Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT HOUSE BILL 2521 Chapter 100, Laws of 2026 69TH LEGISLATURE 2026 REGULAR SESSION FIREARMS BACKGROUND CHECKS—FEE AMOUNT EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026—Except for section 2, which takes effect May 1, 2027. Passed by the House February 23, 2026 Yeas 53 Nays 36 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 9, 2026 Yeas 28 Nays 21 DENNY HECK President of the Senate CERTIFICATE I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2521 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BERNARD DEAN Chief Clerk Chief Clerk Approved March 18, 2026 10:24 AM FILED March 19, 2026 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington HOUSE BILL 2521 Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By Representatives Ormsby, Berry, Parshley, Pollet, Leavitt, and Donaghy; by request of Washington State Patrol Read first time 01/16/26. Referred to Committee on Appropriations. AN ACT Relating to firearms background check; amending RCW 43.43.580 and 43.43.580; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: Sec. 1. RCW 43.43.580 and 2024 c 289 s 7 are each amended to read as follows: (1) The Washington state patrol shall establish a firearms background check program to serve as a centralized single point of contact for dealers to conduct background checks for firearms sales or transfers required under chapter 9.41 RCW and the federal Brady handgun violence prevention act (18 U.S.C. Sec. 921 et seq.). The Washington state patrol shall establish an automated firearms background check system to conduct background checks on applicants for the purchase or transfer of a firearm. The system must include the following characteristics: (a) Allow a dealer to contact the Washington state patrol through a web portal or other electronic means and by telephone to request a background check of an applicant for the purchase or transfer of a firearm; (b) Provide a dealer with a notification that a firearm purchase or transfer application has been received; (c) Assign a unique identifier to the background check inquiry; (d) Provide an automated response to the dealer indicating whether the transfer may proceed or is denied, or that the check is indeterminate and will require further investigation; (e) Include measures to ensure data integrity and the confidentiality and security of all records and data transmitted and received by the system; and (f) Include a performance metrics tracking system to evaluate the performance of the background check system. (2) Upon receipt of a request from a dealer for a background check in connection with the sale or transfer of a firearm, the Washington state patrol shall: (a) Provide the dealer with a notification that a firearm transfer application has been received; (b) Conduct a check of the national instant criminal background check system and the following additional records systems to determine whether the transferee is prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law: (i) The Washington crime information center and Washington state identification system; (ii) the health care authority electronic database; (iii) the federal bureau of investigation national data exchange database and any available repository of statewide local law enforcement record management systems information; (iv) the administrative office of the courts case management system; and (v) other databases or resources as appropriate; (c) Perform an equivalency analysis on criminal charges in foreign jurisdictions to determine if the applicant has been convicted as defined in RCW 9.41.040(3) and if the offense is equivalent to a Washington felony as defined in RCW 9.41.010; (d) Notify the dealer without delay that the records indicate the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm and the transfer is denied or that the individual is approved to complete the transfer. If the results of the background check are indeterminate, the Washington state patrol shall notify the dealer of the delay and conduct necessary research and investigation to resolve the inquiry; and (e) Provide the dealer with a unique identifier for the inquiry. (3) The Washington state patrol may hold the delivery of a firearm to an applicant under the circumstances provided in RCW 9.41.090 (4) and (5). (4)(a) The Washington state patrol shall require a dealer to charge each firearm purchaser or transferee a fee for performing background checks in connection with firearms transfers. The fee must be set at an amount reasonably calculated to cover the direct and indirect costs to the Washington state patrol incurred in administering the firearm background check program . ((The fee must be set at an amount necessary to cover the annual costs of operating and maintaining the firearm background check system but shall not exceed eighteen dollars. )) The Washington state patrol shall transmit the fees collected to the state treasurer for deposit in the state firearms background check system account created in RCW 43.43.590. It is the intent of the legislature that once the state firearm background check system is established, the fee established in this section will replace the fee required in RCW 9.41.090(7). (b) The background check fee required under this subsection does not apply to any background check conducted in connection with a pawnbroker's receipt of a pawned firearm or the redemption of a pawned firearm. (5) The Washington state patrol shall establish a procedure for a person who has been denied a firearms transfer as the result of a background check to appeal the denial to the Washington state patrol and to obtain information on the basis for the denial and procedures to review and correct any erroneous records that led to the denial. (6) The Washington state patrol shall work with the administrative office of the courts to build a link between the firearm background check system and the administrative office of the courts case management system for the purpose of accessing court records to determine a person's eligibility to possess a firearm. (7) Upon establishment of the firearm background check system under this section, the Washington state patrol shall notify each dealer in the state of the existence of the system, and the dealer must use the system to conduct background checks for firearm sales or transfers beginning on the date that is thirty days after issuance of the notification. (8) The Washington state patrol shall consult with the Washington background check advisory board created in RCW 43.43.585 in carrying out its duties under this section. (9) No later than July 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Washington state patrol firearms background check program shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature the average time between receipt of request for a background check