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I am moving to tacoma in a couple of months from indiana. I have read the laws and just wanted some clarification in english rather than the jibberish the government puts out. A liscens to carry in WA allows both concealed and open carry? And for those that do, do LEO give hard time if u open? Or if your concealed is spotted and accidently becomes partially visible? Also i am looking forward to lots of hiking! Is open carry then ever become an issue or guarantee getting stopped? I always conceal except when hiking sometimes. Thanks for your help in advance.
 
Next to Indiana... well, Welcome To Hell. Only improvements are less searing Hot & Humid summers, less snow in winters, and no tornado season. My folks were moved out here by the USAF after bouncing all over the globe in '66 from there, and I'm contemplating reversing that...

Best starting point is to order yourself a copy of our own @Dave Workman 's Washington State Gun Rights & Responsibilities--Dave's a key player in SAF and CCRKBA, so has a pretty good bead on the nasty sausagemaking of our firearms laws and politics.

Expect no mercy, to the Dems that run this place you will always be "just another unwanted stupid backwater hick invading their utopia."

All that aside, welcome aboard!
 
A wa cpl is good for open and concealed.
I've never had an issue with Leo in Tacoma. They're very professional.
I oc when hiking and have never had an issue. You might get a look at the touristy areas but if you go out to some of the more remote areas everybody is carrying.
 
I am moving to tacoma in a couple of months from indiana. I have read the laws and just wanted some clarification in english rather than the jibberish the government puts out. A liscens to carry in WA allows both concealed and open carry? And for those that do, do LEO give hard time if u open? Or if your concealed is spotted and accidently becomes partially visible? Also i am looking forward to lots of hiking! Is open carry then ever become an issue or guarantee getting stopped? I always conceal except when hiking sometimes. Thanks for your help in advance.

You can open carry. You will often attract attention if you do. MANY liberals and snowflakes here. Often a business will hassle you about it. Police will be called, they will let it go of course. The cops don't really like it because it will get them a lot of calls but most will just shrug it off. If it shows by accident you are fine. An amazing number of the people are oblivious to the world around them. Out in the wild most will not care or even really notice.
 
Permitless open carry is legal in WA. You cannot carry a handgun in a vehicle without one, however. If you have a license, you must carry your handgun in a vehicle on your person (i simplify this)Concealed pistol license is shall issue in WA, meaning you can get one unless you're legally barred from possession of a firearm. Police officers are individuals, and their reaction to open carry may vary. There are some fairly bad places in Tacoma regarding gang activity, including shootings. Passive aggressiveness should be the motto of western WA, so be prepared to be judged silently and viciously, sometimes followed by anonymous "tips" to law enforcement.
A concealed pistol license will allow you to skirt waiting periods for purchasing a handgun. There is no wait period for long or shot guns.
That may get you started. Welcome to WA when you get here.
 
Places you can't legally carry, even with a CHP:

Bars (restaurants separated from the bar is ok).

Drink at you own risk but there is no law saying you can't.

You can pickup and drop off kids in public schools parking lots but can not enter the school.

You can not go into a building that has a mental help facility. Ie Hospital is ok if no mental help center. Kaiser Clinic with a mental help area in it is a no go.

Postal buildings.

Government buildings - Fed/state/county/city admin buildings.


Sign saying No firearms on private property are not law, the most they can do is ask you to leave if the see it - i.e. Target or Starbucks.

Go concealed unless in the woods would be my advice and what I do.





I've been asked to leave at a fireworks stand on the 4th of July when I open carried a large revolver on my hip and was dressed well - no signs just nervous employees (I was 5 people from checking out so I had been in there for awhile lol).
 
The carry permit has NOTHING to do with open carry
You can legally open carry anywhere *except court rooms etc* in washington. They have a preemptive clause that states no municipality can have stricter laws than the state laws
On guns,knives are different.
Now the real deal.
You would get stopped,well it has happened many times,if you were to open carry in downtown Tacoma or Seattle. And some others. Legal or not they feel the need to harass folks in most cases. We had some guy on here that said he has never been bothered but he looked like G Gordon Liddy too,lol
Plus there is no 'printing' BS. Some don't like to print or 'show' but it isn't against the law since you can open carry.
As far as hiking you can carry in all parks and forests. The parks can't restrict carry per state law. And the Feds changed the laws for carry in national parks a few years back because of meth labs poping up it remote areas.
Sorry you have to move to Tacoma. I lived and worked there for 30 some years. I wouldn't live or visit there for love or money
So good luck
 
The carry permit has NOTHING to do with open carry
You can legally open carry anywhere *except court rooms etc* in washington. They have a preemptive clause that states no municipality can have stricter laws than the state laws
On guns,knives are different.
Now the real deal.
You would get stopped,well it has happened many times,if you were to open carry in downtown Tacoma or Seattle. And some others. Legal or not they feel the need to harass folks in most cases. We had some guy on here that said he has never been bothered but he looked like G Gordon Liddy too,lol
Plus there is no 'printing' BS. Some don't like to print or 'show' but it isn't against the law since you can open carry.
As far as hiking you can carry in all parks and forests. The parks can't restrict carry per state law. And the Feds changed the laws for carry in national parks a few years back because of meth labs poping up it remote areas.
Sorry you have to move to Tacoma. I lived and worked there for 30 some years. I wouldn't live or visit there for love or money
So good luck

Some of the areas in National Parks open and concealed carry are not allow in certain places in the parks. I was reading about Glacier National Park for instance:

Laws & Policies - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

I took a cruise up the coast of Alaska I saw several exhibits in Sitka Alaska were done by the nation park service so no open or concealed carry in those places. They had signs outside the entrances.
 
