New Firearm Rights Restoration Law in Washington

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It’s Now More Difficult to Restore Gun Rights

The Washington legislature passed a whole new law regarding firearm rights and possession, including a new standard for restoring gun rights in Washington State.

The new restoration law still allows firearm restoration for those convicted of felonies and domestic violence misdemeanors, but the law makes it more difficult to restore those rights. Some of those new requirements to restoration are:

  1. You cannot have any convictions for felonies or misdemeanors in the 5 years immediately before applying for restoration.
  2. All fines and fees must be paid on the disqualifying charges except outstanding restitution.
  3. All court ordered treatment must be completed on disqualifying felonies and misdemeanors.
  4. An out-of-state disqualifying conviction may prohibit the restoration in Washington.

This new law will take some time for courts to figure out and there will likely be conflicts in how it is interpreted that could take years to straighten out. It’s more important than before to consult with an attorney to see if you qualify for restoration under the new law and make sure your rights are restored correctly.