Are firearms legal in Washington?

Q: Are firearms legal in Washington?

Firearms in Washington are legal only under specific conditions. A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is required to carry a concealed pistol, and you must be 21 or older. The police chief or county sheriff must issue it within 30 days (60 days if the applicant has no Washington driver's license or ID, or has lived in the state under 90 days) unless the applicant is disqualified. No training is required before May 1, 2027. From that date, applicants must show certified firearms safety training from the last five years, unless exempt.

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WASHINGTON · FIREARMS

Firearms

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Conditional: A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is required to carry a concealed pistol, and you must be 21 or older.

Conditional

Summary

A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is required to carry a concealed pistol, and you must be 21 or older. The police chief or county sheriff must issue it within 30 days (60 days if the applicant has no Washington driver's license or ID, or has lived in the state under 90 days) unless the applicant is disqualified. No training is required before May 1, 2027. From that date, applicants must show certified firearms safety training from the last five years, unless exempt.

Source: app.leg.wa.gov → · Updated October 12, 2026

Washington Firearms topics

Concealed Carry in Washington →Conditional
A Concealed Pistol License (CPL) is required to carry a concealed pistol, and you must be 21 or older.
Open Carry in Washington →Conditional
Open carry of a pistol is generally legal in Washington at 21 or older without a license, because no statute directly prohibits it.
Magazine Capacity in Washington →Conditional
Washington bans manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling and offering for sale a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds, a gross misdemeanor, effective July 1, 2022.
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
Without a Washington Concealed Pistol License (CPL), you may not carry or place a loaded pistol in a vehicle, a misdemeanor.
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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