
means the division within the state patrol that conducts background 10
checks for all firearm transfers and the disposition of firearms.11
Sec. 2. RCW 9.41.100 and 1994 sp.s. c 7 s 415 are each amended 12
to read as follows: 13
Every dealer shall be licensed as provided in RCW 9.41.110 and 14
shall register with the department of revenue as provided in chapters 15
82.04 and 82.32 RCW. A state license issued pursuant to RCW 9.41.110 16
is not transferable.17
Sec. 3. RCW 9.41.110 and 2024 c 288 s 1 are each amended to read 18
as follows: 19
(1)(a) No dealer may sell or otherwise transfer, or expose for 20
sale or transfer, or have in his or her possession with intent to 21
sell, or otherwise transfer, any ((pistol)) firearm or ammunition 22
without being licensed as provided in this section.23
(((2) No dealer may sell or otherwise transfer, or expose for 24
sale or transfer, or have in his or her possession with intent to 25
sell, or otherwise transfer, any firearm other than a pistol without 26
being licensed as provided in this section.27
(3) No dealer may sell or otherwise transfer, or expose for sale 28
or transfer, or have in his or her possession with intent to sell, or 29
otherwise transfer, any ammunition without being licensed as provided 30
in this section.31
(4) The duly constituted licensing authorities of any city, town, 32
or political subdivision of this state))33
(b) Until July 1, 2026, a dealer who submits a sufficient 34
application on or before January 1, 2026, may continue to engage in 35
the business of dealing in firearms pursuant to state law until 36
Washington state patrol has acted upon the application.37
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(2)(a) Washington state patrol shall grant licenses ((in forms 1
prescribed by the director of licensing )) completed in accordance 2
with (b) of this subsection unless the applicant does not meet the 3
eligibility requirements described in subsection (3) of this section 4
or the applicant has made a false statement on the application. Such 5
a license shall be effective for not more than one year from the date 6
of issue permitting the licensee to sell firearms within this state 7
subject to the following conditions, for breach of any of which the 8
license shall be forfeited and the licensee subject to punishment as 9
provided in this chapter. ((A licensing authority shall forward a 10
copy of each license granted to the department of licensing. The 11
department of licensing )) Washington state patrol shall notify the 12
department of revenue of the name and address of each dealer licensed 13
under this section. ((Any law enforcement agency )) Washington state 14
patrol, acting within the scope of its jurisdiction , may investigate 15
a breach of the licensing conditions established in this chapter.16
(((5))) (b) A person applying for a state license pursuant to 17
this section must complete an application as provided by Washington 18
state patrol rule and pay the application fee established in 19
subsection (15)(h)(i) of this section. A valid license application 20
must include:21
(i) A completed application form;22
(ii) A copy of the applicant's valid Washington state driver's 23
license or state identification card;24
(iii) A copy of the lease or deed for the intended business site;25
(iv) The required documents for opening a business in the 26
locality;27
(v) The application fee;28
(vi) A copy of the insurance required under subsection (14)(a) of 29
this section;30
(vii) The completed fingerprinting and background check as 31
described in subsection (3)(b) of this section; and32
(viii) Any other materials required by Washington state patrol 33
pursuant to section 4 of this act.34
(c) Washington state patrol shall conduct an on-site inspection 35
of 10 percent of state license holders' places of business annually 36
to ensure dealers are complying with the requirements to hold a state 37
license.38
(d) In addition to the inspection required under (c) of this 39
subsection, Washington state patrol may conduct reasonable periodic 40
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unannounced inspections of a state license holder's place of business 1
during the dealer's regular posted business hours to ensure that the 2
state license holder is complying with the license requirements.3
(e) No later than December 1, 2026, and no later than December 4
1st of each year thereafter, Washington state patrol shall submit a 5
report to the legislature about firearm dealer licensing in the prior 6
state fiscal year. The report shall include, at minimum:7
(i) The number of license applications received, granted, and 8
denied;9
(ii) The number of inspections conducted;10
(iii) The number of warnings issued to dealers for violating the 11
requirements of this act and the basis for the issued warnings;12
(iv) The amount of fee money collected and deposited into the 13
firearm licensing account created in section 5 of this act in the 14
fiscal year period; and15
(v) The total amounts spent on licensing costs and inspections.16
The report may include information about the race, gender, and 17
geographic location of persons who applied for a license, including 18
whether the application was granted or denied, and persons whose 19
