SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington state has entered a new era: one that now bans the sale, manufacture and import of assault-style weapons.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill Tuesday that banned most assault-style weapons from being sold, built or imported in the state. Washington is now the 10th state in the United States to ban the sale of assault weapons.
But what does the new law mean for transporting a banned firearm across state lines?
Part of Washington's new law says importing banned semi-automatic weapons is prohibited. This prompted one viewer to ask how this applies to Idahoans who may bring what is now considered an assault weapon into Washington to shoot at the gun range. Additionally, questions have come up about whether Washington residents can buy banned firearms in another state.
THE QUESTIONS
Can an out-of-state resident bring a banned semi-automatic firearm into Washington to use at a gun range? Can Washington residents purchase banned firearms out of state under the new law?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
WHAT WE FOUND
To answer these questions, the Attorney General's office refers to Sec. 2, Subsection 21 of the law that defines import.
According to the law, "Import" means to move, transport or receive an item from a place outside the territorial limits of the state of Washington to a place inside the territorial limits of the state of Washington.
This means none of Washington's banned firearms can be brought into the state and, therefore, Washington residents cannot buy any banned firearms out of state and transport them back to Washington.
As for out-of-state residents, and those moving to Washington, this section of the law means they cannot bring a banned firearm into Washington.
The law also states "'Import' does not mean situations where an individual possesses a large capacity magazine or assault weapon when departing from and returning to Washington state, so long as the individual is returning to Washington in possession of the same large capacity magazine or assault weapon the individual transported out of state."
In other words, Washington residents are free to transport an assault-style weapon they already possess out of the state and back again, just as long as it's the same assault weapon they left with.
HB 1240 went into effect the second Inslee signed it, but lawsuits that challenge this ban have already been filed.
In the meantime, the law gives gun shops a 90-day grace period to sell any banned firearms they already have in stock. However, those weapons can only be sold to customers out of state.
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