Washington How long of a wait time are you guys experiencing for handgun purchases? (Vancouver, Washington)

[Member 24180]

I purchased a handgun and filled out the paperwork on the morning of March 8 in Vancouver, WA.

Still waiting.

What are the wait times that you guys are experiencing?

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[McWilly8884]

New Firearm Purchases for Pistols will be 10 days, If it was a Private party transfer or you use a PIN via the NICS submittal you could get it in 3. Most likely you'll have to wait the 10 days, which you have. I would contact the FFL you made the purchased at, and you should be able to pick it up.

 

[sixylix]

You should be able to go pick it up now if you filled out the paperwork on 3/8. I believe the rules are (at the present moment):

• For handguns you wait until the background check is completed or 10 full business days, which ever comes first.
• For semi-automatic rifles, minimum of 10 days or when the background check clears, which ever comes last (as far as I've experienced).
• All others, no wait (my 308 Tikka bolt action was immediate)

It all depends on the speed of your local police agency doing the background check. For my last three purchases: paperwork on Thursday, pickup the following Wednesday; paperwork on Wednesday, pickup on Friday of the following week; paperwork on Tuesday, still pending (it was this last Tuesday ).

 

[Member 24180]

New Firearm Purchases for Pistols will be 10 days, If it was a Private party transfer or you use a PIN via the NICS submittal you could get it in 3. Most likely you'll have to wait the 10 days, which you have. I would contact the FFL you made the purchased at, and you should be able to pick it up.

I'm on business day 13 and consecutive day 17. Paperwork was filled out the morning of March 8. I asked if they would release the handgun to me. They said they can't. They said that they would call to see what the holdup is. I'm curious what wait times others are experiencing.

 

[McWilly8884]

I'm on business day 13 and consecutive day 17. Paperwork was filled out the morning of March 8. I asked if they would release the handgun to me. They said they can't. They said that they would call to see what the holdup is. I'm curious what wait times others are experiencing.

I'm going to say there is something else going on if they are not releasing your firearm to you........ Is this your first firearm purchase? It can also be a the discretion of the store/FFL but you have exceeded the 10 day period and unless you were flagged on your paperwork they should have released the firearm to you FYI, or told you it was rejected and they hand you a paper to call who conducted the check.

 

[osprey]

I'm on business day 13 and consecutive day 17. Paperwork was filled out the morning of March 8. I asked if they would release the handgun to me. They said they can't. They said that they would call to see what the holdup is. I'm curious what wait times others are experiencing.

Can't or Won't? It is a rhetorical question of course.

 

[Member 24180]

I'm going to say there is something else going on if they are not releasing your firearm to you........ Is this your first firearm purchase? It can also be a the discretion of the store/FFL but you have exceeded the 10 day period and unless you were flagged on your paperwork they should have released the firearm to you FYI, or told you it was rejected and they hand you a paper to call who conducted the check.

I have purchased many firearms while a resident of WA state. Never been arrested in my life and I'm a CCL holder. I purchased another handgun just two months ago - no problems except that it took the entire 10 days. They said that they would call and find out what the holdup is.

I understand that they have discretion to release a handgun to me on the 11th day if no word is received back but let's be honest, they run the risk of getting sued for negligent exercise of discretion in civil court under a preponderance of the evidence standard if someone 'goes postal,' so to speak.

 

[Jay Walk]

Eleven hand guns in Vancouver since 2020

Quickest was 12 days
Longest was 17

It's kind of like the $30 car tags

 

[Member 24180]

Can't or Won't? It is a rhetorical question of course.

Yeah.

 

[bradsteen]

Most of my recent handgun purchases have cleared within a few days (5 has been the longest), but my last semi auto rifle purchase took 12 business days instead of 10, cause for delay unknown.

 

[mtndewjustin]

I just did a semi auto, was 6 days.

 

[Alexx1401]

I'm on business day 13 and consecutive day 17. Paperwork was filled out the morning of March 8. I asked if they would release the handgun to me. They said they can't. They said that they would call to see what the holdup is. I'm curious what wait times others are experiencing.