licenses were revoked. The report shall be made available to the 20
public no more than 90 days after submission to the legislature.21
(3)(a) ((A licensing authority )) Washington state patrol shall, 22
within 30 days after the filing of an application of any person for a 23
dealer's license, determine whether to grant the license. However, if 24
the applicant does not have a valid permanent Washington driver's 25
license or Washington state identification card, or has not been a 26
resident of the state for the previous consecutive 90 days, ((the 27
licensing authority )) Washington state patrol shall have up to 60 28
days to determine whether to issue a license provided that at least 29
one person listed on the dealer's federal firearms license as a 30
responsible person has a valid permanent Washington driver's license, 31
Washington state identification card, or has been a resident of this 32
state for the previous consecutive 90 days. 33
(b) No person shall qualify for a license under this section 34
without first receiving a federal firearms license and undergoing 35
state and federal fingerprinting and a background check. In addition, 36
no person ineligible to possess a firearm under RCW 9.41.040 or 37
ineligible for a concealed pistol license under RCW 9.41.070 shall 38
qualify for a dealer's license. 39
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(((b))) (c) No person shall qualify for a license under this 1
section who has had a permit or license to sell, lease, transfer, 2
purchase, or possess a firearm or ammunition from the federal 3
government, any state, or a subdivision of any state revoked, 4
suspended, or denied for reasons other than filing an incomplete or 5
incorrect application within five years before submitting an 6
application.7
(d) A dealer shall require every employee who may sell , handle, 8
or possess a firearm or ammunition in the course of his or her 9
employment to undergo state and federal fingerprinting and a 10
background check in advance of engaging in the sale or transfer of 11
firearms or ammunition and to undergo a state and federal background 12
check annually thereafter. An employee must be at least 21 years of 13
age, eligible to possess a firearm, and must not have been convicted 14
of a crime that would make the person ineligible for a concealed 15
pistol license, before being permitted to sell a firearm. Every 16
employee shall comply with requirements concerning purchase 17
applications and restrictions on delivery of firearms that are 18
applicable to dealers. 19
(((6))) (i) If a dealer knows or suspects that an employee of the 20
dealer is involved in the theft of a firearm from the dealer's 21
business, the dealer shall report the theft within 48 hours after 22
learning of the theft to Washington state patrol and local law 23
enforcement.24
(ii) An employee shall not engage in the sale of firearms until 25
the employee complies with the requirements outlined in subsection 26
(17)(a) of this section.27
(4)(a) As a condition of licensure, a dealer shall annually 28
certify to ((the licensing authority )) Washington state patrol , in 29
writing and under penalty of perjury, that the dealer is in 30
compliance with each licensure requirement established in this 31
section. Washington state patrol may not accept a renewal application 32
submitted after the expiration of the dealer's license.33
(b) 90 days prior to the expiration of a state license, 34
Washington state patrol shall notify the dealer of the license 35
expiration date.36
(c) A dealer who submits a timely and sufficient renewal 37
application may continue to engage in the business of dealing in 38
firearms pursuant to state law until Washington state patrol has 39
acted upon the annual certification. For the purposes of this 40
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subsection, an annual certification is sufficient if it includes on 1
its face information necessary to show that the applicant is eligible 2
for state license renewal. 3
(d) Washington state patrol shall act upon an annual 4
certification made pursuant to this subsection no later than 60 days 5
after the date the application is received.6
(((7))) (5)(a) Except as otherwise provided in (b) of this 7
subsection, the business shall be carried on only in the building 8
designated in the license and during the dealer's posted business 9
hours. For the purpose of this section, advertising firearms for sale 10
shall not be considered the carrying on of business.11
(b) A dealer may conduct business temporarily at a location other 12
than the building designated in the license, if the temporary 13
location is within Washington state and is the location of a gun show 14
sponsored by a national, state, or local organization, or an 15
affiliate of any such organization, devoted to the collection, 16
competitive use, or other sporting use of firearms in the community. 17
Nothing in this subsection (((7))) (5)(b) authorizes a dealer to 18
conduct business in or from a motorized or towed vehicle.19
In conducting business temporarily at a location other than the 20
building designated in the license, the dealer shall comply with all 21
other requirements imposed on dealers by RCW 9.41.090, 9.41.100, and 22
this section. The license of a dealer who fails to comply with the 23
