Carrying Firearms in Vehicles in Washington

Washington requires a license to carry a pistol concealed and to keep a loaded pistol in a vehicle. It is not a permitless concealed-carry state. Open carry of a pistol by a person who may lawfully possess one is generally allowed without a license, but loaded long guns in vehicles are restricted by separate law. This section explains how the rules apply when you transport a firearm by car.

General Rule: A Loaded Pistol in a Vehicle Requires a CPL

Under RCW 9.41.050(2)(a), a person may not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) and one of the following is true:

• The pistol is on the licensee's person;
• The licensee is within the vehicle at all times 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.

A violation of RCW 9.41.050(2) is a misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.050(2)(b)).

Separately, RCW 9.41.050(1)(a) prohibits carrying a pistol concealed on your person, except in your place of abode or fixed place of business, without a CPL. A CPL holder must keep the license in immediate possession and display it on demand; failure to do so is a class 1 civil infraction (RCW 9.41.050(1)(b)).

Definition of "Pistol"

The CPL requirement applies to pistols. RCW 9.41.010(36) defines a "pistol" as "any firearm with a barrel less than 16 inches in length, or [that] is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand." Rifles and shotguns are not pistols and are not subject to the CPL requirement, though other vehicle rules apply (see "Long Guns in Vehicles" below).

Definition of "Loaded"

RCW 9.41.010(30) provides that a firearm is "loaded" when:

• There is a cartridge in the chamber of the firearm;
• Cartridges are in a clip that is locked in place in the firearm;
• There is a cartridge in the cylinder of the firearm (revolvers);
• There is a cartridge in the tube or magazine that is inserted in the action; or
• There is a ball in the barrel and the firearm is capped or primed (muzzle loaders).

Transporting a Pistol Without a CPL

If you do not hold a CPL, the practical way to transport a pistol in a vehicle is to keep it unloaded and cased. RCW 9.41.060(9) exempts "any person while carrying a pistol unloaded and in a closed opaque case or secure wrapper" from the restrictions in RCW 9.41.050. This is the primary lawful method for moving a pistol by car without a license.

Other exceptions in RCW 9.41.060 that can apply to travel include:

• Outdoor recreation (RCW 9.41.060(8)): a person engaging in a lawful outdoor recreational activity such as hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or horseback riding, if, considering all attendant circumstances (including whether the person holds a valid hunting or fishing license), it is reasonable to conclude the person is participating in lawful outdoor activities or traveling to or from a legitimate outdoor recreation area.
• Target-shooting club members (RCW 9.41.060(6)) when at, going to, or coming from their place of target practice.
• Firearm-collector club members (RCW 9.41.060(7)) when at, going to, or coming from collector gun shows and exhibits.

Leaving a Pistol Unattended in a Vehicle

Loaded pistol (CPL holders): If a CPL holder leaves a loaded pistol in the vehicle while away from it, the pistol must be locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle (RCW 9.41.050(2)(a)(iii)).

Unloaded pistol: A person at least 18 years of age who has an unloaded pistol may not leave it in a vehicle unless the unloaded pistol is locked within the vehicle and concealed from view from outside the vehicle (RCW 9.41.050(3)(a)). A violation is a misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.050(3)(b)).

For reference, RCW 9.41.010(39) defines "secure gun storage" as a locked box, gun safe, or other secure locked storage space designed to prevent unauthorized use or discharge of a firearm, and the act of keeping an unloaded firearm stored by such means.

Long Guns in Vehicles

Rifles and shotguns do not require a CPL, but they are not free of vehicle rules. Under RCW 77.15.460, it is unlawful to possess a loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle or on an off-road vehicle (a long gun is "loaded" for this purpose when there is a shell or cartridge in the chamber, or a muzzle loader is loaded and capped or primed). It is also unlawful to discharge a firearm from a moving motor vehicle. These offenses are misdemeanors (RCW 77.15.460(3)). Limited exceptions apply, such as on-duty law enforcement.

