Beginning May 1, 2027, Washington state residents will be required to obtain a state-issued permit before they can purchase a firearm, and that permit will come with a $126 fee, according to the Washington State Patrol. The fee covers a $90 permit charge and a $36 fingerprint background check, the agency confirmed to Ammoland. The requirement represents one of the more significant new costs for gun buyers in a state that already has some of the strictest firearms laws in the country.
Radio host Jason Rantz, who first highlighted the fee, pointed out that the $126 is only part of the expense. Applicants must also complete a state-certified safety course, which means paying for training, ammunition, range time, and travel â all out of pocket on top of the permit fee. âCourse fees, ammunition, range time and travel all come out of the buyerâs pocket on top of the $126,â Rantz said.
The permit-to-purchase system will be administered by the Washington State Patrol, which will issue the permits after applicants meet the stateâs requirements. The fingerprint background check is a mandatory component of the application process. The new fee structure takes effect in May 2027, giving residents roughly a year and a half before the requirement kicks in.
A state already ranked among the toughest on guns
Washingtonâs new permit requirement adds another layer to a regulatory framework that gun control advocacy groups already rate as highly restrictive. Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization affiliated with former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, ranks Washington as the ninth-strictest state in the nation for gun control. The state has universal background checks for handgun purchases, a ten-day waiting period on gun sales, a concealed carry permit requirement, a red flag law, and gun storage laws. It also enforces an âassault weaponsâ ban, a âhigh-capacityâ magazine ban, a bump stock ban, and a registry of all handgun sales. âGhost gunâ regulations are in place, and the state prohibits K-12 teachers from being armed for classroom defense. The permit-to-purchase requirement will sit alongside these existing measures.
The fee itself is not unprecedented in states with similar permitting schemes, but the total cost to a prospective buyer â including the mandated training course â could easily exceed several hundred dollars. For lower-income residents, that could present a barrier. Proponents of permit-to-purchase laws argue they reduce gun violence by ensuring only vetted individuals can buy firearms. Opponents contend such fees amount to a poll tax on a constitutional right and disproportionately affect those who cannot afford the additional expenses.
The Washington State Patrolâs confirmation of the $126 fee provides clarity on a key detail that had been unclear since the law was passed. The breakdown â $90 for the permit and $36 for the fingerprint background check â is fixed, though the cost of the required safety course will vary depending on where applicants take it and what they pay for ammunition and range time. Training providers across the state will likely see increased demand as the deadline approaches.
What comes next
With the May 1, 2027 start date set, Washington residents who intend to purchase a firearm will need to factor the permit fee and training expenses into their plans. The state will issue the permits through the Washington State Patrol, and applicants will need to pass a state-certified safety course before receiving one. The new system is part of a broader trend in Democratic-led states to impose permitting requirements on gun buyers, though the specific fee and process vary by state.
For now, the $126 figure is confirmed, and the additional costs remain an open-ended expense that buyers will bear. As the implementation date approaches, further details about the application process and approved training courses are expected to emerge from the Washington State Patrol.
Source: www.breitbart.com â https://www.breitbart.com/2nd-amendment/2026/10/15/washington-charge-residents-126-shop-guns/