requirements of RCW 9.41.080 and 9.41.090 and subsection (((16))) 24
(15) of this section while conducting business at a temporary 25
location shall be revoked, and the dealer shall be permanently 26
ineligible for a dealer's license. 27
(((8))) (6) The license or a copy thereof, certified by the 28
issuing authority, shall be displayed on the premises in the area 29
where firearms are sold, or at the temporary location, where it can 30
easily be read. 31
(((9))) (7)(a) The business building location designated in the 32
license shall be secured: 33
(i) With at least one of the following features designed to 34
prevent unauthorized entry, which must be installed on each exterior 35
door and window of the place of business: 36
(A) ((Bars)) Metal bars or grates; 37
(B) ((Security)) Metal security screens; or 38
(C) Commercial grade metal doors; ((and))39
(ii) With a security alarm system that is: 40
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(A) Properly installed and maintained in good condition;1
(B) Monitored by a remote central station that can contact law 2
enforcement in the event of an alarm; 3
(C) Capable of real-time monitoring of all exterior doors and 4
windows, and all areas where firearms are stored; and5
(D) Equipped with, at minimum, detectors that can perceive entry, 6
motion, and sound; and7
(iii) With interior lighting that is sufficient to identify 8
characteristics of a person on surveillance video or cameras capable 9
of clear capture in low-light conditions. 10
(b) It is not a violation of this subsection if any security 11
feature or system becomes temporarily inoperable through no fault of 12
the dealer. 13
(((10))) (8)(a) Dealers shall secure each firearm during business 14
hours, except when the firearm is being shown to a customer, 15
repaired, or otherwise worked on, in a manner that prevents a 16
customer or other member of the public from accessing or using the 17
firearm, which may include keeping the firearm in a locked container 18
or in a locked display case. 19
(b) Other than during business hours, all firearms shall be 20
secured (i) on the dealer's business premises in a locked fireproof 21
safe or vault, (ii) in a room or building that meets all requirements 22
of subsection (((9))) (7)(a) of this section, or (iii) in a secured 23
and locked area under the dealer's control while the dealer is 24
conducting business at a temporary location. 25
(((11))) (9)(a) A dealer shall ensure that its business location 26
designated in the license is monitored by a digital video 27
surveillance system that meets all of the following requirements:28
(i) The system shall clearly record images and, for systems 29
located inside the premises, audio, of the area under surveillance;30
(ii) Each camera shall be permanently mounted in a fixed 31
location. Cameras shall be placed in locations that allow the camera 32
to clearly record activity occurring in all areas described in 33
(a)(iii) of this subsection and reasonably produce recordings that 34
allow for the clear identification of any person; 35
(iii) The areas recorded shall include, but are not limited to, 36
all of the following: 37
(A) Interior views of all exterior doors, windows, and any other 38
entries or exits to the premises; 39
(B) All areas where firearms are displayed; and40
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(C) All points of sale, sufficient to identify the parties 1
involved in the transaction; 2
(iv) The system shall be capable of recording 24 hours per day at 3
a frame rate no less than 15 frames per second, and must either (A) 4
record continuously or (B) be activated by motion and remain active 5
for at least 15 seconds after motion ceases to be detected;6
(v) The media or device on which recordings are stored shall be 7
secured in a manner to protect the recording from tampering, 8
unauthorized access or use, or theft; 9
(vi) Recordings shall be maintained for a minimum of 90 days for 10
all recordings of areas where firearms are displayed and points of 11
sale, and for a minimum of 45 days for all recordings of interior 12
views of exterior doors, windows, and any other entries or exits;13
(vii) Recorded images shall clearly and accurately display the 14
date and time; 15
(viii) The system shall be equipped with a failure notification 16
system that provides notification to the licensee of any interruption 17
or failure of the system or storage device. 18
(b) A licensed dealer shall not use, share, allow access to, or 19
otherwise release surveillance recordings, to any person except as 20
follows: 21
(i) A dealer shall allow access to the system or release 22
recordings to any person pursuant to search warrant or other court 23
order. 24
(ii) A dealer may allow access to the system or release 25
recordings to any person in response to an insurance claim or as part 26
of the civil discovery process including, but not limited to, as 27
needed for an active police investigation, in response to subpoenas, 28
request for production or inspection, or other court order.29
(iii) A dealer shall allow access to the system to an agent of 30
the Washington state patrol conducting an inspection of the 31
licensee's premises, for the purpose of inspecting the system for 32
compliance with this section.33
