Constitutional Carry in Washington

Washington is NOT a constitutional carry (permitless carry) state for concealed pistols. To carry a pistol concealed on your person, you must hold a valid Washington Concealed Pistol License (CPL) or qualify for a narrow statutory exception. This sets Washington apart from the states that allow any law-abiding adult to carry concealed without a license.

The License Requirement

Under RCW 9.41.050(1)(a), a person may not carry a pistol concealed on his or her person without a license to carry a concealed pistol, except in the person's place of abode or fixed place of business. A CPL holder must keep the license in immediate possession whenever the law requires it and must display it on demand to a police officer. Failing to carry or display the license is a class 1 civil infraction under RCW 9.41.050(1)(b), handled through chapter 7.80 RCW.

The license requirement also reaches firearms in vehicles. Under RCW 9.41.050(2)(a), a person may not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless that person has a CPL and the pistol is on the licensee's person, the licensee remains in the vehicle, or the pistol is locked in the vehicle and concealed from view. A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.050(2)(b)). A person at least 18 years old who leaves an unloaded pistol in a vehicle must keep it locked in the vehicle and concealed from view; a violation is a misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.050(3)).

Because Washington requires a license for concealed carry, there is no provision of state law that authorizes permitless concealed carry. Talk of "constitutional carry" coming to Washington refers to proposals, not current law.

Open Carry Without a License

Washington's licensing scheme applies to concealed carry and to loaded pistols in vehicles. It does not impose a general license requirement to openly carry a pistol. Open carry of a pistol is generally lawful for a person who may legally possess a firearm, subject to other restrictions in chapter 9.41 RCW. For example, the carrying restrictions in RCW 9.41.050 do not bar lawful open carry, and the exceptions in RCW 9.41.060 (such as a person in his or her place of abode, fixed place of business, or on real property under his or her control) confirm that no concealed pistol license is needed for those situations.

Open carry is not unlimited. Among other limits, RCW 9.41.300 lists places where firearms are prohibited, and separate statutes restrict the open carry of weapons at permitted demonstrations and on the Capitol grounds. Carrying or displaying a weapon in a manner that warrants alarm can also be charged under RCW 9.41.270.

How a Concealed Pistol License Works

A CPL is the lawful path to concealed carry. Under RCW 9.41.070, the chief of police of a municipality or the sheriff of a county shall issue a CPL within 30 days after a complete application is filed (up to 60 days if the applicant does not hold a valid permanent Washington driver's license or state ID card, or has not been a state resident for the previous 90 consecutive days). This is a shall-issue standard: the applicant's right to a license may be denied only for the specific disqualifiers listed in the statute.

Key features confirmed by RCW 9.41.070:

• Minimum age 21. An applicant under 21 years of age is ineligible (RCW 9.41.070(1)(c)).
• Eligibility tracks firearm-possession law. The license is denied if the applicant is ineligible to possess a firearm under RCW 9.41.040 or RCW 9.41.045, or is prohibited under federal law (RCW 9.41.070(1)(a)). Other disqualifiers include a revoked CPL, certain protection or no-contact orders, being free on bond for a felony, an outstanding felony or misdemeanor warrant, and a recent firearm forfeiture order.
• Background check. The issuing authority checks the national instant criminal background check system and state databases, and an original license requires a national fingerprint-based check through the FBI (RCW 9.41.070(2)).
• Five-year term. The license is valid for five years from the date of issue (RCW 9.41.070(1)).
• Fees. The nonrefundable fee for an original five-year license is $36 plus FBI charges passed on to the applicant; the renewal fee is $32 (RCW 9.41.070(5) and (6)).
• Nonresidents. A nonresident may apply for a Washington CPL, which is valid anywhere in the state (RCW 9.41.070).

The license carries a printed warning that federal and state firearm-possession law can differ and that a state license is not a defense to a federal prosecution.

