Why It Matters: As the Washington State 2025 legislative session nears, we are anticipating that several anti-gun bills will be revisited. Previous sponsors of Washington House Bill 1902 have demonstrated public support for renewing a “permit to purchase” bill that failed in 2024. Bills like this place unnecessary burdens on local police departments, legal hunters and sport shooters, and can be a risk to the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF).
Highlights:
- WA House Bill 1902, permit to purchase firearms, failed in 2024 but is likely to be renewed in 2025, according to recent press releases from past bill supporters and sponsors.
- A similar measure passed in Oregon has been deadlocked in court since its passage in 2022.
- Law-abiding hunters and sport shooters play a vital role in the American System of Conservation. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and our partners will continue to support this system and legal recreation.
As the Washington State Legislative session nears, there are several early indicators, including recent press releases from anti-gun organizations, as to the level of firearms legislation that will be brought forward this coming year. WA House Bill 1902 is likely to be reintroduced in 2025 with past sponsors showing renewed support. Had it passed in 2024, HB 1902 would have required a permit for the purchase of any firearm in Washington State. To obtain this permit, individuals would be required to complete a firearms training course, pass a criminal background check, and have their fingerprints taken. As proposed in HB 1902 the permit would be valid for a period of five years and cost $28 per application/renewal, not including additional fingerprinting processing fees due with the first application (should Washington State Patrol decide to charge fingerprinting fees pursuant to RCW 43.43.742).
The permit to purchase firearms is not a completely new concept. For example, in 2022, Ballot Measure 114 was enacted by voters in Oregon requiring a permit to purchase. Bills like these place heavy burdens on police departments and agencies by adding additional reviews on top of the already federally mandated background checks at the time of purchase. The administrative burden and questions of constitutionality led several sheriffs in Oregon to vow that they will not enforce the rule. In addition, several lawsuits were immediately filed in November 2022 which have held that bill’s future in limbo as the appeals process continues two years later. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation filed an amicus brief in support of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) backed case against Measure 114 in Oregon. If a permit to purchase were to pass in Washington State during the 2025 session, it will almost assuredly face similar legal battles as Oregon’s Measure 114, and may create similar constitutionality concerns for Washington sheriffs and enforcement offices as seen in Oregon.
Law-abiding hunters and recreational shooters play a vital role in conservation which receives a large portion of its funding through the American System of Conservation Funding. Bills that are overly restrictive on those legal participants can have a cooling effect on firearms purchases for hunting and recreation, thereby impacting the Pittman-Robertson Fund. States like Washington rely heavily on money from that fund to support habitat work, wildlife and fish management efforts, and overall conservation efforts. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and our partners will continue our work to advocate for legal hunting and sport shooting throughout the 2025 legislative session.
