Firearm Storage Requirements in Washington

Washington does not impose a blanket rule that every firearm be stored in a specific way at all times. Instead, the law creates criminal liability for unsafe storage when a prohibited person gains access, defines what "secure gun storage" means, requires firearms dealers to offer storage devices and post warnings, requires owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, and sets rules for keeping pistols in vehicles. This section explains the storage obligations a CPL holder needs to know, with each rule tied to the Washington statute that creates it.

What "Secure Gun Storage" Means

RCW 9.41.010 defines the term that runs through Washington's storage statutes. Under RCW 9.41.010(39), "secure gun storage" means:

1. A locked box, gun safe, or other secure locked storage space that is designed to prevent unauthorized use or discharge of a firearm; and
2. The act of keeping an unloaded firearm stored by such means.

A trigger lock or similar device designed to prevent unauthorized use or discharge of the firearm is treated as an acceptable alternative in the statutes that reference secure storage. The storage standards in this area were established by Initiative Measure No. 1639, approved by voters on November 6, 2018, and effective July 1, 2019.

Unsafe Storage Liability (RCW 9.41.360)

RCW 9.41.360 does not order you to store a firearm in any particular place. Subsection (6) says plainly: "Nothing in this section mandates how or where a firearm must be stored." What it does is create a crime called community endangerment due to unsafe storage of a firearm. A person who stores or leaves a firearm in a location where the person knows, or reasonably should know, that a prohibited person may gain access to it can be charged if a prohibited person actually obtains access and possession and a harmful outcome follows.

First Degree (Class C Felony)

Community endangerment due to unsafe storage in the first degree applies when a prohibited person obtains access and possession of the firearm and causes personal injury or death with it. It is a class C felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW (maximum 5 years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine).

Second Degree (Gross Misdemeanor)

Community endangerment due to unsafe storage in the second degree applies when a prohibited person obtains access and possession of the firearm and:

• Causes the firearm to discharge;
• Carries, exhibits, or displays the firearm in a public place in a manner that either manifests an intent to intimidate another or warrants alarm for the safety of other persons; or
• Uses the firearm in the commission of a crime.

It is a gross misdemeanor punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW (maximum 364 days imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine).

When the Crime Does Not Apply

Under RCW 9.41.360(3), subsection (1) does not apply if:

1. The firearm was in secure gun storage, or secured with a trigger lock or similar device designed to prevent the unauthorized use or discharge of the firearm;
2. The prohibited person is barred on the basis of age and accessed the firearm with the lawful permission of a parent or guardian and under adult supervision, or in accordance with RCW 9.41.042 (permissible firearm possession by children);
3. The prohibited person obtained, or obtained and discharged, the firearm in a lawful act of self-defense; or
4. The prohibited person's access was the result of an unlawful entry, provided the unauthorized access or theft is reported to a local law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where it occurred within five days of the time the victim of the unlawful entry knew or reasonably should have known the firearm had been taken.

Using a locked box, gun safe, or trigger lock is therefore a complete defense to this offense.

For purposes of this section, RCW 9.41.360(5) defines "prohibited person" as a person who is prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law. If a death or serious injury occurs, RCW 9.41.360(4) allows the prosecuting attorney to decline to prosecute even where technically sufficient evidence exists, in situations where prosecution would serve no public purpose or would defeat the purpose of the law.

This section was enacted by Initiative Measure No. 1639 (2019 c 3 s 5) and took effect July 1, 2019.

Storing a Pistol in a Vehicle (RCW 9.41.050)

RCW 9.41.050 governs how a pistol may be kept in a vehicle, and the rule turns on whether the pistol is loaded.

Under RCW 9.41.050(2)(a), a person shall not carry or place a loaded pistol in any vehicle unless the person has a license to carry a concealed pistol and:

1. The pistol is on the licensee's person;
2. The licensee is within the vehicle at all times that the pistol is there; or
3. 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 is a misdemeanor (RCW 9.41.050(2)(b)).

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

In short, a loaded pistol left in a car requires a CPL plus locking it inside and out of view, and even an unloaded pistol left in a car must be locked inside and concealed from view.

Reporting a Lost or Stolen Firearm (RCW 9.41.368)

RCW 9.41.368, enacted in 2024 (2024 c 286 s 1), requires an owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm who suffers its loss or theft to report the facts and circumstances to the local law enforcement agency where the loss or theft occurred within 24 hours after first discovering it, unless the delay is for good cause shown. The report must include, to the extent known:

• The firearm's caliber, make, model, manufacturer, and serial number;
• Any other distinguishing number or identification mark on the firearm; and
• The circumstances of the loss or theft, including the date, place, and manner.

A person who fails to report commits a civil infraction subject to a monetary penalty of up to $1,000. If multiple firearms are lost or stolen in a single event, only a single penalty applies (RCW 9.41.368(3)).

