State Gun Laws

If the judge orders the abuser to give up (surrender) his/her firearms, s/he will be required to surrender them to the local law enforcement agency.¹ If you are the abuser’s intimate partner or family or household member, it may be possible for you to be notified prior to the firearms being returned. The law says that a family or household member or an intimate partner can use “an incident or case number” to request notification from law enforcement when the firearms are going to be returned.² The same case number (or “cause number”) that is on your protection order should also be on the order to surrender, proof of surrender, and receipt for the weapons.

The law also requires that any person identified in a no-contact order, restraining order, or protection order be notified when firearms are being returned, along with any victim of a crime that resulted in the firearms being surrendered.³

From the moment you are notified, law enforcement must wait at least five business days before returning the firearms.⁴

¹ R.C.W. § 9.41.800(6)
² R.C.W. § 9.41.340(1)
³ R.C.W. § 9.41.340(1)(a)(ii)
⁴ R.C.W. §§ 9.41.340(1)(b); 9.41.345(3)