Washington Gun Carrying Soars—Over 700,000 Licenses in State’s History!

Worried about your safety? You're not alone. A lot of people in Washington state are carrying guns. A record number of permits have been issued.

A BIG CHANGE COMING

A lot of people are carrying concealed pistols and more people are hoping to gain concealed pistol licenses in Washington State. Officials from the Washington State Patrol believe the increase is the result of lawmakers' move to tighten up the laws that govern the purchase of guns. One of the new gun laws will go into effect in 2027 and will require state residents to get live-fire training, buy a permit and be fingerprinted all before buying a gun.

GROWING NUMBERS

The change in gun laws is expected to impact thousands of gun buyers in future years. According to the Washington State Department of Licensing at the end of June 709, 334 residents had concealed pistol licenses the most in state history and the number is growing every month.

KING COUNTY LEADING

So where are the most concealed permits held in the state? In King County where some 114,000 people have active concealed carry permits. Under those numbers about 1 out of every 10 residents carry a concealed pistol out of a state population of some 8 million people. The numbers for Yakima County aren't available but Yakima Police and Yakima County Sheriff's offices both allow people to apply for the licenses which are issued by the state.

NO LOCAL NUMBERS

State officials say while the numbers are available on a statewide basis it does not release county-specific data on the number of permits issued mainly for privacy reasons. Currently to obtain a CPL in Washington, you must be 21 or older, meet certain eligibility requirements, and apply through your local law enforcement agency. The fees for CPLs can vary by county and may include fingerprinting fees.