Washington Gun Laws: Concealed Carry, Open Carry and Buying a Gun
Washington gun laws: permitless and concealed carry, open carry, the age to buy a gun, background checks, waiting periods, red flag law and where guns are banned, from state statutes.
Quick answers for Washington
- Permitless (constitutional) carry
- No for concealed pistols. Except in one's home or fixed place of business, a person may not carry a pistol concealed without a concealed pistol license, and may not carry or place a loaded pistol in a vehicle without one. RCW 9.41.050(1)(a), (2)(a); 9.41.240(2)
- Open carry
- Not banned statewide and no license is required for openly carrying a firearm by a person who may lawfully possess it (but a loaded pistol in a vehicle needs a CPL, and 18-to-20-year-olds may possess pistols only at home, business or property they control). RCW 9.41.270; 9.41.300(2); 9.41.305; 9.41.050(2); 9.41.240(2)
- Age to buy a gun
- A person under 21 may not purchase a pistol or a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no one may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21. RCW 9.41.240(1)-(3); 9.41.042
- Concealed carry permit
- Concealed pistol license (CPL), issued by the city chief of police or county sheriff, who 'shall' issue it within 30 days of application (up to 60 days for applicants without a Washington license/ID or under 90 days' residency) unless the applicant is disqualified, for example by being… RCW 9.41.070(1), (2), (5)-(7), (9) (version effective until May 1, 2027); RCW 9.41.070(1)(h), (5) (version effective May 1, 2027)
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Carrying a gun
| Permitless (constitutional) carry | No for concealed pistols. Except in one's home or fixed place of business, a person may not carry a pistol concealed without a concealed pistol license, and may not carry or place a loaded pistol in a vehicle without one. People 18 to 20 may possess a pistol only at home, at their fixed place of business or on real property they control, unless a listed exception applies. Chapter 9.41 full text: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41&full=true |
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| Concealed carry permit | Concealed pistol license (CPL), issued by the city chief of police or county sheriff, who 'shall' issue it within 30 days of application (up to 60 days for applicants without a Washington license/ID or under 90 days' residency) unless the applicant is disqualified, for example by being under 21, ineligible to possess firearms, subject to certain court orders, on bond for a felony, or having an outstanding warrant. Fingerprint-based check for original licenses. Valid five years. Fee: $36 plus FBI charges passed on to the applicant (renewal $32; late renewal penalty $10; replacement $10). No training is required under the current version; under the version effective May 1, 2027, applicants must show completion within the last five years of a certified concealed carry safety training program with live-fire exercises (at least 50 rounds at a range under an instructor), unless exempt. |
| Open carry | Not banned statewide and no license is required for openly carrying a firearm by a person who may lawfully possess it (but a loaded pistol in a vehicle needs a CPL, and 18-to-20-year-olds may possess pistols only at home, business or property they control). It is a gross misdemeanor to carry, display or draw a firearm in a manner that shows intent to intimidate or 'warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.' Open carry is also banned at permitted demonstrations and on the state capitol grounds and certain municipal buildings. |
| Guns in your car | Without a concealed pistol license, a person may not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle. A CPL holder may have a loaded pistol in a vehicle only if it is on the person, the licensee stays in the vehicle, or the licensee is away and the pistol is locked inside and concealed from view. Anyone 18 or older leaving an unloaded pistol in a vehicle must lock it inside, concealed from view. Carrying a rifle or shotgun with a cartridge in the chamber in a motor vehicle or off-road vehicle is a misdemeanor, with exceptions (for example on-duty officers and certain disability permits). Loaded long guns: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.15.460 Source: RCW 9.41.050(2)-(3); 77.15.460 |
| Other states' permits (reciprocity) | Limited. Washington honors another state's license only if that state recognizes Washington's license, does not license people under 21, and requires fingerprint-based criminal and mental health background checks; it applies only to nonresidents, who must follow Washington law. The Attorney General's list (last updated July 10, 2026) recognizes: Idaho (Enhanced Permit only), Kansas (standard license only), Louisiana, Michigan, Montana (enhanced permit only, not the restricted permit for 18-20), North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, South Dakota (Unrestricted Enhanced and Gold permits only), and Utah (not the Provisional permit). Statute: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.073 Source: RCW 9.41.073 |
