Citation(s) from the GunPolicy.org literature library
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 2024 ‘Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms in Washington.’ Hardware & Ammunition. San Francisco, CA: Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. 19 November
Relevant contents
Machine Guns and Automatic Firearms in Washington
Washington prohibits any person from manufacturing, owning, buying, selling, loaning, furnishing, transporting, or having in his or her possession or under his or her control any machine gun, or any part designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in a machine gun, to convert a weapon into a machine gun, or to assemble or repair any machine gun. However, it is an affirmative defense to a prosecution brought under this section that the machine gun, was acquired prior to July 1, 1994, and is possessed in compliance with federal law. Federal law generally allows private citizens to possess machine guns manufactured prior to May 19, 1986 so long as they are registered.
In Washington, all machine guns, or any part designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in a machine gun, to convert a weapon into a machine gun are declared to be contraband, and all peace officers and members of the armed forces are required to seize machine guns or machine gun parts.
Finally the state prohibits any person, in the commission or furtherance of a felony, to discharge, menace or threaten another person with a machine gun…
[Editor's note: The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence regularly updates its webpages with new data as US gun regulation evolves state by state. For the most up-to-date information on US gun laws, please refer to the Giffords URL below]
Last accessed at:
https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/machine-guns-automatic-firearms-in-washington/