How to Get an FFL in Washington: Requirements, Application, and State Rules

To get an FFL in Washington, you need to clear two separate licensing systems: a Federal Firearms License from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and a state dealer’s license issued by your local city or county. A standard Type 01 dealer license runs $200 for an initial three-year federal term, the state dealer endorsement adds $125 per year, and ATF is currently processing applications in about 60 days.¹² The federal license comes first; Washington will not issue the state license until you already hold the FFL.

Who Can Qualify

Under 18 U.S.C. § 923, the ATF must approve your application if you meet every statutory criterion. You must be at least 21 years old, maintain a fixed business premises in the state (no operating out of a vehicle or trailer), and genuinely intend to conduct a firearms business.³ You also cannot have willfully violated the Gun Control Act or withheld material information on a prior application.

Federal law then cross-references 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), which bars whole categories of people from possessing firearms. Any of these will sink your application:

A felony conviction, meaning any crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, regardless of the sentence actually served
Fugitive status
Unlawful use of or addiction to a controlled substance
Adjudication as mentally defective or commitment to a mental institution
Being unlawfully in the United States, or admitted on a nonimmigrant visa (with narrow exceptions)
Dishonorable discharge from the military
Renunciation of U.S. citizenship
Being subject to a qualifying domestic violence protective order
A misdemeanor conviction for a crime of domestic violence

The immigration category trips people up. Legal permanent residents (green card holders) are eligible, but someone on a tourist, student, or work visa generally is not.⁴

Washington adds its own eligibility test for the state dealer license: you cannot be ineligible to possess a firearm under RCW 9.41.040 or ineligible for a concealed pistol license under RCW 9.41.070, and you must submit to fingerprinting and a background check at the local level.⁵

Pick the Right License Type

Not every FFL is a dealer license. The license type sets what you can do and what you pay. The common choices:

Type 01 (Dealer, including gunsmiths): $200 initial, $90 renewal. The standard retail license.
Type 02 (Pawnbroker): $200 initial, $90 renewal. Same scope as Type 01 for pawn transactions.
Type 03 (Collector of curios and relics): $30 initial, $30 renewal. Limited to collecting; does not authorize commercial dealing.
Type 06 (Ammunition manufacturer): $30 initial, $30 renewal.
Type 07 (Manufacturer): $150 initial, $150 renewal. Required if you build or assemble firearms for sale.
Type 08 (Importer): $150 initial, $150 renewal.

Licenses touching destructive devices (Types 09, 10, and 11) cost $3,000 for both the initial application and each renewal.⁶ Every license runs for three years.

Preparing and Filing the Federal Application

The federal application is built around ATF Form 7 (the 7CR), which collects information for every “responsible person” in the business. A responsible person is anyone with the power to direct the management or policies of the business. For a sole proprietorship, that is you alone. For an LLC or corporation, it includes officers, directors, partners, and members with management authority.⁷

Each responsible person completes a separate Part B questionnaire listing legal name, home address, Social Security number, and date of birth.⁸ Along with the form itself, you submit:

Two FD-258 fingerprint cards per responsible person. Local law enforcement agencies usually roll prints, with fees ranging from free to about $35.
One 2-by-2-inch photograph per responsible person.
The application fee by check or money order, in the amount set for your license type.
Certification that secure gun storage or safety devices will be available at your premises for sales to unlicensed buyers.⁹

Accuracy matters. Knowingly making a false statement on a federal firearms application is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.¹⁰ A transposed digit or wrong middle name can also delay processing by weeks, so check every field against official records before you mail anything.

Mail Copy 1 of ATF Form 7, along with the fee, fingerprint cards, and photographs, to the ATF Federal Firearms Licensing Center at P.O. Box 6200-20, Portland, OR 97228-6200.¹¹ Send Copy 2 separately to the Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO) of the jurisdiction where your business will operate, typically the local police chief or county sheriff.⁷

The Interview and Premises Inspection

Once your fee processes, ATF assigns your file to an Industry Operations Investigator (IOI). The investigator schedules an in-person interview and inspects your business premises. Expect questions about federal record-keeping rules, transfer requirements, and the day-to-day responsibilities of holding the license. This is where many applicants realize how much ongoing compliance work the license involves.

The premises inspection confirms you have a real, fixed place of business, that firearms can be stored securely, and that nothing on the ground contradicts your application. By statute, ATF must approve or deny within 60 days of receiving the application, and current processing times are tracking to that window.³¹

Getting the Washington State Dealer License

Federal approval is only half the job. Under RCW 9.41.110, Washington separately requires a state dealer’s license before you can sell any firearm or ammunition. The license is issued by your local city or town licensing authority, not a state agency, and is valid for up to one year at a time.⁵ The state dealer endorsement fee is $125.²

Sequencing is non-negotiable: you must already hold a valid federal firearms license before the local authority will issue the state dealer’s license. The local licensing authority has 30 days to decide on your application, extended to 60 days if you don’t hold a valid Washington driver’s license or haven’t been a state resident for the previous 90 consecutive days.

