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Free Washington Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale

Washington has the Pacific Northwest's strictest private-firearm transfer regime, and a casual "we wrote a bill of sale" approach will land both parties in serious legal trouble. Three big rules: (1) I-594 (2014) requires a background check on virtually every transfer — including private-party sales — run through a licensed FFL dealer, with narrow exceptions for immediate-family gifts, inheritance, and antique firearms. (2) I-1639 (2019) imposes a mandatory 10-day waiting period on ALL pistol and semi-auto rifle purchases, plus a 21-and-older minimum age for semi-auto rifles. (3) HB 1240 (effective April 25, 2023) bans the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of "assault weapons" as defined by a 60+ make/model list and feature-based criteria — pre-ban personal possession is grandfathered, but transfer is barred. Violating I-594 is a gross misdemeanor (first offense) or class C felony (second offense). Use a bill of sale to document the lawful transfer, but the bill of sale alone is NOT a substitute for the FFL background check.

Washington Requirements: Transfer title within 15 days. 6.5% sales tax.

Seller Information

Buyer Information

Gun / Firearm Details

Sale Information

Condition & Warranty

Important: Federal and state laws may require a background check for firearm transfers. This bill of sale does not replace any legal requirements for background checks, waiting periods, or other regulations. Please consult your local laws before completing this transaction.

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Private firearm sales carry more legal requirements than most buyers realize — background check laws, waiting periods, and prohibited-person rules vary widely by state. Our guide explains when a bill of sale is legally required and what it must say. Read: Do I Need a Bill of Sale? →

Washington Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — What You Need to Know

Primary Form
Standard bill of sale
Agency
WSP / WA DOL
Washington State Patrol Firearms Background Check Program; Washington Department of Licensing (concealed pistol licenses)
Primary ID Field
Serial Number
Sales Tax
0.065%
Title Required
No
Washington does NOT title firearms, but the state requires a background check on virtually every transfer (with narrow exceptions) under I-594 (2014). Long-gun and handgun transfers must run through a licensed dealer (FFL) for the background check. Handgun transfers are also recorded with the Department of Licensing — the FFL submits the pistol transfer paperwork.
Inspection
Not required

Sales Tax Details

Firearm sales are subject to Washington's 6.5% state + 0.5%–3.9% local sales tax (7%–10.4% combined) when sold by a dealer. Private-party sales running through an FFL pay the FFL's transfer fee (typically $25–$60) plus background-check fees, but use tax may still apply on the firearm's purchase price. Effective 2026, the federal 10% Pittman-Robertson excise tax flows through the wholesale price.

Exemption: Inheritance and gifts between immediate family (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild) are exempt from the I-594 background-check requirement AND from sales tax — bill of sale should still document the transfer for the family's records.

Inspection Requirements

Washington does NOT inspect firearms but ENFORCES strict transfer rules: universal background checks (I-594, 2014); 10-day waiting period for ALL pistol/handgun purchases regardless of buyer's background-check history (I-1639, 2019); ban on the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of "assault weapons" as defined under HB 1240 (effective April 25, 2023); and a minimum age of 21 for any semi-automatic rifle purchase (I-1639). Concealed carry requires a CPL from local law enforcement.

Registration

Registration for this vehicle type is handled by WSP runs the background-check system; WA DOL maintains the pistol-transfer database (handguns only). No "registration" of long guns. — not the same agency that handles cars in Washington. Plan for separate filings.

Washington Gun / Firearm Sale — Step-by-Step Checklist

  1. Confirm both parties are Washington residents legally allowed to possess firearms — felons, domestic-violence misdemeanants, and others under federal/state prohibitions cannot buy or possess.
  2. For non-family transfers, schedule the transfer through a licensed FFL dealer who runs the I-594 background check (usually $25–$60 per transfer).
  3. For pistol/handgun transfers: 10-day waiting period from background-check submission to release (I-1639) — no exceptions for prior gun owners, military, or CPL holders.
  4. For semi-automatic rifles: buyer must be 21+ (I-1639) and the model must NOT be on the HB 1240 assault-weapons ban list.
  5. Bill of sale: document seller and buyer info, make, model, caliber, serial number, transfer date, sale price, and the FFL transfer location/dealer info — both parties sign.
  6. Verify the firearm is not stolen — check the serial number with local law enforcement or via the FFL.
  7. For handguns: the FFL submits pistol transfer paperwork to WA DOL automatically — no separate buyer filing required.
  8. Family-transfer exception: spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild gifts and inheritance are exempt from the I-594 FFL requirement, but document with a bill of sale.