(c) The dealer shall post a sign in a conspicuous place at each 34
entrance to the premises that states in block letters not less than 35
one inch in height: "THESE PREMISES ARE UNDER VIDEO AND AUDIO 36
SURVEILLANCE. YOUR IMAGE AND CONVERSATIONS MAY BE RECORDED."37
(d) This section does not preclude any local authority or local 38
governing body from adopting or enforcing local laws or policies 39
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regarding video surveillance that do not contradict or conflict with 1
the requirements of this section. 2
(e) It is not a violation of this subsection if the surveillance 3
system becomes temporarily inoperable through no fault of the dealer.4
(((12))) (10) A dealer shall: 5
(a) Promptly review and respond to all requests from law 6
enforcement agencies and officers, including trace requests and 7
requests for documents and records, as soon as practicably possible 8
and no later than 24 hours after learning of the request;9
(b) Promptly notify local law enforcement agencies , Washington 10
state patrol, and the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and 11
explosives of any loss, theft, or unlawful transfer of any firearm or 12
ammunition as soon as practicably possible and no later than 24 hours 13
after the dealer knows or should know of the reportable event.14
(((13))) (11) A dealer shall: 15
(a) Establish and maintain a book, or if the dealer should 16
choose, an electronic-based record of purchase, sale, inventory, and 17
other records at the dealer's place of business and shall make all 18
such records available to law enforcement upon request. Such records 19
shall at a minimum include the make, model, caliber or gauge, 20
manufacturer's name, and serial number of all firearms that are 21
acquired or disposed of not later than one business day after their 22
acquisition or disposition; 23
(b) Maintain monthly backups of the records required by (a) of 24
this subsection in a secure container designed to prevent loss by 25
fire, theft, or flood. If the dealer chooses to maintain an 26
electronic-based record system, those records shall be backed up on 27
an external server or over the internet at the close of each business 28
day; 29
(c) Account for all firearms acquired but not yet disposed of 30
through an inventory check prepared each month and maintained in a 31
secure location; 32
(d) Maintain and make available at any time to government law 33
enforcement agencies and to the manufacturer of the weapon or its 34
designee, firearm disposition information, including the serial 35
numbers of firearms sold, dates of sale, and identity of purchasers;36
(e) Retain all bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms and 37
explosives form 4473 transaction records on the dealer's business 38
premises in a secure container designed to prevent loss by fire, 39
theft, or flood; 40
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(f) Maintain for six years copies of trace requests received, 1
including notations for trace requests received by phone for six 2
years; 3
(g) Provide annual reporting to the Washington state attorney 4
general concerning trace requests, including at a minimum the 5
following: 6
(i) The total number of trace requests received;7
(ii) For each trace, the make and model of the gun and date of 8
sale; and 9
(iii) Whether the dealer was inspected by the bureau of alcohol, 10
tobacco, firearms and explosives, and copies of any reports of 11
violations or letters received from the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, 12
firearms and explosives. 13
(((14))) (12) On or before January 15, 2026, and every year 14
thereafter, the attorney general shall publish an annual report 15
available to the public outlining the information provided pursuant 16
to subsection (11) of this section.17
(13) The attorney general may create, publish, and require 18
firearm dealers to file a uniform form for all annual dealer reports 19
required by subsection (((13))) (11)(g) of this section.20
(((15))) (14)(a) A dealer shall carry a general liability 21
insurance policy providing at least $1,000,000 of coverage per 22
incident. 23
(((16))) (b) This section does not preclude any local authority 24
from requiring a more stringent requirement regarding the maintenance 25
of liability insurance.26
(15)(a) No firearm may be sold ((: (i) In)) in violation of any 27
provisions of this chapter ((; nor (ii) under any circumstances unless 28
the purchaser is personally known to the dealer or shall present 29
clear evidence of his or her identity)). 30
(b) A dealer who sells or delivers any firearm in violation of 31
RCW 9.41.080 or 9.41.090 is guilty of a class C felony. In addition 32
to any other penalty provided for by law, the dealer is subject to 33
mandatory permanent revocation of his or her dealer's license and 34
permanent ineligibility for a dealer's license. 35
(c) ((The license fee for pistols shall be one hundred twenty-36
five dollars. The license fee for firearms other than pistols shall 37
be one hundred twenty-five dollars. The license fee for ammunition 38
shall be one hundred twenty-five dollars. Any dealer who obtains any 39
license under subsection (1), (2), or (3) of this section may also 40
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obtain the remaining licenses without payment of any fee. The fees 1
