SEATTLE — Gun dealers in Washington state now have to report certain requests from federal agents each year under a new law that took effect July 1.
The law requires dealers who make more than $1,000 a month in sales to tell the Washington Attorney General’s Office about all gun trace requests they receive from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). These reports are due by March 15 every year and must include details about each request and the guns involved.
Gun tracing helps law enforcement figure out where a gun came from and how it may have changed hands. It’s often used to investigate crimes involving firearms.
The Attorney General’s Office says this new rule will help them better understand how many trace requests are happening in Washington and could help with local investigations.
“Protecting the public from gun violence is one of my top priorities,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “Dealers understand that selling a firearm is serious business. We should all support commonsense requirements like this new trace request reporting.”
The new rule is part of a broader law passed by the state Legislature in 2024 aimed at adding more rules for licensed gun dealers.
Gun dealers must now report:
How many trace requests they got in a yearThe make, model, and sale date of each traced gunWhether they were inspected by the ATFCopies of any warning letters or violation notices they received
Dealers with questions can email the Attorney General’s Office at trace@atg.wa.gov.