Common Pitfalls

  • Doing a private "parking-lot sale" without an FFL background check — this is a violation of I-594 (gross misdemeanor first offense, class C felony second), AND if the buyer commits a crime with the firearm, the seller faces civil liability and potential criminal charges.
  • Assuming the 10-day waiting period doesn't apply because the buyer "already has a CPL" or "passed a check last week" — I-1639 makes the 10-day wait mandatory for EVERY pistol/semi-auto-rifle transfer, no exceptions.
  • Selling or attempting to transfer an HB 1240 assault weapon — even pre-2023 personal-possession items are grandfathered for the original owner only and CANNOT be sold or transferred within Washington (limited exceptions for moving out of state).
  • Selling a semi-auto rifle to a 19-year-old — minimum age is 21 under I-1639, and "Mom/Dad will hold it for them" doesn't fix the underlying violation.
  • Skipping the bill of sale on a family transfer — even though I-594 exempts immediate-family transfers from the FFL check, a bill of sale documents the transfer date for chain-of-custody if the firearm later turns up in a criminal investigation.
  • Shipping a firearm directly to the buyer — under federal law, all interstate firearm transfers must go through an FFL on both ends; in-state transfers in WA still need the FFL background check under I-594.

Pro Tip

Washington firearms transfers: run virtually every sale through an FFL for the I-594 check, count on the 10-day wait for any pistol or semi-auto rifle, watch the HB 1240 assault-weapons ban (no in-state sales/transfers), confirm 21+ for semi-auto rifles, and use the family exemption only for true gifts to spouse/parent/child/sibling/grandparent/grandchild — with a bill of sale either way.

Washington Gun / Firearm Bill of Sale — FAQs

Do I really have to use a licensed dealer to sell a gun privately in Washington?
For almost all non-family transfers, yes. Initiative 594 (passed 2014) requires that the sale or transfer of any firearm — handgun, rifle, shotgun — between private parties go through a licensed FFL dealer who conducts a full background check on the buyer. The FFL typically charges $25–$60 per transfer. The narrow exceptions are: gifts and inheritance between immediate family (spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild), antique firearms manufactured before 1899, transfers to law enforcement, and temporary transfers for self-defense, hunting, or sporting use under specific circumstances. Violating I-594 is a gross misdemeanor on the first offense and a class C felony on subsequent offenses — and if the unchecked buyer commits a crime, the seller can face civil and criminal liability.
What's the 10-day waiting period and does it apply if I already own guns?
Initiative 1639 (effective 2019) requires a mandatory 10-day waiting period between the FFL background-check submission and the physical release of any handgun OR semi-automatic rifle to the buyer — regardless of whether the buyer already owns firearms, has a Concealed Pistol License (CPL), is active-duty military, or passed a background check last week. There are no exceptions in the statute. The 10 days is calendar days, not business days. The FFL holds the firearm during the wait. If you want to take possession faster, the only legitimate paths are a long-gun (non-semi-auto) purchase or qualifying as a law-enforcement officer making a duty-related purchase. Plan accordingly — buying a Friday-of-hunting-season rifle on a Wednesday won't work.
Can I still sell my AR-15 to another Washington resident after HB 1240?
No — and this is the big change. House Bill 1240, effective April 25, 2023, bans the sale, manufacture, import, and distribution of "assault weapons" within Washington. The definition covers a long list of specific make/model rifles and shotguns (AR-15 and AK pattern rifles, MAC-10/Tec-9 derivatives, etc.) plus feature-based criteria for semi-auto rifles with detachable magazines (pistol grip + threaded barrel, folding/telescoping stock, etc.). Personal possession of pre-ban firearms by the original owner is grandfathered — you can keep, use, and inherit your existing AR-15 — but you CANNOT sell or transfer it to another Washington resident. Limited exceptions allow transfer to a non-WA resident (e.g., when moving out of state) or to estate beneficiaries through inheritance. Violation is a gross misdemeanor.
Are family gun transfers really exempt from all the background-check rules?
Mostly, but with conditions. Immediate-family gifts and inheritance between spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, and grandchild are exempt from the I-594 FFL/background-check requirement. Aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and friends do NOT qualify. The transfer must be a true gift or inheritance — not a disguised sale. Even with the family exemption, you should: (a) write a bill of sale documenting the transfer date, parties, firearm details (make, model, caliber, serial), and the family relationship; (b) verify the recipient is not federally or state-prohibited from possessing firearms (felony conviction, domestic-violence misdemeanor, mental-health adjudication, active protection order); (c) for handguns, voluntarily file a pistol transfer record with WA DOL for chain-of-custody; and (d) NOT transfer an HB 1240 assault weapon — the family exemption does NOT override the assault-weapons sale/transfer ban. Inheritance through a probated estate is the cleanest path for restricted firearms.

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