| Where guns are banned | Main places (RCW 9.41.300(1)): restricted areas of jails and law enforcement facilities; court areas of buildings used for court proceedings; restricted areas of public mental health facilities; areas of bars and other establishments off-limits to people under 21; restricted areas of commercial airports; and, under newer subsections, the premises of public libraries, accredited zoos or aquariums, and transit stations and facilities. Also banned: K-12 school premises, school transportation and school board meetings; licensed child care centers; ballot counting centers, voting centers, student engagement hubs and county elections offices; open carry at permitted demonstrations; open carry on state capitol grounds and certain municipal buildings. The state preempts the field of firearms regulation, with limited local exceptions. School premises: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.280 ; voting facilities: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.284 . Exceptions (for example CPL holders checking a firearm at a jail) apply under RCW 9.41.300(7)-(9). |
Buying a gun
| Age to buy a gun | A person under 21 may not purchase a pistol or a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no one may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21. People 18 to 20 may possess a pistol only at home, their fixed place of business or real property they control (unless an exception applies), and may possess a semiautomatic assault rifle only in those places or, unloaded and locked, while moving, traveling between those places, or selling it. Possession by people under 18 is limited to the situations listed in RCW 9.41.042 (such as hunting, ranges and supervised activities). These rules apply to all sales, private and dealer. Source: RCW 9.41.240(1)-(3); 9.41.042 |
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| Background checks and private sales | Yes, universal. All firearm sales or transfers, including at gun shows, online and between unlicensed persons, require a background check; where neither party is a dealer, the transfer must be completed through a licensed dealer as if from its inventory (the dealer may charge a fee). Exceptions include bona fide gifts or loans between listed immediate family members, antiques, and temporary transfers to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm or suicide. Buyers must also show proof of completing a recognized firearms safety training program within the last five years (with exemptions for officers and active military). Permit to purchase: under RCW 9.41.121, effective May 1, 2027, buyers will need a permit to purchase firearms from the Washington State Patrol, which requires fingerprints and certified safety training (including live fire) within the last five years; the State Patrol must decide within 30 days (60 for some applicants). Training: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.1132 ; permit to purchase: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.121 (2025 c 370). |
| Waiting period | Ten business days for all firearms: a licensed dealer may not deliver any firearm until the background check results show the buyer is not prohibited and ten business days have elapsed from the date the dealer requested the check. Because private sales go through a dealer, this applies to them too. Source: RCW 9.41.092 (2023 c 161) |
| Ghost guns and homemade firearms | Banned. No one may manufacture or assemble an untraceable firearm (one made after July 1, 2019 with no licensee-applied serial number), including by 3-D printer or CNC mill; since March 10, 2023 no one may knowingly or recklessly possess, transport or receive an untraceable firearm or an unserialized unfinished frame or receiver, and no one may sell, transfer or buy them. Distributing digital firearm manufacturing code to non-licensees is also banned. Exceptions include licensees, law enforcement, antiques, firearms made before 1968, permanently inoperable guns, and guns serialized by a federal licensee. Penalty for untraceable-firearm violations: $500 civil infraction for a first violation, then a misdemeanor, then a gross misdemeanor; three or more at a time is a gross misdemeanor. Unfinished frames/receivers: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.327 |
Red flag law and weapon limits
| Red flag law | Yes. An intimate partner or a family or household member of the respondent, or a law enforcement agency, may petition for an extreme risk protection order alleging that the respondent poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others by having or obtaining a firearm. A temporary ex parte order lasts until the full hearing; a full order lasts one year and may be renewed (petitioners may move to renew within 90 days before it expires, and a renewal also lasts one year). Renewal and duration: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=7.105.410 Source: RCW 7.105.100(1)(e); 7.105.410 |
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| Assault weapons and magazine limits | Yes. Assault weapons: since April 25, 2023, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell or offer for sale any assault weapon (gross misdemeanor), with exceptions such as sales to the military, law enforcement or out-of-state buyers, and inheritance; possession of weapons already owned is not banned by this section. Magazines: no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell or offer for sale a large capacity magazine, meaning a device that accepts more than 10 rounds (gross misdemeanor); possession is not banned by this section. Court status: the magazine law was challenged in State v. Gator's Custom Guns; the Washington Supreme Court decided the case on May 8, 2025 (No. 102940-3), and the challengers' petition to the U.S. Supreme Court (No. 25-153) was still pending on the docket read (last entry August 3, 2026). Magazines: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.370 ; U.S. Supreme Court docket: https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/25-153.html (the docket shows the Washington Supreme Court decision date; the Washington Supreme Court opinion itself was not read). |
Gun Laws FAQ
Is Washington a constitutional carry state?
