North Central Washington is an Outdoor Paradise. Regain Your Right to Hunt, Shoot and Bear Arms Today
Your past does not have to dictate your future. If you lost your right to possess firearms due to a criminal conviction you may be eligible to restore your right to own and possess a gun. Whether it is time to take possession of your grandfather’s rifle, take a shotgun trapshooting at the local gun club or join a friend for a mule deer hunting in the mountains above Wenatchee, your right to bear arms might be closer than you think.
- RCW 9.41.040(4) governs resorting firearm rights in Washington State. In most cases you may be eligible to restore your right to own a gun even after you have been convicted of felony or a lower-level domestic violence misdemeanor offense.
To restore firearm rights in Washington state after a felony conviction, the following requirements must be met:
- The individual must have completed their sentence and any community custody requirements.
- The individual must not have been convicted of any crime for at least five consecutive years. These five years do not necessarily have to be the most recent years.
- The individual must not have any pending charges against them anywhere.
- The individual must not have been convicted of a class A felony or any sex offense.
- All felony points must have “washed” before the individual can petition the court to restore their firearm rights. “Washing” refers to the process by which certain felony convictions are reduced to misdemeanor convictions for purposes of firearm rights restoration. While this is the general rule, not all cases require felony points to wash.
To restore firearm rights in Washington state after a domestic violence misdemeanor conviction, the following requirements must be met:
- The individual must have completed all the conditions of their sentence, including any court-ordered treatment programs.
- The individual must not have been convicted of any crime for at least three consecutive years. These three years do not necessarily have to be the most recent years.
- The individual must not have any pending charges against them anywhere.
- The individual must not have been convicted of a class A felony or any sex offense.
- All felony points must have “washed” before the individual can petition the court to restore their firearm rights.
Steps to Restoration
It is important to note that restoration of firearm rights is not guaranteed, and the court may consider a variety of factors in determining whether to grant the petition for restoration of firearm rights. Additionally, the process for restoring firearm rights can be complex, and it is recommended that individuals seeking restoration of their firearm rights consult with an attorney or other qualified professional for guidance.
Benefits of Restoration
- Explanation of the benefits of having firearm rights restored in Washington state (e.g., ability to protect oneself and family, participate in hunting or shooting sports)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, each crime is assessed separately but it is important to note that you need to have your rights restored under each case where a conviction resulted in you losing your rights.
Yes, in Washington some Juvenile convictions are automatically sealed. Just because the case is sealed does not mean your right to own a gun was restored.
No, in Washington a court only has the authority to restore your right to own a firearm for Washington convictions.