Employees who will sell firearms carry their own requirements. Every one of them must be at least 21, undergo fingerprinting and a background check before selling any firearm, and pass an annual background check after that. Your business location must also comply with local zoning. Operating in a zone not approved for commercial firearms sales is grounds for license forfeiture.

You will still need a general Washington State Business License from the Department of Revenue. That is a separate registration from the dealer license and covers your basic tax obligations to the state.

Washington Rules That Shape What You Can Sell

Several state restrictions directly limit your inventory and your sales workflow. Breaking them puts both your license and your freedom at risk.

Universal Background Checks

All firearm sales and transfers in Washington must go through a background check, including private transactions between unlicensed individuals. When two private parties want to complete a sale, they must do it through a licensed dealer. You process the transfer as if the firearm were your own: run the background check, complete the paperwork, keep the records. You can charge a reasonable fee for the service, and for many Washington dealers these transfers are a steady revenue line.¹²

Pistol and Semiautomatic Rifle Paperwork

For every pistol or semiautomatic rifle sold, you must maintain a detailed transfer record signed by both the purchaser and the seller. It has to include the date, caliber, make, model, serial number, and the buyer’s name, address, occupation, and place of birth. The transfer application is transmitted through the state’s Secure Automated Firearms E-Check (SAFE) system to the Washington State Patrol, and you retain the original for six years.⁵

Large-Capacity Magazine Ban

Washington prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution, and sale of magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. The only exceptions involve sales to law enforcement agencies or military branches, or sales to out-of-state buyers through properly licensed channels.¹³ Stocking over-10-round magazines for general retail is illegal.

Keeping the License

Getting licensed is the easier half. Keeping the license requires disciplined record-keeping that ATF treats as central to the license itself.

Acquisition and Disposition Records

Every firearm that enters or leaves your inventory has to be logged in an Acquisition and Disposition (A&D) record. When you acquire a firearm, record the date, the seller’s name and address (or FFL number), the manufacturer, model, serial number, type, and caliber no later than the close of the next business day. When you sell or transfer, log the disposition within seven days, recording the date and the buyer’s name and address or FFL number.¹⁴ Always pull serial numbers directly from the firearm, not from a box label or invoice.

ATF Form 4473 Retention

Every sale to an unlicensed buyer generates an ATF Form 4473, and you must retain completed 4473 forms for 20 years after the sale date. If a background check runs but the sale never completes, keep that 4473 for at least five years from the date of the NICS inquiry.¹⁵ A missing 4473 during a compliance inspection is one of the fastest ways to draw a violation.

Reporting Theft or Loss

If a firearm goes missing from your inventory, whether stolen or simply unaccounted for, call ATF at 1-888-930-9275 and file ATF Form 3310.11 within 48 hours of discovering the loss. Also record the loss in your A&D records as a disposition entry within seven days, including the ATF-issued incident number and any number from local law enforcement.¹⁶

Renewals

Your federal license expires after three years. To keep operating, submit ATF Form 8 (5310.11) Part II before it lapses. Renewal fees run lower than the initial application for most types: $90 for a Type 01 dealer, $150 for a Type 07 manufacturer, $30 for Types 03 and 06.⁶ ATF usually sends a notice, but the responsibility to renew on time is yours. Operating on an expired license is illegal.

Your Washington dealer license, meanwhile, renews annually with the local licensing authority, on a separate cycle from the three-year federal renewal. Missing either renewal means you cannot legally sell firearms, even if the other license is still active.

If the Application Is Denied

A denial comes as a written Notice of Denial listing the reasons. You have 15 days from receipt to request a hearing in writing with the Director of Industry Operations (DIO).¹⁷ The DIO schedules the hearing and gives at least 10 days’ notice. You can present facts and arguments at the hearing, though settlement offers are not entertained during the proceeding itself.¹⁸ If the DIO upholds the denial in a Final Notice, you can appeal to the appropriate federal district court within 60 days for de novo judicial review.

Most denials come down to disqualifying criminal history or problems with the proposed premises. If the issue is correctable, such as a zoning conflict, fixing it and reapplying is usually faster than litigating.

1
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Current Processing Times
2
Washington State Department of Licensing. Firearms Recordkeeping
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 923 – Licensing
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.110 – Dealers Licenses, by Whom Granted, Conditions, Fees
6
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Federal Firearms Licenses
7
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Form 7/7CR Instructions – Application for Federal Firearms License
8
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). ATF Form 7/7CR Revised June 2025 Instructions
9
eCFR. 27 CFR 478.104 – Secure Gun Storage or Safety Device
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 924 – Penalties
11
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). New Mailing Addresses for Many ATF Registration Forms
12
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.113 – Firearm Sales or Transfers, Background Checks, Requirements, Exceptions
13
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.370 – Large Capacity Magazines, Exceptions
14
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Federal Firearms Licensee Quick Reference and Best Practices Guide
15
ATF eRegulations. 27 CFR 478.129 – Record Retention
16
eCFR. 27 CFR 478.39a – Reporting Theft or Loss of Firearms
17
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Explanation of the Hearing Process
18
eCFR. 27 CFR 478.72 – Hearing After Application Denial