The number of Washingtonians licensed to carry concealed pistols is climbing rapidly in the face of a new state law that will require prospective gun owners to secure a state permit before purchasing a firearm.
In all of 2024, the total number of Washingtonians with concealed carry licenses increased by fewer than 6,000, compared to about 14,000 already this year, state data show.
By the end of July, Washington had 713,195 active concealed pistol licenses, known as CPLs, according to the state Department of Licensing. That’s up from 699,000 licenses to start the year and equivalent to about one license for every 11 residents.
Dave Workman, editor-in-chief of the Second Amendment Foundation’s TheGunMag.com, has been tracking concealed pistol license numbers in Washington since 2013. Usually, more people getting CPLs is tied to a fear of rising crime. But crime dropped significantly in 2024, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs recently reported.
Still, the feeling of being unsafe remains for those on both sides of the political spectrum, Workman believes.
“You see these stories about shootings or stabbings on the heels of reports that Seattle has lost several hundred officers since 2020,” he said. “People look at that and they think, and I think rightfully so, that they have to take more responsibility for their own safety.”
Each month since May has set a new high for active licenses, after the numbers sputtered for a couple years. The number of license holders grew more than 3,800 in July alone. And April saw the most new licenses added in a single month since 2022.
Workman expects the trend to continue.
State lawmakers in April approved House Bill 1163, which will require those looking to buy guns to apply for a five-year permit through the Washington State Patrol.
Applicants will have to pay a fee and have completed a certified firearms safety training program within the past five years, with limited exceptions. Majority Democrats pushed through the controversial legislation amid staunch pushback from gun rights advocates.
The permit system, set to take effect in May 2027, goes beyond the state’s existing background checks, which also require proof of completion of a firearm safety course.
As long as applicants aren’t the subject of an arrest warrant or barred from having guns in the first place, state patrol will have to approve their permit if they meet specific criteria.
The same currently goes for concealed pistol licenses. Applications can’t be denied, as long as the applicant is at least age 21, is allowed to have a gun and meets some other requirements.
Under the new law, CPL applicants will also need to prove they’ve done a firearm safety program.
The law, expected to face legal challenges, is the latest in a series of moves legislators have made in the past few years to try to reduce gun violence and suicides.
“And what does the public do?” Workman said. “They turn right around. They buy guns. They go get concealed pistol licenses. It’s like they’re telling the gun control crowd, ‘Hey, bugger off.’”
Since February, Grant, Whatcom, Pend Oreille, Pierce and Mason counties have seen the biggest percentage jumps in licensees. King County, which has the most license holders, also saw a more than 2% uptick in the past six months. The numbers dropped in only 10 of Washington’s 39 counties.
The National Rifle Association said the state’s gun control efforts, “coupled with a soft-on-crime agenda, have created a dangerous scenario where law-abiding citizens must jump through administrative hoops to exercise their constitutional rights.”
“Despite these arduous hurdles, more Washingtonians than ever are arming themselves, because they understand that their family’s safety is in their own hands,” said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement.
Gregory Joseph, communications director for the Seattle-based Alliance for Gun Responsibility, disagrees. He said that, “while more firearms in circulation can increase risk, we believe Washington’s approach to firearm safety makes our communities tangibly safer.”
The permit-to-purchase law will “ensure that those carrying firearms in public are well-trained and continuously vetted, helping to prevent prohibited individuals from possessing firearms,” Joseph said. “By raising the bar for training and oversight, Washington state is making responsible ownership the standard and improving safety for everyone in Washington.”
This story was originally published in the Washington State Standard.
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