How to Start a Gun Store in Washington: City or County Dealer License $125, Alarm Rules and the 2027 Permit to Purchase

If you want to know how to start a firearms dealer business in Washington, the first thing to understand is that the state does not issue the dealer license you need most. Under RCW 9.41.110, a city, town or county licensing authority issues the dealer license, not the Department of Licensing. The license is valid for up to one year and costs $125 for pistols, other firearms and ammunition. The holder of one license may obtain the others at no charge. Before you apply locally, you need a federal firearms license, a business structure, a state Unified Business Identifier (UBI) and a store that meets Washington's security conditions, which took effect July 1, 2025.

This guide covers the order that works, what each step costs and which rules are still changing. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Firearms dealing is heavily regulated, so talk with an attorney who handles firearms licensing and a CPA before you sign a lease or buy inventory.

What you will need before you start

Gather these items before you file anything. Most delays happen because one item is missing when the next agency asks for it.

• A federal firearms license (FFL) issued under federal law
• A business entity, such as an LLC filed with the Washington Secretary of State
• A registered agent with a physical street address in Washington
• A Unified Business Identifier (UBI) from the Department of Revenue
• A premises with bars, security screens or commercial metal doors on every exterior door and window
• A centrally monitored alarm contract
• A fireproof safe, vault or secured room for after-hours storage
• Digital video and audio surveillance covering displays, sales points and entrances
• $1,000,000 general liability insurance
• Fingerprints and a background check for the applicant
• A staffing plan that meets the age and annual background check rules
• A budget for filing fees, the dealer license and annual renewals

Step 1: Apply for your federal firearms license

Washington's dealer process starts after you have a federal firearms license, so begin here. The FFL is issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Federal review takes time and no state agency controls it, so plan your opening date around it. Confirm the current application requirements directly with ATF before you pay for a premises or sign a lease, because the local application will ask you to show the license.

Step 2: Choose your structure and form the entity

Most gun store owners form an LLC for liability separation. A sole proprietorship or general partnership does not file with the Secretary of State, but a sole proprietor still needs the state business license in Step 3 and is personally exposed to the business's debts. If you choose a corporation, you file Articles of Incorporation with an Initial Report for $180. An LLC files a Certificate of Formation with Initial Report for $180 through the Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) at ccfs.sos.wa.gov.

Your LLC name must include Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Co., L.L.C. or LLC. It must be distinguishable from every other business name on record, and it cannot contain words such as bank, trust or cooperative. You can reserve a name for 180 days for $30. Expedited service costs $100 per business entity and is generally processed within three business days.

Every business must designate a registered agent in Washington under RCW 23.95.415. The agent can be a commercial service or a noncommercial person, must consent to serve, must supply an email address and must have a physical street address in Washington. PO Boxes and private mailbox addresses are not accepted. You can change the registered agent at no fee, so a low-cost agent is a reasonable starting point if you plan to replace it later.

Step 3: Get your UBI from the Business Licensing Service

Next, file a Business License Application with the Department of Revenue's Business Licensing Service (BLS) at dor.wa.gov. This is the one application that issues your UBI, registers trade names and requests state and city endorsements. An LLC or corporation must file with the Secretary of State before it submits this application. The opening fee is $50, and endorsement fees are charged separately.

You need a UBI in your situation because a retail gun store will sell goods subject to sales tax, will likely have employees, and will probably operate under a name other than the owner's legal name. Washington's state sales tax rate is 6.5%, and local rates are added on top. The state has no corporate or personal income tax on wages, but it levies a business and occupation (B&O) tax on gross receipts with no deduction for labor, materials or other costs. About 54 cities add their own B&O tax, which the Department of Revenue does not administer, so check your city's rules.

Processing times vary. Online applications take about 10 business days, and that can stretch by 2 to 3 weeks if city or state endorsements need approval. A mailed application can take up to six weeks, so the online route is usually faster.

Step 4: Register a trade name if you need one

If your store will operate under a name such as a storefront brand that differs from your LLC name, register that trade name. Trade names are filed through the BLS, not the Secretary of State or the county. Each trade name costs $5, plus the Business License Application processing fee: $50 to open or reopen a business, or $10 when the filing is for another purpose, such as adding a trade name to an existing business. Details are at the Department of Revenue's trade name page.