Open Carry in and Around Vehicles

No Washington statute broadly prohibits the open carry of a firearm by a person who may lawfully possess one, and the CPL requirement reaches only pistols carried concealed. Two limits matter:

• RCW 9.41.270 makes it a gross misdemeanor to carry, exhibit, display, or draw a firearm in a manner, under circumstances, and at a time and place that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or that warrants alarm for the safety of others. Self-defense and being in your own home or fixed place of business are among the statutory exceptions.
• RCW 9.41.300(2) makes it unlawful to knowingly open carry a firearm at, or (after a warning by an officer) within 250 feet of, a permitted demonstration. This applies whether the firearm is carried on the person or in a vehicle. It does not apply to lawful concealed carry by a valid CPL holder.

Restricted Locations That Affect Vehicle Carry

Even with a CPL, you cannot carry a weapon into the places listed in RCW 9.41.300(1)(a) through (e), which include:

• Restricted-access areas of jails and law enforcement facilities and other places of confinement (RCW 9.41.300(1)(a));
• Court-related areas such as courtrooms, jury rooms, judges' chambers, and adjacent restricted areas (RCW 9.41.300(1)(b));
• Restricted-access areas of public mental-health facilities licensed for inpatient hospital care (RCW 9.41.300(1)(c));
• The portion of an establishment classified by the state liquor and cannabis board as off-limits to persons under 21 (the bar area of a tavern) (RCW 9.41.300(1)(d)); and
• The restricted-access (secured) areas of a commercial service airport, including passenger screening checkpoints (RCW 9.41.300(1)(e)).

The 2024 Legislature (2024 c 285) added three more locations to RCW 9.41.300(1): libraries (RCW 9.41.300(1)(f)), accredited zoos and aquariums (RCW 9.41.300(1)(g)), and transit stations and transit facilities (RCW 9.41.300(1)(h)). These three additions do not apply to a person licensed to carry a concealed firearm under RCW 9.41.070 (RCW 9.41.300(14)). A valid CPL holder may therefore lawfully carry a concealed pistol in a library, in an accredited zoo or aquarium, and at a transit station or transit facility. A person without a CPL remains barred from carrying a weapon in those three places.

A violation of RCW 9.41.300(1) or (2) is a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.300(16)). Separately, RCW 9.41.280 prohibits possessing dangerous weapons, including firearms, on public and private school grounds, but the statute's exceptions are the vehicle-carry rules for schools. A CPL holder, or a person exempt from the licensing requirement under RCW 9.41.060, may possess a pistol while picking up or dropping off a student (RCW 9.41.280(3)(e)). A nonstudent at least 18 years of age who is legally in possession of a firearm may keep it secured within an attended vehicle, or concealed from view within a locked unattended vehicle, while conducting legitimate business at the school (RCW 9.41.280(3)(f)), and a nonstudent at least 18 may keep an unloaded firearm secured in a vehicle while conducting legitimate business at the school (RCW 9.41.280(3)(g)). RCW 9.41.305 prohibits the open carry of weapons on the west side of the state capitol campus and in municipal buildings during certain public meetings. The airport parking lots, drives, and walkways outside the screening checkpoint are not part of the secured area (RCW 9.41.300(1)(e)), so transporting a firearm to long-term parking is generally treated like ordinary vehicle carry up to the checkpoint.

Federal law applies independently at airports and on aircraft. Carrying or attempting to carry a weapon onto an aircraft, or into a sterile area, is a federal crime under 49 U.S.C. 46505, separate from any state offense.

Employers, both public and private, may set workplace rules barring firearms on the job or on company property, and Washington courts have upheld that authority (Cherry v. Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, 116 Wn.2d 794 (1991); Pacific Northwest Shooting Park Ass'n v. City of Sequim, 158 Wn.2d 342 (2006); Chan v. City of Seattle, 164 Wn. App. 549 (2011)).