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Places you can't legally carry, even with a CHP:

Bars (restaurants separated from the bar is ok).

Drink at you own risk but there is no law saying you can't.

You can pickup and drop off kids in public schools parking lots but can not enter the school.

You can not go into a building that has a mental help facility. Ie Hospital is ok if no mental help center. Kaiser Clinic with a mental help area in it is a no go.

Postal buildings.

Government buildings - Fed/state/county/city admin buildings.


Sign saying No firearms on private property are not law, the most they can do is ask you to leave if the see it - i.e. Target or Starbucks.

Go concealed unless in the woods would be my advice and what I do.





I've been asked to leave at a fireworks stand on the 4th of July when I open carried a large revolver on my hip and was dressed well - no signs just nervous employees (I was 5 people from checking out so I had been in there for awhile lol).
"You can not go into a building that has a mental help facility. Ie Hospital is ok if no mental help center. Kaiser Clinic with a mental help area in it is a no go."
This is incorrect. The law clearly states that only the secure area of a mental health facility are a prohibited location.

"Government buildings - Fed/state/county/city admin buildings."
This bit is incorrect. The only thing listed that's correct is federal buildings.
There is nothing in the law stating you cannot carry in a state, county, or city admin building.
 
All these people saying you will be stopped for open carry obviously don't open carry.
I must be OC'ing all wrong because I don't get stopped.
 
"You can not go into a building that has a mental help facility. Ie Hospital is ok if no mental help center. Kaiser Clinic with a mental help area in it is a no go."
This is incorrect. The law clearly states that only the secure area of a mental health facility are a prohibited location.

"Government buildings - Fed/state/county/city admin buildings."
This bit is incorrect. The only thing listed that's correct is federal buildings.
There is nothing in the law stating you cannot carry in a state, county, or city admin building.
It depends on the state.
 
"Government buildings - Fed/state/county/city admin buildings."
This bit is incorrect. The only thing listed that's correct is federal buildings.
There is nothing in the law stating you cannot carry in a state, county, or city admin building.

Try getting even a pocket knife into the Clark county admin building and let me know how that goes...

Same for the IRS building or Juvenal court building across the street - even my belt buckle sets those metal detectors off.:rolleyes:
 
All these people saying you will be stopped for open carry obviously don't open carry.
I must be OC'ing all wrong because I don't get stopped.

I believe those of us voting not too said so because you run the 'risk' of upsetting the sheeple in and around cities. At least that was my point - not that you'll for sure be stopped but you do have the risk of a soccer mom calling in a guy walking thru Walmart with a gun strapped. At which point you will most likely be paid a visit and questioned because the police have to cover their behinds just in case their is a real threat.
 
All these people saying you will be stopped for open carry obviously don't open carry.
I must be OC'ing all wrong because I don't get stopped.

I did not see anyone saying it was a sure thing. I can tell you if you open carry you will get attention and calls to 911. Some LEO's here just don't care and will put that call on the back burner hoping you are gone when they get around to it. A few will get nasty about it but they are the exception not the rule. You will also get asked to leave many business's. Now if you like this kind of attention then by all means, open carry in T town. It's not against any law and all you will have to lose is some time and or shopping.
 
Try getting even a pocket knife into the Clark county admin building and let me know how that goes...

Same for the IRS building or Juvenal court building across the street - even my belt buckle sets those metal detectors off.:rolleyes:

LOL, last time I was on jury duty I wore a nylon Velcro belt I use to fly. That put everything in my bag I would toss on the belt to make it quicker. Worked multiple times till one of the robots at the door noticed the belt. Said it had to come off. This was after I had been in and out several times that day. Hey they are min wage so you have to expect this. I did notice when it rained they were allowing umbrellas in un checked. I did ask one robot why. They said wet stuff could not go through x-ray. When I got home I got out my nice Gustbuster and was thinking how much stuff I could put it that thing. I thought about sending a letter to the State about this but figured it was pointless since it would most likely be laughed at by the robots who got it.
 
I believe those of us voting not too said so because you run the 'risk' of upsetting the sheeple in and around cities. At least that was my point - not that you'll for sure be stopped but you do have the risk of a soccer mom calling in a guy walking thru Walmart with a gun strapped. At which point you will most likely be paid a visit and questioned because the police have to cover their behinds just in case their is a real threat.

I can assure you in Ttown you will get calls to 911. It's what happens after the call goes out. Often an Officer will ask a supervisor to either cancel the call or make it a "patrol check". Nice way of saying ignore. Some times no supervisor will, or is busy and does not answer. In that case many Officers take their sweet time getting there hoping you are gone. A lot of the guys who do this probably have no clue how many 911 calls they generate doing this. Some I have no doubt do know and want the attention. The people who answer those 911 calls at the LESA center are amazing. Most could not do that job for even half a shift without throwing down their headset and walking out. It's a job that is highly underpaid for the crap they have to deal with.
 

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