Step 5: Build the premises to the 2025 security conditions

The security conditions come from 2024 c 288 and took effect July 1, 2025. Build to them before you apply, because the licensing authority will expect the premises to match your application. Your store must have:

• Bars, security screens or commercial metal doors on every exterior door and window
• A centrally monitored alarm
• Firearms locked in a fireproof safe or vault, or in a secured room, after hours
• Digital video and audio surveillance, with recordings kept 90 days at displays and sales points and 45 days at entrances
• $1,000,000 general liability insurance
• An annual written compliance certification
• Employees who sell firearms who are 21 or older and pass a background check each year

The retention periods are the most commonly missed detail. A system that keeps all footage for 45 days meets the entrance rule but falls short at the sales counter, where recordings must last 90 days. Ask your installer to confirm both periods in writing.

Step 6: Apply for the city, town or county dealer license

Washington has 39 counties and 281 incorporated places, so the dealer license comes from the authority where your store is located. Contact that city or county licensing office before you sign a lease, because a few places may have their own zoning or procedures on top of the state requirements. Ask whether they want to review your premises before or after you apply.

The application includes fingerprinting and a background check. The authority must decide within 30 days. That window extends to 60 days for applicants without a Washington ID, and to 90 days for applicants who have not lived in Washington long enough. The $125 fee covers the dealer license for pistols, other firearms and ammunition. Local jurisdictions may charge other fees, so confirm the full fee schedule with the authority. The license is valid for up to one year, so put the renewal date on your calendar the day you receive it.

Step 7: Set your staffing and sales procedures

Only employees who are 21 or older may sell firearms, and each one must pass a background check every year. Build this into your hiring process, and keep a file for each employee showing the date of the most recent check. If you plan to hire anyone within 90 days of registering, you also need your UBI active before that first payroll, because the BLS rules require the UBI for employers.

Step 8: Plan for the 2027 permit to purchase

The permit-to-purchase law (HB 1163) begins May 1, 2027, which is why RCW 9.41.110 is printed with an effective end date of May 1, 2027. This article does not set out how the permit process will work, so confirm the details with your licensing authority and read the text of HB 1163 before you finalize your point-of-sale process. Plan for the possibility that sales steps, staff training and customer wait times will change on that date. Build your recordkeeping so you can document each transaction, and check your alarm and surveillance vendors for any changes they plan to make.

Cost summary

The table below lists only the fees verified for this guide. Where no fee is listed, get a quote and confirm the amount with the agency or vendor.

Item	Cost	Agency or source
Certificate of Formation (LLC) or Articles of Incorporation	$180	Secretary of State, CCFS
Name reservation (optional)	$30 for 180 days	Secretary of State
Expedited service (optional)	$100 per entity	Secretary of State
Annual report	$70 per year, or $95 total if late	Secretary of State
Business License Application (opening)	$50, plus endorsement fees	Department of Revenue, BLS
Trade name registration	$5 per trade name, plus $10 or $50 processing fee	Department of Revenue, BLS
Dealer license	$125 for pistols, other firearms and ammunition; others free to the holder	City, town or county authority
General liability insurance	Required at $1,000,000; get quotes	Private insurer
Alarm, safe, doors, surveillance	Get quotes	Vendors

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying to the state for a dealer license. The dealer license comes from the city, town or county, so a state application will not get you open.
• Using a PO Box as the registered agent address. The agent needs a physical Washington street address.
• Mismatching the retention periods. Sales points need 90 days of recordings, and entrances need 45 days.
• Forgetting the annual report. It is due by the last day of the month in which you formed the LLC each year, and a late filing adds fees that bring the total to $95.
• Signing a lease before checking local rules. Ask the city or county whether the location works before you commit to rent.
• Hiring anyone under 21 to sell firearms. The age rule applies to every sales employee.
• Skipping the UBI. Sales tax, employees and a non-legal trade name each require it.

What to expect on timing

Many applicants may find that the full process takes several months. The federal license, the state entity and UBI steps, the premises build-out and the local decision window can run in sequence, and each one may add delay. A realistic plan is to start the federal and state paperwork first, then order your security systems and insurance quotes while those applications are pending, and only sign a long-term lease once the local authority has confirmed the location works.

Where to get help

The Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free and low-cost advising at wsbdc.org. The SBA's Seattle district office, which covers Washington, has resources at sba.gov/district/seattle. For Secretary of State questions, start at sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Firearms licensing rules, the 2027 permit-to-purchase law and local fees can change. Before you form your business, apply for licenses or sign contracts, consult a qualified attorney who handles firearms law and a CPA who works with Washington businesses.