by AWR Hawkins
Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed Democrat legislation into law Tuesday mandating a permit requirement for gun purchases.
The legislation was House Bill 1163 and it goes into effect May 1, 2027.
The Washington State Standard noted that the permit requirement will do two things: 1) require would-be gun purchasers to pay a fee to acquire a permit, and 2) require would-be gun purchasers to “[complete] a certified firearms safety training program” in order to get the permit. Once a Washington state resident does these things he receives a permit that lasts five years.
Opponents of the bill argued that the state already has universal background checks, which means a point-of-sale check was already required on all sales. Opponents noted the state’s background check system “also [requires] proof of completion of a firearm safety course,” but Ferguson was undaunted.
Ferguson said, “Gun violence in Washington state breaks apart too many families and kills too many children…We must put commonsense reforms into place that save lives.”
Mike Bloomberg-affiliated Everytown for Gun Safety praised the passage of 1163 in April, describing it as “life-saving permit to purchase legislation.” The bill passed along party lines, without any Republican support.
Washington state has universal background checks, a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, an “assault weapons” ban, a red flag law, gun storage requirements, a bump stock ban, and numerous other gun controls. Despite these myriad controls, 1163’s sponsor, state Rep. Liz Berry (D), made clear more gun control will be forthcoming.
She said, “This bill is transformative for our state, and we’re not done. We’ve got more to do.”
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