How Washington state's new gun permit law will work
Washington residents will need a permit to buy guns starting in 2027 — a change expected to affect thousands of potential buyers each year.
Why it matters: Supporters say the law will boost public safety by helping keep guns out of the wrong hands. Opponents argue it infringes on Washingtonians' constitutional gun rights.
State of play: Washington is the 13th U.S. state to approve a permit-to-purchase system for firearms, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the legislation into law in May.
What's inside: The new law will require people to get fingerprinted and complete a gun safety course with live-fire training before they can get a permit to buy a firearm.
They will also have to submit a fee and application to the Washington State Patrol.
Exceptions to the training requirement will be made for police officers and military members, as well as licensed private investigators and security guards who carry firearms.
Once granted, a permit will be good for five years.
What they're saying: Studies have found that states with similar gun-licensing laws have lower rates of gun violence, the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions says.
In particular, requiring people to get their fingerprints taken as part of the permitting process can cut down on "straw purchases," in which one person buys a firearm for someone else who can't legally own one, Renée Hopkins, CEO of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, told Axios.
Hopkins said the training requirements also promote safer gun handling, reducing the risks involved in having a gun at home.
By the numbers: The State Patrol expects to receive about 200,000 permit applications the first year the law is fully implemented, and roughly 100,000 yearly after that.
The other side: " This is the state government telling gun owners, you've got to get our permission to exercise your civil right — and that's not going to pass the smell test" in the courts, Dave Workman, editor-in-chief of TheGunMag, a publication of the Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation, told Axios.
The fine print: Under the law, starting May 1, 2027, gun dealers in Washington won't be able to sell a firearm to someone unless the buyer has a valid purchasing permit.
The State Patrol will certify which firearms courses meet the training requirements. (They must involve firing at least 50 rounds of ammunition.)
Once the training has been completed, the State Patrol must approve applications unless the person is restricted from owning a firearm for another reason, like having an outstanding arrest warrant or being subject to a no-contact order.
Permits will be revoked if a person later becomes prohibited from owning a firearm, such as through a new criminal conviction or a court order.
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