Dealer Storage and Warning Requirements (RCW 9.41.365 and 9.41.368(4))

RCW 9.41.365 places three duties on every registered firearms dealer:

1. When selling or transferring any firearm, offer to sell or give the purchaser or transferee a secure gun storage device, or a trigger lock or similar device designed to prevent the unauthorized use or discharge of the firearm.

2. Conspicuously post, in a prominent location, a warning sign provided by the Department of Licensing, in block letters at least one inch in height:

   WARNING: YOU MAY FACE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION IF YOU STORE OR LEAVE AN UNSECURED FIREARM WHERE A PERSON WHO IS PROHIBITED FROM POSSESSING FIREARMS CAN AND DOES OBTAIN POSSESSION.

3. Upon the sale or transfer of a firearm, deliver a written warning to the purchaser or transferee, in block letters not less than one-fourth inch in height, with the same WARNING text.

A dealer who violates RCW 9.41.365 commits a class 1 civil infraction under chapter 7.80 RCW and may be fined up to $250.

Separately, under RCW 9.41.368(4), the local licensing authority that issues a firearm dealer's license must provide signage, to be posted at each point of sale in block letters not less than one inch in height, stating:

FAILURE TO KEEP FIREARMS IN SECURE GUN STORAGE, OR SECURED WITH A TRIGGER LOCK OR SIMILAR DEVICE THAT IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE UNAUTHORIZED USE OR DISCHARGE OF THE FIREARM MAY SUBJECT YOU TO CRIMINAL PENALTIES. FAILURE TO REPORT THE LOSS OR THEFT OF A FIREARM MAY SUBJECT YOU TO A CIVIL PENALTY UP TO $1,000.

Persons 18 to 20: Storing a Semiautomatic Assault Rifle in Transit (RCW 9.41.240)

A person under 21 may not purchase a pistol or semiautomatic assault rifle, and except as otherwise provided, no one may sell or transfer a semiautomatic assault rifle to a person under 21 (RCW 9.41.240(1)). A person at least 18 but less than 21 may possess a semiautomatic assault rifle only in a place of abode, at a fixed place of business, on real property under the person's control, or, under RCW 9.41.240(3)(d), for the specific purpose of moving to a new place of abode, traveling between the place of abode and real property under the person's control, or selling or transferring the firearm in accordance with this chapter. In each of those transit situations the semiautomatic assault rifle must be unloaded and either in secure gun storage or secured with a trigger lock or similar device designed to prevent the unauthorized use or discharge of the firearm. This provision was added by Initiative 1639 (2019 c 3 s 13).

Voluntary Waiver of Firearm Rights and Dealer Temporary Storage

Washington gives a person who wants to limit their own access to firearms two related tools.

Under RCW 9.41.350, a person may file a voluntary waiver of firearm rights with the clerk of the court in any Washington county. Once the form is accepted, the person's possession or control of a firearm is unlawful under RCW 9.41.040(7), and the waiver is entered into the national instant criminal background check system. The person may file a revocation no sooner than seven calendar days after filing the waiver. This is a self-directed means of reducing access during a period of crisis, and the records are exempt from public disclosure.

Under RCW 9.41.380, the Legislature encourages an expansion of safe storage to better prevent suicide by veterans, military members, and their families. That statute also provides that a dealer who allows a person to temporarily store a firearm on the dealer's premises in a locked locker, box, or container not accessible to the dealer does not, by doing so, create a special relationship for civil liability purposes.

Proposed Mandatory Storage Legislation

Washington has, in recent sessions, considered bills that would impose affirmative secure-storage requirements for firearms kept in residences and vehicles. As of this writing, no such mandatory secure-storage requirement has been enacted into the firearms chapter (chapter 9.41 RCW). The storage obligations currently in force are the ones described above. Because gun storage law in Washington has changed repeatedly, confirm the current status of any pending bill before relying on it.

Key Takeaways for CPL Holders

1. There is no statute that dictates how or where every firearm must be stored. RCW 9.41.360(6) says so directly.
2. Negligent storage carries criminal liability. If you know or should know a prohibited person could access your firearm and one does, the charge ranges from a gross misdemeanor to a class C felony under RCW 9.41.360, depending on the outcome.
3. Secure storage is a complete defense. A locked box, gun safe, or trigger lock eliminates liability under RCW 9.41.360(3).
4. Vehicle rules apply regardless of CPL status. A loaded pistol in a vehicle requires a CPL and either your presence or locking it inside and out of view; even an unloaded pistol left in a vehicle must be locked inside and concealed from view (RCW 9.41.050).
5. Report a lost or stolen firearm within 24 hours. Failure to report is a civil infraction with a penalty of up to $1,000 (RCW 9.41.368).
6. Dealers must offer a storage device and post warnings. Those duties sit with the dealer, not the buyer, but the warnings describe the criminal exposure every owner should keep in mind (RCW 9.41.365).