No for concealed pistols. Except in one's home or fixed place of business, a person may not carry a pistol concealed without a concealed pistol license, and may not carry or place a loaded pistol in a vehicle without one. People 18 to 20 may possess a pistol only at home, at their fixed place of business or on real property they control, unless a listed exception applies.
How do you get a concealed carry permit in Washington?
Concealed pistol license (CPL), issued by the city chief of police or county sheriff, who 'shall' issue it within 30 days of application (up to 60 days for applicants without a Washington license/ID or under 90 days' residency) unless the applicant is disqualified, for example by being under 21, ineligible to possess firearms, subject to certain court orders, on bond for a felony, or having an outstanding warrant. Fingerprint-based check for original licenses. Valid five years. Fee: $36 plus FBI charges passed on to the applicant (renewal $32; late renewal penalty $10; replacement $10). No training is required under the current version; under the version effective May 1, 2027, applicants must show completion within the last five years of a certified concealed carry safety training program with live-fire exercises (at least 50 rounds at a range under an instructor), unless exempt.
Is open carry legal in Washington?
Not banned statewide and no license is required for openly carrying a firearm by a person who may lawfully possess it (but a loaded pistol in a vehicle needs a CPL, and 18-to-20-year-olds may possess pistols only at home, business or property they control). It is a gross misdemeanor to carry, display or draw a firearm in a manner that shows intent to intimidate or 'warrants alarm for the safety of other persons.' Open carry is also banned at permitted demonstrations and on the state capitol grounds and certain municipal buildings.
How old do you have to be to buy a gun in Washington?
A person under 21 may not purchase a pistol or a semiautomatic assault rifle, and no one may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21. People 18 to 20 may possess a pistol only at home, their fixed place of business or real property they control (unless an exception applies), and may possess a semiautomatic assault rifle only in those places or, unloaded and locked, while moving, traveling between those places, or selling it. Possession by people under 18 is limited to the situations listed in RCW 9.41.042 (such as hunting, ranges and supervised activities). These rules apply to all sales, private and dealer.
Do private gun sales need a background check in Washington?
Yes, universal. All firearm sales or transfers, including at gun shows, online and between unlicensed persons, require a background check; where neither party is a dealer, the transfer must be completed through a licensed dealer as if from its inventory (the dealer may charge a fee). Exceptions include bona fide gifts or loans between listed immediate family members, antiques, and temporary transfers to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm or suicide. Buyers must also show proof of completing a recognized firearms safety training program within the last five years (with exemptions for officers and active military). Permit to purchase: under RCW 9.41.121, effective May 1, 2027, buyers will need a permit to purchase firearms from the Washington State Patrol, which requires fingerprints and certified safety training (including live fire) within the last five years; the State Patrol must decide within 30 days (60 for some applicants).