and final decision. (10) All records and information prepared, obtained, used, or retained by the Washington state patrol in connection with a request for a firearm background check are exempt from public inspection and copying under chapter 42.56 RCW. (11) The Washington state patrol may adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (12) For the purposes of this section, "dealer" has the same meaning as given in RCW 9.41.010. Sec. 2. RCW 43.43.580 and 2025 c 370 s 17 are each amended to read as follows: (1) The Washington state patrol shall establish a firearms background check program to serve as a centralized single point of contact for dealers to conduct background checks for firearms sales or transfers required under chapter 9.41 RCW and the federal Brady handgun violence prevention act (18 U.S.C. Sec. 921 et seq.). The Washington state patrol shall establish an automated firearms background check system to conduct background checks on applicants for the purchase or transfer of a firearm. The system must include the following characteristics: (a) Allow a dealer to contact the Washington state patrol through a web portal or other electronic means and by telephone to request a background check of an applicant for the purchase or transfer of a firearm; (b) Provide a dealer with a notification that a firearm purchase or transfer application has been received; (c) Assign a unique identifier to the background check inquiry; (d) Provide an automated response to the dealer indicating whether the transfer may proceed or is denied, or that the check is indeterminate and will require further investigation; (e) Include measures to ensure data integrity and the confidentiality and security of all records and data transmitted and received by the system; and (f) Include a performance metrics tracking system to evaluate the performance of the background check system. (2) Upon receipt of a request from a dealer for a background check in connection with the sale or transfer of a firearm, the Washington state patrol shall: (a) Provide the dealer with a notification that a firearm transfer application has been received; (b) Conduct a check of the national instant criminal background check system and the following additional records systems to determine whether the transferee is prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law: (i) The Washington crime information center and Washington state identification system; (ii) the health care authority electronic database; (iii) the federal bureau of investigation national data exchange database and any available repository of statewide local law enforcement record management systems information; (iv) the administrative office of the courts case management system; and (v) other databases or resources as appropriate; (c) Perform an equivalency analysis on criminal charges in foreign jurisdictions to determine if the applicant has been convicted as defined in RCW 9.41.040(3) and if the offense is equivalent to a Washington felony as defined in RCW 9.41.010; (d) Notify the dealer without delay that the records indicate the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm and the transfer is denied or that the individual is approved to complete the transfer. If the results of the background check are indeterminate, the Washington state patrol shall notify the dealer of the delay and conduct necessary research and investigation to resolve the inquiry; and (e) Provide the dealer with a unique identifier for the inquiry. (3) The Washington state patrol may hold the delivery of a firearm to an applicant under the circumstances provided in RCW 9.41.090(3). (4)(a) The Washington state patrol shall require a dealer to charge each firearm purchaser or transferee a fee for performing background checks in connection with firearms transfers. The fee must be set at an amount reasonably calculated to cover the direct and indirect costs to the Washington state patrol incurred in administering the firearm background check program . ((The fee must be set at an amount necessary to cover the annual costs of operating and maintaining the firearm background check system but shall not exceed eighteen dollars. )) The Washington state patrol shall transmit the fees collected to the state treasurer for deposit in the state firearms background check system account created in RCW 43.43.590. (b) The background check fee required under this subsection does not apply to any background check conducted in connection with a pawnbroker's receipt of a pawned firearm or the redemption of a pawned firearm. (5) The Washington state patrol shall establish a procedure for a person who has been denied a firearms transfer as the result of a background check to appeal the denial to the Washington state patrol and to obtain information on the basis for the denial and procedures to review and correct any erroneous records that led to the denial. (6) The Washington state patrol shall work with the administrative office of the courts to build a link between the firearm background check system and the administrative office of the courts case management system for the purpose of accessing court records to determine a person's eligibility to possess a firearm. (7) Upon establishment of the firearm background check system under this section, the Washington state patrol shall notify each dealer in the state of the existence of the system, and the dealer must use the system to conduct background checks for firearm sales or transfers beginning on the date that is thirty days after issuance of the notification. (8) The Washington state patrol shall consult with the Washington background check advisory board created in RCW 43.43.585 in carrying out its duties under this section. (9) No later than July 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Washington state patrol firearms background check program shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature the average time between receipt of request for a background check and final decision. (10) All records and information prepared, obtained, used, or retained by the Washington state patrol in connection with a request for a firearm background check are exempt from public inspection and copying under chapter 42.56 RCW. (11) The Washington state patrol may adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (12) For the purposes of this section, "dealer" has the same meaning as given in RCW 9.41.010. NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Section 1 of this act expires May 1, 2027. NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Section 2 of this act takes effect May 1, 2027. Passed by the House February 23, 2026. Passed by the Senate March 9, 2026. Approved by the Governor March 18, 2026. Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 19, 2026.
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