received under this section shall be deposited in the state general 2
fund. 3
(17))) Washington state patrol shall revoke a state license if 4
the state license holder:5
(i) No longer holds a valid federal firearms license;6
(ii) Knowingly employs a person in violation of subsection (3)(d) 7
of this section;8
(iii) Is or becomes prohibited from possessing or purchasing 9
firearms under state or federal law; or10
(iv) Is convicted of any of the following:11
(A) Any felony under state or federal law;12
(B) Any state or federal law that results in the license holder 13
being prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm or 14
ammunition; or15
(C) Trafficking in firearms pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Sec. 933 or 16
aiding and abetting trafficking in firearms.17
(d) Except as provided in subsection (5)(b) of this section and 18
(b) and (c) of this subsection, if Washington state patrol finds that 19
a dealer failed to comply with any of the provisions of this act, or 20
any other state or federal law for which the penalty includes 21
potential revocation of the dealer's federal firearms license, the 22
department may:23
(i) For a first offense, issue a warning or imposed fines and 24
issues a warning to the dealer that includes a description of the 25
offense and the penalty for subsequent offenses; and26
(ii) For a second or subsequent offense, issue fines or warnings 27
as contemplated in (d)(i) of this subsection or suspend or revoke the 28
dealer's state license.29
(e)(i) A dealer whose state license is revoked solely because the 30
person no longer holds a valid federal firearms license, pursuant to 31
(c)(i) of this subsection, may apply for a new state license any time 32
after the person obtains a valid federal firearms license.33
(ii) A dealer whose state license is revoked pursuant to (c)(i) 34
or (ii) of this subsection may apply for a new license no sooner than 35
five years after the revocation.36
(f) Washington state patrol may revoke a state license if the 37
state license holder:38
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(i) Unreasonably refuses to allow Washington state patrol to 1
conduct an on-site inspection pursuant to subsection (2)(c) and (d) 2
of this section; or3
(ii) Unreasonably refuses to permit Washington state patrol to 4
inspect a record as required by subsection (10)(a) of this section.5
(g) The denial or revocation of a state license pursuant to this 6
section is subject to the requirements and procedures set forth in 7
the Washington administrative procedure act, chapter 34.05 RCW.8
(h)(i) The initial license fee shall be $500.9
(ii) The license renewal fees shall depend on the number of 10
sales, based upon an average of the prior three years, or if the 11
dealer has not been in business for three years, based upon the 12
average over the time the dealer has been in business as follows:13
(A) One to 50 firearms per year, $125;14
(B) 51 to 250 firearms per year, $250;15
(C) 251 to 750 firearms per year, $500;16
(D) 751 to 1,000 firearms per year, $1,000; and17
(E) Over 1,000 firearms per year, $1,500.18
(iii) Washington state patrol shall annually review the initial 19
license fee and license renewal fee and may adjust those fees based 20
on the costs for administering this section. Washington state patrol 21
shall not adjust fees more than once each year and shall not adjust 22
fees by more than 20 percent each year.23
(iv) Washington state patrol may establish a reduced fee for 24
state licenses renewal applications.25
(v) The fees received under this section shall be deposited in 26
the firearm licensing account created in section 5 of this act.27
(16)(a) A true record shall be made of every pistol or 28
semiautomatic assault rifle sold, in a book kept for the purpose, the 29
form of which may be prescribed by the director of licensing and 30
shall be personally signed by the purchaser and by the person 31
effecting the sale, each in the presence of the other, and shall 32
contain the date of sale, the caliber, make, model and manufacturer's 33
number of the weapon, the name, address, occupation, and place of 34
birth of the purchaser, and a statement signed by the purchaser that 35
he or she is not ineligible under state or federal law to possess a 36
firearm. The dealer shall retain the transfer record for six years.37
(b) The dealer shall transmit the information from the firearm 38
transfer application through secure automated firearms e-check (SAFE) 39
to the Washington state patrol firearms background check program. The 40
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Washington state patrol firearms background check program shall 1
transmit the application information for pistol and semiautomatic 2
assault rifle transfer applications to the director of licensing 3
daily. The original application shall be retained by the dealer for 4
six years. 5
(17)(a) Washington state patrol shall develop training or approve 6
training courses provided by other entities for state license holders 7
and their employees. The training must be available in an online 8
format and include an examination with at least 20 questions derived 9
from the course material and intended to confirm that a course 10
