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My Washington carry license is due to expire in August. As I recall from my last visit to the Clark County Sheriff's Office five years ago, I left my firearm in the Jeep and went in with a concealed holster. Has anyone been in there recently and up to speed on the legality of concealed carry when you go in to renew your license? I much prefer to not leave my firearm in the car but will follow their rules/law without question. Thanks.
 
RCW 9.41.300: Weapons prohibited in certain places

Here is the pertaining part of the law,

1) It is unlawful for any person to enter the following places when he or she knowingly possesses or knowingly has under his or her control a weapon:

(a) The restricted access areas of a jail, or of a law enforcement facility, or any place used for the confinement of a person (i) arrested for, charged with, or convicted of an offense, (ii) held for extradition or as a material witness, or (iii) otherwise confined pursuant to an order of a court, except an order under chapter 13.32A or 13.34 RCW. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of egress or ingress open to the general public;

(b) Those areas in any building which are used in connection with court proceedings, including courtrooms, jury rooms, judge's chambers, offices and areas used to conduct court business, waiting areas, and corridors adjacent to areas used in connection with court proceedings. The restricted areas do not include common areas of ingress and egress to the building that is used in connection with court proceedings, when it is possible to protect court areas without restricting ingress and egress to the building. The restricted areas shall be the minimum necessary to fulfill the objective of this subsection (1)(b).

For purposes of this subsection (1)(b), "weapon" means any firearm, explosive as defined in RCW 70.74.010, or any weapon of the kind usually known as slung shot, sand club, or metal knuckles, or any knife, dagger, dirk, or other similar weapon that is capable of causing death or bodily injury and is commonly used with the intent to cause death or bodily injury.

In addition, the local legislative authority shall provide either a stationary locked box sufficient in size for pistols and key to a weapon owner for weapon storage, or shall designate an official to receive weapons for safekeeping, during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building. The locked box or designated official shall be located within the same building used in connection with court proceedings. The local legislative authority shall be liable for any negligence causing damage to or loss of a weapon either placed in a locked box or left with an official during the owner's visit to restricted areas of the building.

The local judicial authority shall designate and clearly mark those areas where weapons are prohibited, and shall post notices at each entrance to the building of the prohibition against weapons in the restricted areas;

(c) The restricted access areas of a public mental health facility certified by the department of social and health services for inpatient hospital care and state institutions for the care of the mentally ill, excluding those facilities solely for evaluation and treatment. Restricted access areas do not include common areas of egress and ingress open to the general public;

(d) That portion of an establishment classified by the state liquor control board as off-limits to persons under twenty-one years of age; or

(e) The restricted access areas of a commercial service airport designated in the airport security plan approved by the federal transportation security administration, including passenger screening checkpoints at or beyond the point at which a passenger initiates the screening process. These areas do not include airport drives, general parking areas and walkways, and shops and areas of the terminal that are outside the screening checkpoints and that are normally open to unscreened passengers or visitors to the airport. Any restricted access area shall be clearly indicated by prominent signs indicating that firearms and other weapons are prohibited in the area.



If you go to the court house where I live the sheriffs office is in the same building and that is where you take your gun to "check in". In the town where I work if you try to into the building at all there is a security area at the front door. There are keyed lockers for you to put your stuff in and a guard to over see that along with other stuff.



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Thank you kindly for the information. While I am basically familiar with the WA laws, I'm not sure if the Clark County people have deemed the building I am going into as a restricted area for any reason. I don't know if there are any court or mental health facilities in or connected to the building that could be an issue. And due to the difficult parking around the building, I don't want to get turned away at the door and have to go back to secure my weapon in my vehicle ... which I would do rather than turning it over to them for safe keeping. It's not a big deal. I just thought someone may have recently been in there thus know the drill.
 
I know Thurston County has a secured safe that you can lock up you firearm in. It atkes about 10 mins for a Sheriff to be dispatched to meet you. I just leave it in the truck as the time is longer to wait twice than to run in without it. I also now have a safe mounted to my floorboard of the truck.
 
My wife and I went up to the Clark County Sheriff's Office yesterday to renew our out-of-state licenses. We did not see any firearm related signage or notices at the door and there were no magnetometers. As has been our past experience, the people we dealt with were friendly, professional, and courteous. We were out the door within fifteen minutes. They do it right in Vancouver :)
 
I am not giving any advice on the Sheriffs office because I don't know.

I do know when I went to court in Battle Ground to fight a speeding ticket and by the way I won........ They have a person that allows you to check in your weapon while you go to court and when you leave you pick it up. Pretty cool I think.

As for the Sheriffs office I would just leave it in the car as you are in there for only 10 mins. No big deal. Just my opinion though.
 
The front desk area is a public area and there is no restrictions on carry. i walked with my 45 under my shirt renewed and left. 15 minutes but only because a new resident was asking questions about CPL. They also only take cash or checks.
 