Exceptions to the Carry Restrictions

RCW 9.41.060 lists people and situations exempt from the RCW 9.41.050 carry restrictions. These include law enforcement officers, members of the armed forces, the national guard, and organized reserves when on duty, and federal officers authorized to carry. The exception list also covers a person in his or her place of abode, fixed place of business, or on real property under his or her control, and certain transport situations. These are statutory carve-outs from the license requirement, not a general permitless-carry right.

Qualified active and retired law enforcement officers may carry concealed under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. 926B and 926C. That is a federal authority, not a Washington exemption, and it has its own qualification and documentation requirements.

No Reciprocity for Out-of-State Permits

Washington does not have statutory concealed-carry reciprocity and does not recognize concealed pistol licenses or permits issued by other states. A visitor with a valid out-of-state permit generally may not carry a pistol concealed in Washington on that out-of-state credential. A nonresident who wants to carry concealed in Washington must obtain a Washington nonresident CPL under RCW 9.41.070.

Related Restrictions to Know

Washington has enacted firearm restrictions beyond carry licensing. These are sale and transfer restrictions, not carry rules, but they affect what gun owners can buy in the state:

• Large-capacity magazines. Under RCW 9.41.370, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer for sale a large-capacity magazine, defined as an ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds (RCW 9.41.010). A violation is a gross misdemeanor. The statute took effect July 1, 2022 (2022 c 104). The ban restricts sale and manufacture; it does not itself criminalize simple possession of magazines already owned. The law has been the subject of litigation, and the Washington Supreme Court has addressed its validity, so check the current status before relying on it.
• Assault weapons. Under RCW 9.41.390, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or offer for sale an assault weapon, with limited exceptions. A violation is a gross misdemeanor. The statute took effect April 25, 2023 (2023 c 162). Like the magazine law, it restricts new sales and transfers rather than imposing a general ban on possessing weapons lawfully owned before the effective date.

Washington has also adopted purchase-side requirements in recent legislation, including safety-training and waiting-period rules for firearm purchases. Those requirements are addressed in the application and purchasing sections of this guide. Confirm the current statutory text and effective dates with the Department of Licensing before relying on any specific date.

State Preemption

Washington preempts local firearm regulation. Under RCW 9.41.290, the state fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation, including licensing, possession, purchase, sale, transfer, and transportation. Cities, towns, and counties may enact only those firearm laws specifically authorized by state law, such as the location restrictions allowed under RCW 9.41.300, and any local ordinance must be consistent with state law. Local rules that are more restrictive than or exceed state law are preempted. This means concealed-carry rules are set statewide, not by individual municipalities.

Self-Defense: Statute Plus Case Law

Washington has no statute labeled "stand your ground" and no codified castle-doctrine statute. The lawful use of force is governed by RCW 9A.16.020, which lists when the use of force is not unlawful, including force used by a person about to be injured (or someone lawfully aiding that person) in preventing an offense against the person, so long as the force is not more than necessary. Justifiable homicide is governed by RCW 9A.16.050, which permits deadly force in the lawful defense of the slayer or others when there is reasonable ground to apprehend a design to commit a felony or to do great personal injury and imminent danger of that design being accomplished.

Washington case law, not statute, supplies the no-duty-to-retreat rule. Washington courts have held that a person who is where he or she may lawfully be, and who is not the aggressor, has no duty to retreat before using lawful force in self-defense (State v. Studd; State v. Reynaldo Redmond). Do not look for a Washington "stand your ground" statute, because there is none. The protection comes from the use-of-force statutes as interpreted by the courts.

Bottom Line

Washington requires a Concealed Pistol License under RCW 9.41.070 to carry a pistol concealed and to carry a loaded pistol in a vehicle. It is not a constitutional-carry state for concealed carry, it does not recognize other states' permits, and a nonresident must obtain a Washington nonresident CPL to carry concealed here. Open carry of a pistol is generally lawful without a license for a person who may legally possess a firearm, subject to the location and conduct limits in chapter 9.41 RCW.