Hi All,
I am a Massachusetts transplant , wife is from WA. I am a gun guy, own rifles, shotguns and pistols like any other person. Bought some guns in WA also, love it here and love the laws........
Anyways, In MA I had to have a permit to Carry. I know WA is a "Right to Carry" state. SO, what are the rules if I dont get a Concealed Permit? Just have to have my WA Drivers License with me? Have to tell you the first few times in the grocery store when I saw a few guys carrying exposed, it made me turn my head, just not use to it yet.... Has anyone ever got hassled or questioned from Police, etc?
I know certain places are no go, like schools, banks, etc. Also, I know if you are involved in a traffic stop, you need to tell the police officer that you are legally armed of course.... Just want to know the rules because I would like my Glock 21 with me for my walks with the wife.....
Thanks
Will Z
Hej Will.
I OC all the time. I OC'd in WA (and OR, and ID) unlicensed from 1970 to 1994. I now have a CPL, which will help if you get one. $52.25 for 5 years at your local Sheriffs office. No government mandated training required, no references, just Fill out the paperwork, get fingerprinted and depending on the county, you can have your CPL that day...or it could take up to 30 days...
two major advantages to a CPL: You no longer have to unload when in a vehicle (general carry), and you do not have to wait when you purchase a new toy.
but until you break down and get a CPL, you MUST understand RCW 9.41...050, 060, 270, 280, 290, and 300 especially. link here:
Chapter 9.41 RCW: FIREARMS AND DANGEROUS WEAPONS
You MUST understand .050. It is the list of general prohibitions (like general CC without a CPL) then you need to read the exceptions to .050 in .060
Loaded OC (or CC) anywhere, including in a vehicle, is legal, without a CPL, if you qualify for an exception granted in RCW 9.41.060. The exception in .060(8) is very broad, and very useful. There are other useful exceptions in .060 depending on what you are doing, or who you are, also, but (8) is the broadest. LE is fairly lenient on their interpretation of what is an "outdoor recreational activity" as long as you are being reasonable. "I'm going hiking" while in a Tux might be questioned. But then legally, you do not have to answer their questions anyway.
OC, what can you do in a vehicle? (general carry, not meeting an exception) Unload you pistol. Once it is unloaded you can do anything you want with it. I always kept my carry in the holster, and the holster on my hip. Then when you get out of the car you reload. I would strongly discourage you leaving any weapon loose in a moving vehicle...it could become dangerous if you were in an accident (a missile). Also, held properly in a holster is less likely to draw unwanted questions.
BTW: This unloaded garbage goes for
long guns too (rifles and shotguns) F&W rules..no ammo in a long gun, chamber or magazine, ever, even if you have a CPL, in or on a vehicle. (lame anti-poaching rule) Only exception here is if you have a disabled hunter's license, or you are LE.
OK, now general OC on foot. You can OC, loaded, unlicensed pretty much anywhere, yep, into a church, store, bank, library, park, city council meeting, the state capitol building, exceptions to general carry are in RCW 9.41.280 (schools) and RCW 9.41.300 (bars and what local governments can restrict,,,not much) If an establishment has a sign posted by the liquor control board as restricted to "21 and over only" (generally called a "bar") you cannot carry in that posted area, CPL or no CPL. If the establishment is a restaurant that serves alcohol, maybe it even has a posted bar attached, you can enter the restaurant and eat and drink...you however cannot enter the bar section armed. (that section will be prominently posted "21 and over only". no kids or guns allowed in posted bars.
May I suggest you visit the Washington forum on OCDO:
Washington (OCDO has a forum for MA too...but it is not very active)
Lots of good people over there on that forum that OC on a regular basis. Lot's of meet and greets, where people have been, businesses that are friendly to OC, and those that are not. It is an active board, you will learn a lot. There also is a sticky that will answer most of your questions.
OK, now for general considerations: LE cannot legally ask you for ID, your CPL, or your weapon unless you are suspected of some specific possible criminal activity. Random stops by LE for a licensed activity (like just to check your DL) are illegal per US Supreme Court, and roadblock stops in WA, OR and ID are illegal per the state Supreme Courts. LE MUST have a reasonable reason to stop you. Your properly (in a holster, not in your hand waving it around) carried OC weapon is not a reasonable reason to stop you here. They cannot ask you for a CPL because none is required. OC (and CC in certain situations) is a legal activity, no license required.
There are a couple people over on OCDO that have won 1983 civil rights law suits against officers/jurisdictions that did not follow the law. It is people like that, that make it easy to OC for the rest of us. They took the fight to the anti's and won.
I would suggest you don't inform when stopped, as being armed has nothing to do with the contact (unless you are suspected of being involved in a CRIME) You do not have to tell an officer you are armed at any time. That said, I keep my DL/insurance card and registration in my center consul. Should I be stopped (doesn't happen often, but it does happen) I pull over, put the car in park, turn off the engine, and retrieve the pertinent information (DL/IC/REG) from the center consul and have it ready for the officer, my hands on the wheel, the information in my hand.
I have carried (vast majority of the time OC) for 43 years. I have never been asked for my CPL, and I have never been disarmed. I have had contact with LE in that period of time. Your mileage may vary.
