2027 WA State Firearm Policy Changes
Major Changes to Firearm Purchases: An Insider’s Point of View
Friends and Customers,
Whether we like it or not, a massive shift is heading toward the Washington Second Amendment community. We can’t stop it, so our best option is to get completely ready for it. We aren't here to debate the politics or the constitutionality of the law—that is way above our pay grade. Instead, we want to lay out exactly what is coming, what it means for us as your local FFL holder, and how you can prepare if you want to buy a firearm after May 1, 2027.
Here are the facts as they stand today.
The Big Picture: HB 1163
House Bill 1163 was signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson, establishing a mandatory Permit to Purchase system effective May 1, 2027. Under this law, gun buyers must obtain a five-year permit from the Washington State Patrol (WSP) before acquiring a firearm.
To get that permit, you have to complete a certified firearms safety training program that includes live-fire training. Active-duty military and law enforcement are exempt, but for the rest of us, this means taking a certified course or renewal track every time your permit expires.
To clarify: the WSP isn’t opening up a shooting academy. They will simply be certifying private training companies. To get stamped for approval under RCW 9.41.1132, these courses must check an extensive list of boxes: basic safety rules, secure storage, talking to kids about guns, suicide prevention, state and federal laws, de-escalation, and deadly force legalities.
⚠️ THE HUGE UPHEAVAL FOR CPL HOLDERS: No More "Paperwork-Only" Carry
Let’s pause right here because this is the section causing the loudest uproar on the range. Washington state is officially ending its history as a "no training required" concealed carry state.
Up until now, getting your Concealed Pistol License (CPL) was purely administrative: you filled out the forms, paid the fee, got fingerprinted by your local sheriff, and as long as your record was clean, your license showed up in the mail. No classes. No range tests. No sweat.
Starting May 1, 2027, that "paperwork-only" era is completely dead.
Under HB 1163, the state is officially amending RCW 9.41.070—the core law governing concealed weapons—to make state-certified safety training a strict legal prerequisite. This applies to BOTH brand-new applicants AND current CPL holders trying to renew an existing license.
And the state didn't just add a quick online video quiz. The law explicitly mandates a Level 1 course that requires firing a minimum of 50 rounds of live ammunition. You will have to stand under the supervision of a certified instructor on a live-fire range and actively demonstrate your shooting proficiency, safe handling, drawing mechanics, and precision under pressure.
Even if you have carried a concealed pistol responsibly for thirty years, the state is forcing you back to school and onto a firing range to keep your license active.
The Three Tiers of Training
Because of this shift, the state has categorized training into three distinct levels. It is highly recommended that you pick the right track so you don't end up paying for a class twice:
- Level 1 (The Dual Qualification): This is the mandatory track for Concealed Carry. It satisfies the requirements for both a CPL and your Permit to Purchase. It requires a minimum of 50 rounds of live fire and covers advanced concealed carry mechanics, drawing, and precision under pressure.
- Level 2 (Permit to Purchase ONLY): This is for a standard buying permit with no carry privileges. It includes 1 to 49 rounds of live fire and a basic demonstration of safe handling and shooting proficiency.
- Level 3 (The Renewal Track): This is a "no live fire" classroom or online safety course designed exclusively to renew an existing permit to purchase—provided you’ve done a certified live-fire course within the last 10 years.
This creates an alternating system for basic buyers: you take a live-fire course to get your first permit, take a quicker Level 3 course to renew it 5 years later, and then head back to the live-fire range at the 10-year mark.
Let’s Talk Money: From Beginning to End
Prepare your wallets, because buying a firearm is getting got a lot more expensive.
Before you even go gun shopping:
New Permit Fee: $126.00 (Includes a $90 permit fee and a $36 fingerprint background check).
- Renewal Fee: $90.00.
- The Procrastinator Tax: If you file your renewal up to 90 days late, add an extra $25.00 late fee. If you wait past 90 days, your permit is dead and you start the entire process over as a new applicant.
- Fingerprint Fees: Local law enforcement agencies take your prints, and their collection fees vary by jurisdiction.
- Training Fees: Private training companies set their own prices for Level 1, 2, or 3 courses. Nobody knows what the market rate for a mandatory 50-round live-fire class will look like yet, but it won't be cheap.
Once you find the perfect gun at our shop:
- You pay the purchase price of the firearm, plus the standard $33.00 WSP background check fee.
What this means for us at Sportco and Outdoor Emporium
When May 1, 2027 arrives, FFL dealers are legally transformed from simple retailers into state compliance checkpoints. It will be mandatory for us to verify your Permit to Purchase ID number before we can even start a firearm sale.
If we fail to do this, our state firearms license goes on the chopping block. Losing that license immediately shuts down all gun sales in our building. We love our community, but please understand: we will not be cutting corners or bypassing these requirements. Sportco and Outdoor Emporium is a family-run business. The team members standing behind our counters have families to feed, rent to pay, and mortgages to maintain. They are part of the Sportco and Outdoor Emporium family, and keeping this business compliant keeps them employed. Please come prepared!
The Fine Print: Continuous Backgrounds, Gifts, & Inheritances
The legislation changes a few other household rules you should know about:
- The Eyes of the State: A 5-year permit or CPL is no longer "set it and forget it." The WSP is mandated to run annual background rechecks on all active permit holders. If a holder becomes disqualified or ineligible at any point, the state flags the file and revokes the CPL and Permit to Purchase immediately.
- Pawn Redemptions: If you place a firearm in a pawn shop for a short-term loan, you must have an active, valid Permit to Purchase to legally redeem and retrieve your weapon.
- Family Gifts: True, bona fide family gifts (where absolutely no money, barter, or services change hands) are still exempt from an FFL dealer background check. This applies to immediate family only (spouses, parents, siblings, children, grandparents, nieces/nephews, and aunts/uncles—sorry, cousins and long-time unmarried partners do not count). The Big Catch: While the transfer doesn't require an FFL, the family member receiving the gun must hold a valid permit to purchase. Gifting a family heirloom rifle to your adult child for their birthday without them having a permit makes the transfer illegal for both of you. Also, remember there is no interstate gifting without an FFL—federal law always requires crossing state lines to go dealer-to-dealer.
- Firearm Inheritances: Because inheritances are involuntary transfers caused by death, an heir does not need a permit to purchase or an FFL background check to take physical possession of inherited firearms from an estate. The executor can distribute the guns directly to heirs named in a will. However, the heir must be legally eligible to own a firearm under state and federal law (no prohibited possessors). If you inherit a handgun, you must still file a formal transfer report with the WA Department of Licensing (DOL) within 60 days. And again, federal law always requires a firearm crossing state lines to go dealer-to-dealer, this included inherited firearms.
The best defense against a shifting legal landscape is being completely informed. Stay safe, stay legal, and let's get ready for 2027 together.
A direct link to HB1163-S2.SL, session law. https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=1163&Year=2025&Initiative=false
A direct link to WSP GetapermitWA.org. https://getapermitwa.org/