When I was there last year to get my CPL, I noticed signage before I went in that said no weapons were allowed in the sheriffs office. I did not see any lockers to put your stuff in, there also weren't medal detectors. Because of this I actually treked back to the car to put my knives I was carrying back in the car, I didn't have my gun on me because I didn't have my CPL yet, only my Oregon CHL. It may have changed since then, but there was signage as of last year.
 
Just registered my change of address on my Oregon CHL. In WA county i walked into the front door, looked around, no signs saying "NO CARRY" walked into CHL office, discussed my address change, went to the cashier ( different office same builiding) paid her, went back to CHL office and nowhere did I see any signage saying not to.
 
Just registered my change of address on my Oregon CHL. In WA county i walked into the front door, looked around, no signs saying "NO CARRY" walked into CHL office, discussed my address change, went to the cashier ( different office same builiding) paid her, went back to CHL office and nowhere did I see any signage saying not to.

Right when you walk in to the first set of double doors, on the left side, before the receptionist guy, there is a big brown sign, about 18x36" with about 3/4" white lettering that says there are no weapons allowed in the building. It's not at the cashiers office on the bottom floor, and not at the CHL office on the top, it's before you enter the building.
You absolutely cannot carry in the Washington County Sheriffs office, and it is marked. Sorry you missed it, and your lucky you didn't get caught carrying there.
 
Right when you walk in to the first set of double doors, on the left side, before the receptionist guy, there is a big brown sign, about 18x36" with about 3/4" white lettering that says there are no weapons allowed in the building. It's not at the cashiers office on the bottom floor, and not at the CHL office on the top, it's before you enter the building.
You absolutely cannot carry in the Washington County Sheriffs office, and it is marked. Sorry you missed it, and your lucky you didn't get caught carrying there.

Well if that is the case the then HAVE to comply with state law list above.

WA does not have a marking requirements but it could be argued that it was not obvious. On top of that unless you are in one of the restricted areas listed in http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9.41.300 the worst they can do is ask you to leave. So WHY is he lucky he didn't get caught? What law would he actually be charged with breaking?
 
Well if that is the case the then HAVE to comply with state law list above.

WA does not have a marking requirements but it could be argued that it was not obvious. On top of that unless you are in one of the restricted areas listed in RCW 9.41.300: Weapons prohibited in certain places the worst they can do is ask you to leave. So WHY is he lucky he didn't get caught? What law would he actually be charged with breaking?

Why do you want to push it? For what reason? Follow the Sheriff's rules because you will loose plus the jail is right there and you will end up there if you insist on arguing with them. I think you can handle 10 mins w/o a gun to go inside the Sheriff's office. But if you go to argue with them call me as I want to watch. Please call me to argue with them as I want to see you argue the laws with them and I will be a witness for you.

Just remember if you do it pm first as I want to be there to watch.......
 
Why do you want to push it? For what reason? Follow the Sheriff's rules because you will loose plus the jail is right there and you will end up there if you insist on arguing with them.

The Sheriff is not allowed to make up rules relating to firearms. The pre-emption statute dictates what a local authority can control in the realm of firearms and carry is not one of them. Arguing with them when they are in violation of state statute is not unlawful and if they were to arrest, which is not likely, they would be putting themselves into legal jeopardy.
 
Why do you want to push it? For what reason? Follow the Sheriff's rules because you will loose plus the jail is right there and you will end up there if you insist on arguing with them. I think you can handle 10 mins w/o a gun to go inside the Sheriff's office. But if you go to argue with them call me as I want to watch. Please call me to argue with them as I want to see you argue the laws with them and I will be a witness for you.

Just remember if you do it pm first as I want to be there to watch.......

What exactly is being pushed? Following written state law, Chapter 9.41 RCW: Firearms and dangerous weapons is NOT pushing anything. Do you push things when you drive down the road at the posted speed limit? If not then how would one following another state law be "pushing it"?

Sheirff's are NOT allowed to make laws, they are ONLY allowed to enforce the laws of the state. For an LEO to "put me in jail" they have to have legal reason based on law, not their feelings.

Where did I say I would argue with them? I just said I would follow the law.
 
I contacted the county commissioners shortly after they removed the illegal "No weapons allowed" signs at County parks. They said they were in the process of removing the signs at the Sheriff's office while never stating that they were in the wrong to begin with. I haven't been there to check though.

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The "Feedback Score" is low by 4, not everyone posts it I guess.

Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
Washington Arms Collector member
South West Washington Arms Collector member
 
Gentlemen, we have to make sure we stay with the proper state law, of the STATE WE LIVE IN. Some of the people are talking about Washington State (WA), some are talking about Washington County, OREGON,,,,different state, different laws.

In WA, it is legal, and will not be posted otherwise, to carry into the common Public areas of the Sheriffs office. Behind the coded doors, it is NOT legal, (unless you are specifically exempt) and it will NOT be posted....but the Sheriff is reqired to supply a lock box for your weapon if you are invited behind those locked doors. see RCW 9.41.300

As to Oregons laws? That someone else will have to supply the information.
 

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