Is there a waiting period to buy a gun in Washington?
Ten business days for all firearms: a licensed dealer may not deliver any firearm until the background check results show the buyer is not prohibited and ten business days have elapsed from the date the dealer requested the check. Because private sales go through a dealer, this applies to them too.
Does Washington have a red flag law?
Yes. An intimate partner or a family or household member of the respondent, or a law enforcement agency, may petition for an extreme risk protection order alleging that the respondent poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others by having or obtaining a firearm. A temporary ex parte order lasts until the full hearing; a full order lasts one year and may be renewed (petitioners may move to renew within 90 days before it expires, and a renewal also lasts one year).
Does Washington ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines?
Yes. Assault weapons: since April 25, 2023, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell or offer for sale any assault weapon (gross misdemeanor), with exceptions such as sales to the military, law enforcement or out-of-state buyers, and inheritance; possession of weapons already owned is not banned by this section. Magazines: no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell or offer for sale a large capacity magazine, meaning a device that accepts more than 10 rounds (gross misdemeanor); possession is not banned by this section. Court status: the magazine law was challenged in State v. Gator's Custom Guns; the Washington Supreme Court decided the case on May 8, 2025 (No. 102940-3), and the challengers' petition to the U.S. Supreme Court (No. 25-153) was still pending on the docket read (last entry August 3, 2026).
Can you keep a gun in your car in Washington without a permit?
Without a concealed pistol license, a person may not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle. A CPL holder may have a loaded pistol in a vehicle only if it is on the person, the licensee stays in the vehicle, or the licensee is away and the pistol is locked inside and concealed from view. Anyone 18 or older leaving an unloaded pistol in a vehicle must lock it inside, concealed from view. Carrying a rifle or shotgun with a cartridge in the chamber in a motor vehicle or off-road vehicle is a misdemeanor, with exceptions (for example on-duty officers and certain disability permits).
Which states' carry permits does Washington honor?
Limited. Washington honors another state's license only if that state recognizes Washington's license, does not license people under 21, and requires fingerprint-based criminal and mental health background checks; it applies only to nonresidents, who must follow Washington law. The Attorney General's list (last updated July 10, 2026) recognizes: Idaho (Enhanced Permit only), Kansas (standard license only), Louisiana, Michigan, Montana (enhanced permit only, not the restricted permit for 18-20), North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, South Dakota (Unrestricted Enhanced and Gold permits only), and Utah (not the Provisional permit).
Where can't you carry a gun in Washington?
Main places (RCW 9.41.300(1)): restricted areas of jails and law enforcement facilities; court areas of buildings used for court proceedings; restricted areas of public mental health facilities; areas of bars and other establishments off-limits to people under 21; restricted areas of commercial airports; and, under newer subsections, the premises of public libraries, accredited zoos or aquariums, and transit stations and facilities. Also banned: K-12 school premises, school transportation and school board meetings; licensed child care centers; ballot counting centers, voting centers, student engagement hubs and county elections offices; open carry at permitted demonstrations; open carry on state capitol grounds and certain municipal buildings. The state preempts the field of firearms regulation, with limited local exceptions.
Are ghost guns legal in Washington?
Banned. No one may manufacture or assemble an untraceable firearm (one made after July 1, 2019 with no licensee-applied serial number), including by 3-D printer or CNC mill; since March 10, 2023 no one may knowingly or recklessly possess, transport or receive an untraceable firearm or an unserialized unfinished frame or receiver, and no one may sell, transfer or buy them. Distributing digital firearm manufacturing code to non-licensees is also banned. Exceptions include licensees, law enforcement, antiques, firearms made before 1968, permanently inoperable guns, and guns serialized by a federal licensee. Penalty for untraceable-firearm violations: $500 civil infraction for a first violation, then a misdemeanor, then a gross misdemeanor; three or more at a time is a gross misdemeanor.
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