Do Washington Gun Shop Owners Face an Uncertain Future?

The Washington State Senate approved Engrossed Senate House Bill 2118 on Tuesday night that requires FFL (Federally Firearm Licensed) dealers to implement security measures that propose to prevent gun theft.

The guidelines require gun shop employees pass an annual background check.

Store owners are required to;

• install extensive camera and audio recording systems to capture transaction activity.
• install fireproofed overnight storage vaults for inventory and beefed up exterior door systems.
• carry $1 million in liability coverage

Requirements must be satisfied by July 2025.

The Senate passed an amendment reducing the storage of security recordings from two years down to 90 days so the Washington House will have to approve the changes before the law is passed.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Amy Wallen, D-Kirkland “It’s about keeping firearms safe – the inventory safe,” Wallen testified Feb. 19th at the public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee. “It’s about promptly reporting incidents. And it’s about the ability of law enforcement to track straw purchases.”

Opponents fear the legislation is punitive for small gun dealers in Washington.

At the same hearing, Troy Nichols from the National Shooting Sports Foundation said ESHB2118 is the wrong approach.

“The stated purpose of House Bill 2118 is to prevent firearm thefts and straw purchases at dealerships,”   Nichols cited federal and state data that show "less than 2 percent of all firearm thefts in Washington state occur at FFLs.”

Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, spoke for 6 minutes Tuesday night in opposition to the bill, calling the ESHB2118 a "death sentence on dealers."   Her remarks were summarized in a news release

“The anti-gun extremists are finally realizing they can’t seize firearms from law-abiding people, or regulate them away, so this bill goes after the supply side of the equation"

Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver

 

Wilson argues the law as proposed "would basically smother the retailers who are unable to comply with the new mandates, and that means most, if not all, in our state. I also don’t see how gun shows will be able to survive this.”