WA State Firearm Policy Updates
October 13, 2026
OPEN LETTER TO SPORTCO NFA CUSTOMERS
Important Information Regarding Suppressors and NFA Transfers in Washington State
To our valued customers,
Recent changes in federal guidance regarding the National Firearms Act (NFA) have raised questions about how suppressors and certain other NFA items may be transferred in Washington State. We want to explain what has changed, what Washington State Patrol (WSP) has communicated, and why Sportco is maintaining its established transfer process.
Our priority is to provide our customers with a consistent, responsible compliance process while the legal implications of these changes are clarified.
- What changed at the federal level?
- On October 9, 2026, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued new guidance stating that it would stop enforcing certain NFA requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and certain “any other weapons” (AOWs).
- These changes include ATF's non-enforcement of certain federal requirements involving prior approval, registration, and tax stamps for these covered items.
- However, ATF has expressly stated that its guidance does not override state or local law. ATF also continues to accept voluntary NFA registration and transfer forms.
- The usual applicable federal firearms requirements, including Form 4473, background checks, recordkeeping, and restrictions on transfers to prohibited persons, remain in effect.
- What did Washington State Patrol say?
Following ATF's announcement, Sportco sought clarification from WSP regarding Washington's background-check system and the continued use of the ATF NFA process.
WSP's first communication
WSP advised that its SAFE system could immediately be used to conduct background checks for NFA items. However, WSP also cautioned that a SAFE background check does not itself register a suppressor with the federal government.
- WSP specifically raised Washington's suppressor statute, RCW 9.41.250(1)(c), specifically addresses the use of a suppressor that is not legally registered and possessed in accordance with federal law. WSP indicated that customers or dealers might still need to use ATF forms to address the state-law requirements.
WSP's second communication
WSP subsequently clarified the limits of its role. Its Firearms Background Division is responsible for conducting background checks, not interpreting the law or investigating and enforcing alleged NFA violations.
WSP confirmed that:
- Using SAFE for NFA background checks is optional, not required.
- Dealers may continue using ATF's NFA process.
- The SAFE background-check fee for an NFA transaction is the same as for a standard firearm transfer.
- WSP did not provide a definitive legal determination that a SAFE background check alone satisfies Washington's suppressor statute, nor did it resolve whether a suppressor transferred without federal registration would meet the statute's requirements.
- Why does Washington law matter?
- Washington's RCW 9.41.250(1)(c) specifically addresses the use of a suppressor that is not legally registered and possessed in accordance with federal law.
- ATF has stated that it cannot determine whether an unregistered item held under its new federal enforcement policy qualifies as legally registered or lawfully held for purposes of state law.
This leaves an important question for Washington customers:
How will Washington interpret its existing law now that ATF has changed its enforcement policy?
A SAFE background check determines background-check eligibility; it does not create federal NFA registration. Likewise, ATF's decision not to enforce certain federal requirements does not, by itself, settle how Washington law applies.
Until this issue is authoritatively clarified, Sportco believes it is prudent to maintain a documented, established compliance process.
- Sportco's policy
Sportco will continue to process suppressor transfers using ATF Form 4.
We recognize that ATF's new guidance has changed the federal enforcement landscape and that other dealers may choose different procedures. Our decision is based on our commitment to conservative compliance and reducing legal uncertainty for our customers and our business. And let’s be real here, the ATF Form 4 is cheaper, and we typically get a much quicker response from the ATF, it also gets around the uncertainty of the 10 business day waiting period potentially applying to suppressors.
Continuing with the Form 4 process provides customers with an established federal registration and background check, which satisfies both state and federal laws. We believe maintaining that documentation is the most prudent approach to protect all parties (Buyer and Seller) while questions regarding Washington law remain unresolved.
Our commitment to you
We understand that changes in federal guidance can be confusing, especially when federal and state requirements do not provide a clear, consistent answer.
We will continue to monitor official guidance and seek clarification as needed. We appreciate your patience and your understanding that our decision is intended to support responsible, documented compliance.
Thank you for choosing Sportco.
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/