State Preemption of Local Vehicle-Carry Rules

RCW 9.41.290 provides that the state "fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation," including possession, transfer, and transportation of firearms. Cities, towns, and counties may enact only firearm laws specifically authorized by state law (such as RCW 9.41.300) and consistent with state law. Local ordinances that are more restrictive than or exceed state law are preempted. Local governments may still regulate the discharge of firearms in areas where there is a reasonable likelihood that people, animals, or property could be harmed (RCW 9.41.300(3)).

Visitors and Out-of-State Permit Holders

Washington has conditional statutory reciprocity. Under RCW 9.41.073, a person who holds a valid concealed pistol license or permit from another state may carry a concealed pistol in Washington without a Washington CPL if all of these conditions are met:

• The issuing state recognizes and gives effect to concealed pistol licenses issued by Washington;
• The issuing state requires a mandatory fingerprint-based background check of permit applicants for criminal and mental-health history and has substantially equivalent eligibility requirements (including not issuing licenses to people under 21); and
• The person is 21 years of age or older and carries the out-of-state license along with government-issued photo identification.

Recognition under RCW 9.41.073 applies only while the holder is not a Washington resident, and the holder must carry in compliance with Washington law (RCW 9.41.073(1)(b)). Once a person becomes a Washington resident, out-of-state recognition no longer applies and a Washington CPL is required to carry concealed.

The Washington Attorney General is required by law to publish, and maintains, the official current list of qualifying states. As of mid-2025 the list included roughly ten states, for example Idaho (enhanced permit only), Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana (enhanced permit only), North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah. The list changes as states amend their laws, so confirm the current list at atg.wa.gov before relying on it. A nonresident from a state that does not qualify can still apply for a nonresident Washington CPL under RCW 9.41.070.

Retired Law Enforcement Officers (LEOSA)

The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act lets qualified retired or separated officers carry concealed nationwide, including in vehicles (18 U.S.C. 926C; active-duty and other qualified officers are covered by 18 U.S.C. 926B). A qualified retired officer must carry the photographic identification required by the federal statute along with proof of annual firearms qualification. Washington documents eligibility through the Criminal Justice Training Commission, and RCW 36.28A.090 directs the development of that firearms qualification. Separately, RCW 9.41.060(10) gives Washington officers who retired for service or physical disability the same carry privilege as a CPL holder, provided they hold the required documentation from their former agency and are not otherwise disqualified.

Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines

These restrictions apply regardless of whether the firearm is in a vehicle:

• Assault weapons (RCW 9.41.390): Effective April 25, 2023, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer to sell an assault weapon, subject to limited exceptions. The law does not ban continued possession of a lawfully owned assault weapon. A violation is a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.390(4)).
• Large-capacity magazines (RCW 9.41.370): No person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer to sell a large-capacity magazine, defined as one that accepts more than 10 rounds (RCW 9.41.010(25)). The statute does not prohibit mere possession. A violation is a gross misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.370(3)). The Washington Supreme Court upheld this ban in Gator's Custom Guns v. Ferguson (2025), so it is currently enforceable.

Key Statutes

Quick Reference

• A loaded pistol in a vehicle requires a CPL; without one, transport the pistol unloaded in a closed opaque case or secure wrapper (RCW 9.41.050(2); RCW 9.41.060(9)).
• A CPL holder who leaves a loaded pistol in a vehicle must lock it inside and keep it concealed from outside view (RCW 9.41.050(2)(a)(iii)).
• A loaded rifle or shotgun in a motor vehicle is a misdemeanor (RCW 77.15.460).
• Even CPL holders are barred from courts, jails, restricted airport areas, the bar area of taverns, and mental-health facility restricted areas (RCW 9.41.300(1)(a) through (e)); violations are gross misdemeanors. A valid CPL holder is exempt from the library, zoo/aquarium, and transit restrictions added in 2024 and may carry concealed there (RCW 9.41.300(14)).
• Washington has conditional reciprocity: it recognizes an out-of-state permit only if the issuing state is on the attorney general's qualifying list. Check the current list at atg.wa.gov, or consider a nonresident Washington CPL (RCW 9.41.073; RCW 9.41.070).
• This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and several Washington firearm laws have been litigated. Verify current statutes before you travel.