Concealed Carry Permit in Tacoma: Apply, Costs, Restrictions

To get a concealed carry permit in Tacoma, you apply for a Washington Concealed Pistol License (CPL) through South Sound 911, which processes applications for Pierce County. Washington is a shall-issue state, so if you meet the statutory criteria, the issuing authority must grant the license.¹ No training course is required. You pass a background check, pay the fee, and the card arrives in the mail.

Who Qualifies

You must be at least 21.¹ Beyond that, Washington law lists specific disqualifiers. Any one of them blocks the license:

A felony conviction, which bars firearm possession entirely under state law.²
Certain domestic violence-related misdemeanors, including fourth-degree assault, coercion, stalking, reckless endangerment, first-degree criminal trespass, and protection order violations when committed against a family or household member.²
An outstanding warrant for any felony or misdemeanor.¹
Pending felony charges, or release on bond for a felony offense.
A court finding of incompetency, or a court-ordered involuntary inpatient mental health commitment within the past year.¹
An active protection order related to domestic violence, stalking, or firearms restrictions under Chapter 7.105 RCW.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, there’s an added step. Washington requires a separate alien firearm license from the county sheriff before you can possess or carry a firearm at all. That license is valid for one year.³

How to Apply Through South Sound 911

Tacoma residents and people in unincorporated Pierce County apply through South Sound 911, not directly through the Tacoma Police Department or Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.⁴ You can start online through the Permitium portal any time of day, or walk into the South Sound 911 office during business hours.⁵

Bring valid photo identification to your fingerprint appointment. A current Washington driver’s license, state ID card, passport, military ID, or equivalent out-of-state ID will work.⁵ The application asks for your Social Security number, physical description, and contact details. Match the information to your ID exactly, because mismatches slow processing.

Every first-time applicant gets fingerprinted. The same goes for anyone whose previous license expired more than 90 days ago. When you apply online, scheduling the fingerprint appointment is built into the submission.⁴ Your prints go to both the Washington State Patrol and the FBI for a criminal history search.⁶

What It Costs

South Sound 911 charges the following for CPL services:⁴

Original license: $48
Renewal: $32
Late renewal: $42 (includes a $10 penalty)
Replacement for a lost, stolen, or amended card: $10
Alien firearm license: $83

Online applications add a non-refundable $5.50 convenience fee plus a credit card processing charge that varies by transaction. The statute sets the base original fee at $36 plus pass-through FBI charges and prohibits local governments from tacking on additional fees.¹

How Long It Takes

After you submit the application and complete fingerprinting, the issuing authority has up to 30 days to issue the license or send a written denial.¹ If you don’t hold a Washington driver’s license or state ID, or you haven’t been a Washington resident for the previous 90 consecutive days, the window extends to 60 days so out-of-state records can be checked. Non-residents can also apply, and the 60-day window applies to them too.

The physical card comes by mail. You have to carry it whenever you have a concealed pistol on your person, and show it to law enforcement when asked. Carrying concealed without the card on you is a Class 1 civil infraction.⁷

Where the License Doesn’t Let You Carry

A CPL doesn’t override location bans. Washington prohibits firearms in several places regardless of whether you hold a license:⁸

Restricted-access areas of jails, detention facilities, and law enforcement buildings.
Courtrooms, jury deliberation rooms, witness waiting areas, and administrative court offices.
State psychiatric hospitals such as Western State Hospital and Eastern State Hospital.

One useful exception: you can keep a concealed firearm in a private vehicle at these locations, as long as it stays in the vehicle and out of sight.⁸ For federal school zones, a Washington CPL satisfies the licensed-carrier exception to the Gun-Free School Zones Act.

There is one trap worth knowing about. Federal law bars any “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” from possessing a firearm or ammunition.⁹ Marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law, so regular users are federally prohibited from owning guns even with a valid Washington CPL. The DEA’s move to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III did not change this. The Congressional Research Service has said most collateral consequences for marijuana use, including the firearms prohibition, remain in place after rescheduling.¹⁰

Renewing and Keeping It Current

A Washington CPL is valid for five years from the issue date.¹ You can renew starting 90 days before expiration. Renewal is $32 and does not require new fingerprints.

Miss the expiration date and you get a 90-day grace period with a $10 late penalty added to the renewal fee.¹ Carrying concealed during that window is risky because the license is technically no longer valid. After 90 days, the license is gone. You start over with a new original application, new fingerprints, and the full $48 original fee.

If your card is lost, stolen, damaged, or needs a name or address update, request a replacement from South Sound 911 for $10. The license has to be current and not within 90 days of expiration for a replacement to be issued.⁴

One easy-to-miss deadline: you must notify the issuing agency of any address change within 10 days of the move.¹ Washington doesn’t require you to volunteer that you’re armed during a traffic stop, but if an officer asks for the CPL, you have to produce it.⁷

Carrying in Other States

A Washington CPL has limited reach outside Washington. As of mid-2025, only about ten states have reciprocity agreements, and several recognize only specific permit types. The Washington Attorney General’s current list includes Idaho (enhanced permits only), Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan (excludes non-resident Washington licenses), Montana (enhanced permits only), North Carolina, North Dakota (Class 1 only), Ohio, South Dakota (enhanced and gold permits only), and Utah (excludes provisional permits).¹¹

Where your license is recognized, you follow the host state’s carry laws, not Washington’s. Rules on restricted places, duty to inform officers, and permitted ammunition differ widely. Check the specific laws of any state before you travel armed.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.070 – Concealed Pistol License Application Fee Renewal
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.040 – Unlawful Possession of Firearms
3
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.171 – Alien Firearm License
4
South Sound 911. Concealed Pistol Licenses
5
South Sound 911. South Sound 911 Online Concealed Pistol License Application
6
Washington State Department of Licensing. Fingerprinting and Background Checks
7
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.050 – Carrying Firearms
8
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.300 – Weapons Prohibited in Certain Places
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
10
Congress.gov. Rescheduling Marijuana Implications for Criminal and Collateral Consequences
11
Washington State Office of the Attorney General. Concealed Pistol License Reciprocity