This is asked here and beat up real good fairly often. The answer is there is NO ONE here who can really tell you. Every check can be different even for the same person in the same month. Co worker just bought a handgun few weeks ago. He does not have a WA permit, had never bought a gun before. Took 7 business days and he got the call to come get his gun. Some who have a permit will get held up so long they have to start over. The process gets shuffled through several agencies in the state and they are all staffed by people who can't be fired and do not care. Ever get a drivers license here? Think of the people there running the paper pushing for your gun.
As for the dealer. All of then "can" let the gun walk after the 10 business days. MANY will not do so due to the AG of this state. So bottom line someone else getting the OK in a few days really means nothing for anyone else. Its going to take as long as it takes sadly.

 

[Alexx1401]

I'm going to say there is something else going on if they are not releasing your firearm to you........ Is this your first firearm purchase? It can also be a the discretion of the store/FFL but you have exceeded the 10 day period and unless you were flagged on your paperwork they should have released the firearm to you FYI, or told you it was rejected and they hand you a paper to call who conducted the check.

Have you ever actually tried that? Ask the FFL who you can call to find out what the hold up is? You will find there is no such thing as a person you can call who will tell you what is going on here as far as the state. If the dealer did not hear anything yet it just means the stuff is getting shuffled from one person to another who does not care how long they take. Its real easy for those who do not own an FFL to say they "should" just let the gun walk. Easy to say that when you have nothing to lose by telling them that. Most who have an FFL don't risk it. I don't blame them. A LOT of gun owners did this to themselves and they want others to fix the pain they inflicted on themselves with their poor choices.

 

[drstrangelove]

6-9d lately, but my FFL honors the 10d

 

[Member 24180]

This is asked here and beat up real good fairly often. The answer is there is NO ONE here who can really tell you. Every check can be different even for the same person in the same month. Co worker just bought a handgun few weeks ago. He does not have a WA permit, had never bought a gun before. Took 7 business days and he got the call to come get his gun. Some who have a permit will get held up so long they have to start over. The process gets shuffled through several agencies in the state and they are all staffed by people who can't be fired and do not care. Ever get a drivers license here? Think of the people there running the paper pushing for your gun.
As for the dealer. All of then "can" let the gun walk after the 10 business days. MANY will not do so due to the AG of this state. So bottom line someone else getting the OK in a few days really means nothing for anyone else. Its going to take as long as it takes sadly.

Yeah, I was just wondering if background checks through Vancouver PD were taking unusually long right now.

 

[Member 24180]

This is asked here and beat up real good fairly often. The answer is there is NO ONE here who can really tell you. Every check can be different even for the same person in the same month. Co worker just bought a handgun few weeks ago. He does not have a WA permit, had never bought a gun before. Took 7 business days and he got the call to come get his gun. Some who have a permit will get held up so long they have to start over. The process gets shuffled through several agencies in the state and they are all staffed by people who can't be fired and do not care. Ever get a drivers license here? Think of the people there running the paper pushing for your gun.
As for the dealer. All of then "can" let the gun walk after the 10 business days. MANY will not do so due to the AG of this state. So bottom line someone else getting the OK in a few days really means nothing for anyone else. Its going to take as long as it takes sadly.

Yeah, I'm just frustrated. Was hoping to take it to the range tomorrow.

 

[mtndewjustin]

From what they told me, the more common your name is the longer it takes.

 

[Alexx1401]

Yeah, I'm just frustrated. Was hoping to take it to the range tomorrow.

I hear you, it is FRUSTRATING as all hell right now but, again sadly many gun owners did this to themselves and its only going to keep getting worse as more and more refuse to even try. Meanwhile every scum who should not have a gun can just buy anything they want any time they want. Then the same people making your sale a hassle make excuses for he scum when they are caught.

 

[Stomper]

I hear you, it is FRUSTRATING as all hell right now but, again sadly many gun owners did this to themselves and its only going to keep getting worse as more and more refuse to even try. Meanwhile every scum who should not have a gun can just buy anything they want any time they want. Then the same people making your sale a hassle make excuses for he scum when they are caught.

…… caught, or re-elected.

 

[DLS]

Use a different FFL, one that follows the statutes not some ill conceived opinion that they are "safer" if the go beyond what the statutes require.

SafeFire in Camas will release at the 10 day point if the check has not come back. I've been told there are others in Clark County.