participant understands the information covered in the course. 11
Washington state patrol or other trainer conducting the training, 12
shall give a participant who answers at least 70 percent of the 13
examination questions correctly a printable certificate of completion 14
that is valid for one year after the date of completion. The training 15
must include instruction regarding the following:16
(i) State and federal laws governing the sale and transfer of 17
firearms and ammunition;18
(ii) Recognizing and identifying straw purchasers, trafficking, 19
and fraudulent activity;20
(iii) Indicators that a person is attempting to purchase a 21
firearm illegally;22
(iv) Recognizing and identifying indicators that an individual 23
intends to use a firearm for unlawful purposes;24
(v) Recognizing and identifying indicators that an individual 25
intends to use a firearm for self-harm;26
(vi) Preventing theft or burglary of firearms and ammunition;27
(vii) Responding to circumstances described in (a)(i) through 28
(vi) of this subsection, and any applicable reporting requirements;29
(viii) Effectively teaching consumers rules of firearm safety, 30
including the safe handling and storage of firearms; and31
(ix) Any other reasonable business practices Washington state 32
patrol determines will deter firearm trafficking or the unlawful use 33
of firearms.34
(b) A dealer shall, within 30 days of the effective date of this 35
section and annually thereafter, complete a training course developed 36
or approved by Washington state patrol pursuant to this subsection.37
(c) An employee, volunteer, or contractor of a state license 38
holder who, in the course of the employee's, volunteer's, or 39
contractor's duties, handles a firearm or ammunition or processes the 40
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sale, loan, or transfer of firearms or ammunition shall, within 30 1
days after the employee's, volunteer's, or contractor's first day of 2
work for the state license holder and annually thereafter, complete a 3
training course approved by Washington state patrol pursuant to this 4
subsection. An employee, volunteer, or contractor of a state license 5
holder on the effective date of this section shall complete the 6
training course no later than 30 days after the effective date of 7
this section unless granted an extension by Washington state patrol.8
(d) A state license holder shall maintain the training records of 9
each employee, volunteer, or contractor and shall make the records 10
available to Washington state patrol during an on-site inspection of 11
the state license holder's place of business.12
(18) Subsections (2) through (((17))) (15)(a) of this section 13
shall not apply to sales at wholesale. 14
(19) Subsections (((6))) (4)(a) and (((9))) (7) through (((15))) 15
(14)(a) of this section shall not apply to dealers with a sales 16
volume of $1,000 or less per month on average over the preceding 12 17
months. A dealer that previously operated under this threshold and 18
subsequently exceeds it must comply with the requirements of 19
subsections (((6))) (4)(a) and (((9))) (7) through (((15))) (14)(a) 20
of this section within one year of exceeding the threshold.21
(20) The dealer's licenses authorized to be issued by this 22
section are general licenses covering all sales by the licensee 23
within the effective period of the licenses. The department shall 24
provide a single application form for dealer's licenses and a single 25
license form which shall indicate the type or types of licenses 26
granted. 27
(21) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, every city, 28
town, and political subdivision of this state is prohibited from 29
requiring the purchaser to secure a permit to purchase or from 30
requiring the dealer to secure an individual permit for each sale.31
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 9.41 RCW 32
to read as follows: 33
Washington state patrol shall have the authority to adopt rules 34
for the implementation of requirements set forth in RCW 9.41.110. 35
Washington state patrol shall not promulgate rules that alter the 36
eligibility criteria for obtaining a license but may collect any 37
information it deems necessary to verify an applicant's eligibility. 38
In addition, Washington state patrol shall report any violation of 39
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RCW 9.41.110 by a licensed dealer to the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, 1
firearms, and explosives within the United States department of 2
justice and shall have the authority, after notice and a hearing, to 3
revoke the license of any licensed dealer found to be in violation of 4
this chapter. 5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 9.41 RCW 6
to read as follows: 7
The firearm licensing account is created in the state treasury. 8
All receipts from the imposition of firearm licensing fees under this 9
chapter must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may 10
be spent only after appropriation. Moneys in the account may only be 11
used for the purposes of implementing requirements set forth in RCW 12
9.41.110. Moneys may not be used to supplant general fund 13
appropriations to either agency. 14
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